Mind Blown! My Epic First Ever Excursion to Furniture Market
Howdy! Wow, I just made my first visit ever to Furniture Market in High Point, North Carolina earlier this week. After a whirlwind day of exploring with my friend, Pat Justice of Patricia Justice Designs, I needed a few days to process everything! This will be the first article in a series about my experiences at Furniture Market, 2022.
What to expect at Furniture Market
Furniture Market in High Point hosts one of two enormous design shows in the United States annually; the other is in Las Vegas. Although I live near High Point, I never found time to go until now. My friends told me that it was overwhelming, but that was truly an understatement.
Furniture Market is laid out as a series of buildings in downtown High Point, some with stand-alone showrooms for furnishings, and some with a series of temporary showrooms. Basically, the downtown of High Point transitions into a series of indoor malls with pop-up shops for vendors to show their merchandise, and for buyers to see firsthand. Furniture Market covers such a large area of the city that a series of shuttle buses transport visitors to and from different locations. The transportation system seemed easy to navigate, and the Furniture Market app assisted with planning the journey.
What I saw
High Point remains the furniture capital of the United States, although many companies now outsource manufacture of their products. All types of home furnishing styles mingled during the event, from Mediterranean to modern, low-priced to fully customizable. Indoor and outdoor furnishings, small-space furniture, commercial furnishings, rugs, accessories, silk florals, upholstery fabric, and wallpaper vendors participated. I truly found myself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of home decor options available.
Opportunities for designers
A diverse selection of events greeted designers, vendors, and buyers at Furniture Market. Some vendors sponsored invitation-only evening and lunch events for clients. Continuing education opportunities were also available, including an upholstery intensive course that we took, featuring several vendors at different locations. Buyers had the option to register for trade discounts with vendors on-site, and items were available for order. (I found it super helpful to see items in-person, and to handle the fabrics and furnishings!)
Another benefit of visiting Furniture Market was, of course, the opportunity to obtain samples of merchandise. I came away from Inside Out with multiple swatches of their fabrics that can be used for decor planning. Other shops offered generous trade discounts on merchandise, with the opportunity to purchase floor samples at the conclusion of Furniture Market.
What did people wear to Furniture Market?
I assumed that most of the interior decorators and vendors would be dressed to the nines, glamorous and over-the-top. However, I observed a wide array of dress at Furniture Market–everything from Coachella chic to business suits. Most designers carried large bags–Louis Vuitton was well-represented, lol–and most people appeared upscale professional. Basically, in my black jeans, zebra shoes and jacket–and with the requisite LV tote–I felt appropriately dressed for the event.
Most visitors carried canvas totes in addition to handbags. Canvas totes were available for free at several vendor outlets. (My thanks to Loloi and Feizy rugs for the totes!) Most notably, though, shoes were predominantly comfortable and practical. Keep in mind that, even if shopping one building, there is a lot of walking involved. Thankfully, Clarks carries a line of upscale flats, so I found a comfy pair of suede flats with zebra print that kept me fashionable and comfortable.
What I will do differently next year
Now that I have experienced Furniture Market firsthand, I am planning for next year’s trip. I plan to register early for the event, and attend early. We attended toward the middle of week 2, and some vendors were already in slow-down. I will research vendors of interest well in advance, and pre-register with them to establish my trade discount eligibility ahead of time, to expedite the process. Also, I plan to offer personal shopping at Furniture Market for clients who are looking for that special piece for their room, because the show rooms are full of imaginative ideas!
For any designer who loves to see merchandise before buying, Furniture Market offers the chance to touch and see the items before recommending them to clients. If you have the ability to attend one of the Furniture Market events, it is well worth the time!
Hillary McAlhany is the owner of Gate City Design, a boutique staging & redesign firm for residential & commercial properties, located in Greensboro, North Carolina.
