Thousands of steps, hundreds of sit tests, dozens of panels and way too many free miniature candies later, that’s a wrap on High Point Fall Market. The industry gathered in North Carolina this past weekend with typical optimism and good spirits, despite the fact that a stubbornly frozen housing market continues to dampen business conditions. Business of Home’s editorial team was on the ground to take it all in—read on to find out what mattered most at High Point this season.
TRAFFIC CONDITIONS
At its board meeting this morning, the High Point Market Authority announced that registration for Fall Market was down 2 percent from April, though an official tally won’t be ready until end of day. What we won’t know for another month or so (once all of the badge scans are deduplicated and counted) is exactly how many of those who registered actually attended.
The mood on the street when it comes to attendance was a study in contrasts. After a slow start on Friday, manufacturers generally reported strong foot traffic throughout the weekend—in many cases, more attendees than the previous Spring or Fall Markets. Yet if you were looking for bustling sidewalks as a marker of success, you probably didn’t find them. For those of us walking from showroom to showroom, there was never much of a crowd. One hypothesis is that this is a symptom of something we noted in the spring: Key retailers and antiques-seeking designers are arriving ever earlier, dropping in on Wednesday and often departing before the show officially opens on Saturday.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
“How’s business?” is a common conversation starter at Market. The answer, of course, depends on whom you’re asking. When it came to manufacturers and brands, the mood correlated to the demographic of the customer. Those who sell to retail stores were happy to be flat compared to 2023; many who sell through showrooms and to the trade were celebrating modest wins. There was a similar split among designers, though it was more heavily influenced by geography. Many in booming cities like Dallas, Nashville and Atlanta haven’t slowed down since Covid. In quieter markets—Austin or California, say—designers painted a more mixed picture.
This was not a big bounce of a Market, especially for manufacturers—business had not immediately come roaring back post–interest rate cut, as some had hoped. Nonetheless, it was a (cautiously) optimistic one. In conversation after conversation, attendees offered a version of the same sentiment: The worst is over; now we play the waiting game. As one factory owner put it: “We’re still in the tunnel, but I can see the light at the end of it.”
If there was a complicating factor, it was politics. Most everyone agreed that the presidential election had played a bigger role in dampening business than had previously been anticipated. There was widespread agreement that a contested result would delay any eventual recovery. It’s a sign of our jaded times that one executive dryly remarked that he had baked in the possibility of “a day or two of rioting” into his calculations for the rest of the year.
On the other side of the election is the potential of more import tariffs, should Donald Trump win. Despite heavy support for the GOP in North Carolina, the prospect of a duty hike—especially on China—is a worrisome prospect for importers. Some assumed that the tariff talk was mostly bluster from the former president and were holding steady. Just in case, others were building up inventory on imported products and components despite tepid demand. After a rough couple of years, still others—especially smaller players—didn’t have the resources available to do much, even if they wanted to. “I’m just hoping for the best,” said one, shrugging in resignation.
SHOWROOM SHUFFLE
The talk of the town was undoubtedly 313 Space, a refreshed hosiery warehouse opened by Schwung owners Rudi Nijssen and Dominique Sente. Their lighting line, shown alongside a deep assortment of creatively merchandised one-of-a-kinds, anchored the first floor and drew a crowd; upstairs, a robust mix of tenants—from independent makers in small booths to big brands in more sprawling footprints—rounded out a crowd-pleasing assortment. There is a bar that will surely start to bustle in future markets, as well as an enchanting outdoor gathering space that makes the more corporate cafeteria–like dining options at Market feel worlds away. While 313 Space is a bit far afield, perched at the southeast corner of the event’s footprint, it seems destined to become a must-see stop, especially for designers.
Two other new spaces also captured our attention: NKBA’s greenhouse-like temporary structure on Fred Alexander Place, which aimed to bring an assortment of high-end kitchen brands to High Point for the first time, and the big Burton James tent in the parking lot across from The Bank on Wrenn. The former hosted panel discussions and cooking demonstrations that seemed to draw healthy crowds, but the destination wasn’t necessarily top of mind as designers recounted their favorite stops. (It may be that seasoned attendees simply aren’t used to having the kitchen and bath category on their itinerary, but that seems poised to change: Cambria also opened a small footprint at the entrance to Suites at Market Square, suggesting it is looking to make inroads during Market.) Burton James offered a compelling preview of a brand on the rise: Ardmore Home Design, the parent company of Made Goods, purchased the California-based upholstery brand just weeks before Spring Market in April, and it showcased its commitment to revitalizing the line with an expansive display of refreshed designs. But the tent is just a (very large) stand-in for something even bigger and better—the site will soon hold a 20,000-square-foot showroom for the brand.
Several brands fresh off of their own leadership changes showed signs of what’s to come. The Hooker showroom featured an arresting display of vignettes in rich, trending finishes and tones—an early indication of where the brand might be going with Caroline Hipple on board. (She joined the company as its chief creative officer in April after 16 years at Norwalk Furniture.) Similarly, Brown Jordan debuted the first collections that reflect the vision of its president, Ben Collins, who arrived in August 2023. The Luca line, which made its High Point Market debut, is already a blockbuster for the brand after making a big splash at Casual Market. We got a sneak preview of what’s in the works, and it’s clear that this will be a brand to watch. At Hickory Chair, meanwhile, the guidance of new company president Federico Contigiani continues to drive a bold showroom presentation with an increasingly clear point of view.
