Hannah’s High Point Market Recap
High Point Market was a whirlwind of gorgeous furniture, dreamy lighting, and rugs I’m still thinking about. I spotted so many fun trends and fresh ideas, I can’t wait to input all the inspiration into future client projects!
I just got back from High Point Market, and my camera roll, brain, and Pinterest boards are all bursting. There’s nothing like walking through showroom after showroom, seeing the ideas we talk about as designers blown up to full scale in real life.
This trip, a few themes kept popping up for me, things I’m already excited to bring into client projects and my own home.
1. Textured & Colored Lighting Is Having a Moment
Lighting has been “the jewelry of the room” for a long time, but at High Point it felt more like the whole outfit. Everywhere I turned there were:
- Woven fixtures with incredible texture
- Patterned fabric shades that felt more like couture than lighting
- Sculptural chandeliers that were as much art as illumination
One major highlight: Visual Comfort’s new collaboration pieces with Schumacher and Benjamin Moore.
You can:
- Custom color many of their fixtures in Benjamin Moore paint, so your lighting ties seamlessly into your palette instead of being an afterthought.
- Incorporate several Schumacher fabrics on shades, bringing that layered, textile-rich feel up to eye level.
It’s such a smart way to add personality. Instead of a basic white shade or standard metal finish, you get lighting that feels intentional, almost bespoke.
2. Antiques Are Always In
If there was one reassurance from Market, it’s this: antiques are not going anywhere.
We saw:
- True, timeworn antique pieces that could slide into any modern room and immediately give it soul
- Brand-new pieces intentionally designed to look like “found” treasures, chipped edges, limewashed finishes, patina’d hardware
And it wasn’t just casegoods. Antiques showed up in more creative ways too, like an antique rug stretched and framed as art, or a grouping of found plates hung on the wall to create an interesting focal point. These smaller, collected pieces tell a story and instantly make a room feel more personal and layered.
The message was clear: rooms feel richer when they don’t look like everything arrived in one delivery. That mix of old and new makes spaces feel collected, not decorated.
3. Layers & Details Are the Secret Sauce
One of my favorite parts of Market is studying the vignettes, how designers and showrooms put everything together. This year, layers and details were absolutely front and center.
I kept noticing pieces that were:
Skirted or details furniture legs,
- Done in a beautiful main fabric, and
- Finished with an interesting contrast welt, and then
- Topped with pillows that had their own thoughtful details, tapes, trims, delicate prints, or unexpected color pairings
Nothing felt like an afterthought. Even the “simple” pieces had some extra layer of detail that made you want to lean in for a closer look.
These little decisions add up to a room that feels considered and custom, even if every piece isn’t truly bespoke.
4. Slipper Chairs & Tiny Tables Are Still IT
I was delighted (but not surprised) to see slipper chairs and petite armchairs everywhere. They remain one of my favorite tools when I’m working in a space that:
- Needs to seat more people but doesn’t have the square footage for another full-size sofa or big lounge chair
- Are a living space or seating area that also functions as a pass through room to other areas
At Market, these smaller-scale chairs were often paired with tiny accent or drink tables, the perfect landing spot for a drink or a book without eating up valuable floor space.
The best part? Because they’re a bit underscaled, they’re a fantastic place to have fun:
- Bold, large-scale fabrics
- Unexpected color combinations
- Interesting trims or fringe
They pack such a punch without overwhelming the room.
Bringing High Point Home
Walking High Point Market is like seeing the future of the spaces we’ll all be living in a few years from now, only, the good news is you don’t have to wait.
From this trip, my big takeaways were:
- Treat lighting as a major design moment (and don’t shy away from color and pattern).
- Mix in antiques or antique-inspired pieces, rugs, plates, furniture, to keep rooms from feeling flat.
- Obsess over details and layers; they’re what make a space feel custom.
- Use slipper chairs and tiny tables to solve space constraints and have fun with fabric.
I’m already dreaming up ways to fold these ideas into upcoming projects and client schemes. If you’re feeling inspired (or a little overwhelmed) and want help translating some of these trends into your own home,I’m here. I thrive off turning what I see at Market into spaces that feel uniquely, comfortably you.
