High Point Market Inspiration
I just got back from High Point Market. High Point is an enormous furniture and interiors hub here in North Carolina. Twice a year, they host Market: 180 buildings full of gorgeous pieces for the home. Out of 180, I covered 5 1/2 buildings… that's all I could get to in two days!
The escalators of one small building. Yeah. It's huge.
Y'all know how much I LOVE interiors, so going to market was a real treat for me. I have a renewed respect for designers… I was blown away by how much they have to sift through and process and curate for their clients. Many thanks to the ever-talented and thoughtful Lee Stough for giving me a pass to the event.
My real goal was to research the art. I wanted to see the best ways that artwork can work in interior spaces.
Many artists abhor the idea of an "OTC painting" (over-the-couch painting) - that is, artwork that is created solely for decoration purposes. I get it; OTC paintings compromise an artist's vision and create a disjointed body of work… but I LOVE IT. I love painting for decor.
Art is transformative. It can make a statement, draw the eyes upward in a space, provide balance, unify color schemes. Since I love interiors so much, why wouldn't I do what I can to contribute to the beauty of a home? I'm not a designer, but I can paint. I like to think I can paint pretty much anything… furniture, walls, crafts, and canvases both traditional and funky. I love the variety.
Anywho… I found LOTS of inspiration at High Point.
Let me show you what I found!
Paintings
Interesting juxtaposition of very modern art with antiques
Sweet 70s painting - these colors are so fresh these days. I saw them everywhere.
Check out that nailhead detail along the sides. I usually hide those, but isn't the texture cool? Especially on that sweet grasscloth wallpaper.
The big trend is definitely huge, colorful artwork. I love it. The next few images are from the Festoni display.
Pink/peach/purple/orange seemed to be a popular color combo.
The Benson-Cobb Studios displayed wonderfully serene, peaceful art… I wish I had more than just one photo!
I met the sweetest woman from Chattanooga named Lisa Seago. She had been a designer for 25 years before turning her talents to canvas. We chatted about giclee reproductions for a while.. it opened my eyes to another trend: original works being blown up much larger than their original size, so the reproduction has exaggerated texture.
Can you see how the canvas texture and original brushstrokes are now printed much larger?
More random wall art...
Gold leaf on top of texture… cool.
Giant thumbprints!
Good ol' botanicals. I love 'em. So classy, and a series of them fills space so elegantly.
These botanicals were painted on mirror! Woah!
These giant colorful abstracts are from Design Legacy. What a space! I thought the Thibaut fabric showroom was my happy place, but then my eyes jumped for joy in Design Legacy. Apparently one artist creates all their paintings: Kelly O'Neal. Props.
There's that pink/orange/purple combo again...
The colorful frames make this series really pop.
This painting must sing to malachite lovers!
On the second day, I stumbled upon Wendover Art Group, and wow. What a feast for the eyes.
How cool is this? Multiple canvases in a crazy arrangement make up one overall image.
Love these frames. They make the print a lot more interesting, in my opinion.
Now here is a really interesting framing option - what do you think of the asymmetrical matting? I like how unusual it is!
Big painterly flower trend coming right up...
Some landscapes and cityscapes I liked… the illustrative quality is fun.
This is one of my all-time favorites. I've seen it reproduced multiple places. Anyone have an idea who the original artist was?
How cool would a series like this be - buildings from travel photos? Down a hallway or stairwell? Swell.
This one is from Natural Curiosities… I love how it's delicate and natural and feminine:
Walls
Giant gingham? (or is this tattersall? I don't know.) How cool would this be in a boy's room?
Hand-painted bedroom mural at Oly… dramatic yet soothing.
Painted Furniture
These pieces are all from Guild Master, except the last image...
That is some kind of green basket weave rattan on that piece… it's painted on!
The popular chair!
These crazy colors are actually goat skin… kinda weird… but easily imitated with paint!
Well, if you've made it all the way to the bottom of this post, congratulations! I am giving you a virtual hug and a pat on the back. Thanks for reading… and expect lots of new work in the future based on High Point inspiration!
And, as always, if you see something you like… contact me to discuss your project! I'd love to do a custom piece for you.