Design trends
One eternal truth: No matter your style, there’s something for everyone at Market. But in general, furniture brands seemed most excited to feature bleached wood and sandblasted styles alongside dark, black-brown finishes. We also saw a full embrace of a rich, warm palette: cognac, amber and berry hues, as well as moody teals and deep greens. Even Bernhardt, known for its crisp, all-white palette, offered vignettes with a few pops of soft clay hues. Verellen, known for an earthy palette of muted neutrals, presented its assortment in full color to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Among the dozens of debuts, Tara Shaw’s new line for Century and Barbara Barry’s latest assortment for Baker and McGuire stood out as the largest and most immersive. The Shaw collaboration offered more than 70 new pieces that evoked the designer and antique dealer’s collected point of view—notably, there were no matching sets or even matching finishes to be found. That’s a risk for a manufacturer, especially with retail customers, but it seems to have paid off here. The other offered Barry at her best: a mix of sleek curves and sharp angles in white oak and a woven square cane mesh, with elegant bronze detailing and pieces that feature a glowing Honey Onyx marble.
Another undeniable trend was rechargeable lighting. Manufacturers exhibited a variety of styles and sizes, with models where the fixture itself recharges and others where just the bulb gets plugged in. These are no longer just restaurant-table fare—brands like Pooky, Currey & Company, Surya and Visual Comfort showed an array of sconces and floor lamps in addition to tabletop varieties.
NEW IDEAS
The furniture industry is famously cautious when it comes to the adoption of new ideas and cutting-edge technology, but a few little pops of experimentation cropped up at Market this fall. In the Kravet showroom, the fabric giant was showing off an activation with 3D visualization wizards Intiaro that invited attendees to don an Apple Vision Pro headset and “place” virtual furniture right there on the floor—all upholstered in virtual Kravet fabric. This kind of AR technology is not entirely new, and may not yet have evolved past its gimmick era, but it is impressive. Should VR headsets truly catch on with consumers (or designers), Kravet will be ready.
In the NKBA activation, Shark Tank alum Jake Slatnick gave demos of his FreePower technology, which turns any surface into a charging station. While kitchen countertops, vanities and bedside tables seemed to be the most obvious landing spots, he also painted a picture of upholstered track-armed sofas that power up devices while you lounge—a future that seems bright.
Over in 313 Space, meanwhile, sustainability was on display. There, the Parsons Healthy Materials Lab had secured a spacious pop-up on the second floor, showcasing its brand partnerships and displays from its library in New York. Co-founder Jonsara Ruth, a tireless advocate for a greener design industry, was on hand to chat with attendees about the latest materials and techniques her team had been studying. On Saturday afternoon, Ruth could be found buzzing with optimism about the conversations she had been having with manufacturers about implementing more sustainable practices. “I really feel like it’s starting to happen at scale,” she said.
A notable new idea that felt more like an exercise in patience: HPMA’s new scanning system. For anyone in a rush, the machine’s slow processing time offered a flash of frustration at every entry point—especially when boarding a shuttle. While it may ultimately promise better deliverables, even showroom staff seemed stymied by the delay. Here’s to hoping that gets an upgrade (or that the Wi-Fi powering it gets a massive boost) before we reconvene at Market next spring.
POST-HELENE
Despite carving a deadly path through North Carolina a month prior, Hurricane Helene was not a big topic of conversation at Market this year. Mostly because the storm primarily impacted the mountainous western region of the state and the majority of the furniture industry is located in the flatter eastern half. EJ Victor was among the few manufacturers impacted by the storm—the company announced recently that it was delaying new production until 2025. Still, it was able to show at Market, displaying pieces by former Ralph Lauren designer Alfredo Paredes. Meanwhile, Shoppe Object held a silent auction featuring pieces donated by vendors, with the proceeds benefiting those who had been impacted by the devastation of Helene, and High Point x Design launched a fundraising campaign selling ribbons to Marketgoers to support a women’s shelter in the region.
PEOPLE AND PARTIES
What’s a Market without a little A-List talent and some serious partying? A full list of notable designers who made the trip to High Point would be prohibitively long, but boldface names spotted on the streets included everyone from Ray Booth and Suzanne Kasler to Thom Filicia, Corey Damen Jenkins and Sasha Bikoff. On Monday, a line snaked through the Commerce & Design Building as hundreds of designers awaited a book signing with Kelly Wearstler. Meanwhile, on the executive side, RH chairman and CEO Gary Friedman was spotted making a quick visit to the halls of 313 Space, while Wayfair co-founder and CEO Niraj Shah could be seen taking meetings in the lobby of Showplace.
The party scene was hopping, with lively events on the Caracole rooftop and a Moroccan soiree inspired by Nicole Fuller’s takeover of a space in the Bernhardt showroom as part of its annual designer-in-residence program. But the Market was also notable for an emphasis on more intimate evening events—including small off-campus gatherings like a chic Hudson Valley Lighting Group dinner hosted by Noz Nozawa and Mandy Cheng on the front porch of Pandora’s Manor—a trend toward intentional connection that seemed to be everywhere we looked.
