Kim Casson founded Salmon-Casson, Ltd., an interior design firm in Reston, VA, in 1988. "Kim's Pearls" provides useful design tips and "pearls of wisdom" from Kim regarding various topics on interior design--as well as some "spotlights" on some of the vendors SCL uses.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Vendor Spotlight -- Fall High Point Furniture Market

Why do I love the High Point Furniture Market?

Every 6 months my heart skips a beat as I drive down I-85 to attend the High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina.  I find the October Market particularly exciting as our vendors roll out their new fall lines and we see trends that will shape the next year in the design industry.

It is hard to believe that my first trip to Market was in 1984.  I was fresh out of college with a shiny new degree in Interior Design, ready to set the world on fire.  I fell in love with the pace, the excitement and the deep southern charm of the High Point Market.  I still love going to Market today--here is what I love about it!

The High Point Market is huge!  It is true to say that the town IS the furniture market.  It showcases more that 2,000 home furnishing industry exhibitors from all over the globe in over 11.5 million square feet of showroom space.  You can hardly imagine it.  There is a real hustle bustle about the place as people from all over the world rush to cover as much as possible in a short period of time.  Vendors come here to showcase their existing lines and to introduce new lines.  It is THE place to see what is new and hot. I love that.






Buildings at High Point Furniture Market

Market is the place to see the absolutely latest trends in interior design.  We meet creative artists who are passionate about their work, bringing out new products, new concepts and combination of materials and colors you could hardly imagine.  Many are amazing and leave you wondering, "how do they possibly think of that?"  I love that.

Market helps us maintain our relationships and make new ones.  One of our primary goals at Market is to visit the showrooms of our existing lines, many of whom we have worked with for over 20 years.  Each line we work with we have hand-picked for quality and price.  We meet with our reps, see their new introductions, touch and feel, take photos and notes and we even give certain pieces a "gold star" if we think they are extra special.  All of this information is useful to our clients and it helps maintain good working relationships with our vendors.  I love that.




We also look for new lines.  Nothing is more exciting at Market than finding a few new, unique lines that are really compelling.  It excites us, brings you new options and helps SCL stay current.  I love that.




There is a LOT of new technology in our industry.  Market helps us keep abreast of the latest trends in the convergence of design and technology in the home, as this area changes perhaps more rapidly than any other area of design.  I love that.

We get to shop for you.  Whether it is the newest lighting, art or accessories, we bring the freshest back to SCL in Reston.  Beyond that, if you are looking for that very unique piece of furniture, piece of artwork or accessory--then we are too--as we have a client list and shop specifically for you at Market.  I LOVE that most of all!


Associated Posts:
What an Interior Designer Can Do For You…

Spotlights:
Century Furniture…
Charleston Forge…
Lexington Furniture…
Eastern Accents…
Jaipur Rugs…

A Visit to Kravet Design Studio in New York City

This month I had the pleasure to visit the Kravet Design Studio in New York City.




This is the design headquarters where the entire Kravet line of fabrics, wall coverings, trims and drapery hardware are conceived, crafted, colored, and perfected.  





It was such a treat to see "the behind the scenes" design process and meet the artists who make such a fine line.




Thank you to George Ruch for setting it up and to Felicia Manini for a fabulous tour!

Associated Posts:
Selecting the Right Fabric for Your Upholstery…
What an Interior Designer Can Do For You…