Why I'm Already Packing for High Point Market

October means one thing on my calendar: High Point Market. If you've followed my work for any length of time, you've probably heard me mention it before. If this is your first time hearing about it, let me explain why it matters, not just to me, but to every client whose home I get to design.

What High Point Market Actually Is

High Point Market is the world's largest home furnishings trade show, held twice a year in High Point, North Carolina. This fall's market runs October 17-21. Thousands of manufacturers fill showrooms across the city to unveil new furniture, lighting, fabric, and finishes, and to preview the color and material directions that will shape next year's collections.

Here's the part most people don't realize: it's trade only. You can't walk in off the street and shop it the way you would a furniture store. Access is reserved for designers and industry professionals with an established trade relationship. That's exactly why I go. It's how I source pieces, pricing, and quality that simply aren't available at retail, and it's a big part of what you're getting when you hire a designer instead of furnishing a room on your own.

What I'm Hunting For This Trip

Every market, I walk in with a short list in my head. This fall, I'm watching for:

• Antique-inspired pieces with real weight and history to them, not reproductions that read flat in person

• Art deco details: curved silhouettes, brass and mixed metal accents, the kind of craftsmanship that makes a piece feel collected rather than purchased

• Rich, layered color, think deep navy, burgundy, and plum, the sort of palette that looks right at home in an East Coast traditional interior

None of this is new to how I design. It's simply validation that the industry is circling back to the same values I've built my business on: pieces with a story, rooms that feel layered rather than staged, and a home that looks like it has always belonged to you.

Why This Matters For Your Home

When I bring a piece back from High Point, it isn't just because it's on trend. It's because I've seen it in person, held it, checked the finish and the joinery, and decided it earns a place in a client's home for the next twenty years, not the next two. That's the difference between shopping and designing.

If we're working together this fall, don't be surprised if I text you a photo from a showroom floor asking what you think. And if we're not yet working together, this is a good time to reach out. I'll be sourcing all October, and I'd love for your home to be on the list.