Let’s face it: High Point Market can be mind-boggling whether veteran or newbie. With so many products and trends, how do you make sense of it all when you get back home? We asked past Style Spotters for their best after-market advice, plus what looks they predict will be trending this spring.
Marie Flanigan, 2016 Style Spotter
Owner of Marie Flanigan Interiors
Feelings after your first market: Joyful exhaustion.
After-market ritual: Sleep.
Tips for de-stressing: Spend time with family. “Reconnecting with the people and values that mean the most to me always puts my heart and soul at ease.”
How to make sense of trends: Categorize products or movements. “Similar to the world of fashion, I find that every market can be characterized by the trends woven through each showroom.”
Trend predictions for spring market: Warm, lustrous metal finishes and richly layered, nature-inspired hues, as shown in this space above designed by Flanigan.
Meredith Heron, 2014 Style Spotter
Owner of Meredith Heron Design
Feelings after your first market: Blown away.
After-market ritual: “Sleep. Eat. Usually in that order.”
Tips for de-stressing: Expensive red wine. “I laugh A LOT and that is always the best medicine. My husband is also a fabulous gourmet so I eat well.”
How to make sense of trends: Don’t. “I spot and anticipate my own trends and then I look to market to fill in what I’m needing.”
Trend predictions for spring market: Deep, rich, saturated color: Mallard Duck Green, metallic, pattern-on-pattern-on-pattern in scenes like this one at right by Meredith Heron Design.
Arianne Bellizaire, 2015 Style Spotter
Owner of Arianne Bellizaire Interiors
Feelings after your first market: Sensory overload.
After-market ritual: Sort through literature and connect with new reps.
De-stressing tips: Unplug for a day or two and schedule a grooming appointment. “You work so hard at market to try and see everything that that is something I look forward to.”
How to make sense of trends: Take notes and photos on phone throughout market. “When I’m on the plane on the way home because it’s so fresh, I’ll pull out my laptop and start writing the outline for that trend report.”
Trend predictions for spring market: Small space designs and more feminine, smooth and curved lines like Currey & Company’s Agave Americana chandelier above.
Malene Barnett, 2016 Style Spotter
Design Director at Malene B. Studio
Feelings after your first market: Overwhelmed.
After-market ritual: Organize catalogs and business cards and start working on a trend report.
De-stressing tips: Keep traveling and get caught up with sleep on the plane.
How to make sense of trends: Look for patterns. “I understand materials, manufacturing and techniques so it was easy to start to identify the different design directions.”
Trend predictions for spring market: More texture and natural materials, like silk and wool in this Malene B. Studio Crinkle — Cobalt carpet above.