Highlights from High Point

I got back last week from the bi-annual High Point Furniture Market, a mecca for designers. I am quick to get overwhelmed visually, so when I look back at my pictures, it is easier to see trends and inspirations. Sometimes I just snap a picture of something I like and figure out later why I liked it.
Let's take a walk through my photos.....

I loved the trim detail on this pillow at Eastern Accents.

Also at Eastern Accents in their drapery line. Most of the time we mitre trim around the bottom corner of a drapery panel. Here they did a sort of 45 degree angle. So much more interesting.

One more Eastern Accents, featuring the Pantone color of the year - Tangerine Tango. Notice that pillow with the six sided shape (would you call that a "sectagon"?). That shape was all over High Point.

Merchandising Idea: nothing says "Lodge" like storing your firewood under your bed.

Custom upholstered furniture. I fell in love with this line because they can do a completely outdoor piece using marine foam covered in Sunbrella fabric. Can you imagine sitting out on your deck in a comfy soft chair, reading a book?

Drapery hardware from Sarkis Studio. I'm always fascinated by hardware.

There is nothing prettier than a showroom full of lighting. This is Currey & Co. It is a virtual wonderland of lovely things.

Tangerine Tango may be the color of the year, but I did see a lot of pink.

This was a fun chaise. The trend of combining fabrics on one piece of furniture is still strong.

Guess what this bench is made of.......concrete!

Pretty nailhead detail on a chair at Raymond Waites. Notice they used 2 different sizes of nailheads!

This was a beautiful print I saw in a lighting showroom - Bradburn.

A Caracole bench.

Spell it out. Saw this trend several times. Also a lot of framed typeset or calligraphy.

This was outside a framed art showroom. Those are marbles and they are actually attached to the outside of the glass!

I have been coveting this light fixture from Luna Bella forever!  Where to put it, that is the question.

Loved this whole vignette at Eloquence, especially the mirrors.

Decorating with books - still a trend.

I don't know what it was about this chair, maybe the low-slung back, but I found it fascinating.

Another of my fascinations that I have shared before - this kind of floor. Elegant in a rustic, humble way.

One of the many colorful ideas from Cyan.

This kind of scrolly, vintage print was all over the place.

And finally, if I ever have a wine cellar, this is going in it.

Staircase Swag

It's not often you find a window in a staircase, particularly by the front door, but it happens.
Here's a pretty little something we did that dressed up the window without blocking the whole thing. Plus it coordinates with the living room which is on the other side of the door and that you saw in a previous post.

Gilding the Lily

There's nothing like attending a conference for Design Bloggers to make you suddenly stop posting. No, that's not it. I did attend the conference in L.A. in late February, but the real issue is my misbehaving internet connection. I cannot figure it out but it has been off more than it has been on. Oh well.
It has been an incredibly busy few weeks, design wise, around here. I have so many projects I have been working on. There is lots to show you.
I named this post "Gilding the Lily" because I tend to like to pile it all on when it comes to design, particularly with window treatments. Here is an example and truly it is not that over the top, but it is a good example of taking a fairly simple design and making it that much more interesting with the addition of some great details.
We started with a simple board mounted pendant valance. It is the exact copy of a valance I did for this client 10 years ago! She still had fabric leftover from the previous project, and it happened to match her kitchen chairs. She has moved to a new home, hence the new valances. We chose to trim them with a fabulous, full, tassel fringe. At the top of the boards we used a covered button, but made it even more eye-catching with the addition of the accents that surround the buttons. These are SOOOO pretty. They come in a couple of finishes and are relatively inexpensive. I could think of a million more ways to use them!

Delicious Silk Swags

These assymetric swags really are delicious. Luscious cream colored silk from Bach International. Lined and interlined. Beautiful hardware by Paris, TX. Gold bullion fringe.
And here's the little secret. The whole design was determined by the fact that we didn't want the large dogs to be able to reach the window treatments. An elegant solution to a mundane problem.

Here's the drawing my client found online that we started with: