East meets West at High Point Market

By Tracy Bulla -- Home Accents Today, 10/1/2006

Trend currents flow from opposite ends of the spectrum in High Point this season, resulting in a style dichotomy that offers a look to suit almost every shopper.

Our first two trends hone in on exotic, ethnic styling, including our cover look. Both are similar in that each is always on the scene, so to speak, rising and falling in popularity on the wave of consumer demand. Interestingly enough, each trend is at the peak of popularity, enjoying a grand-scale affair as consumers seek to personalize their homes with mystery-laden, alluring looks from afar.

East Wind, our cover trend, pulls together Japanese and Chinese looks for a spectacularly refreshing take on Oriental design. Ancient and modern converge in this garden-inspired fantasy, blending sleek, minimalist lines with lavish floral and botanical motifs. Unlike Western gardens where manicured perfection is often the rule, the Japanese philosophy of allowing nature to appear in its organic form is reflected in prints and floral design. Rich, dark finishes set off an explosion of brilliant, saturated hues.

Spice Route also derives from the East, taking us on a visual whirlwind from Morocco and India to Pakistan and Persia.

While this type of world, or ethnic, style has always been a part of the design mix, it is only recently that it has become a viable style genre in its own right. No longer in the province of adventurous designers or world-traveler types, the mainstreaming of world style has brought a widespread appreciation for the beautiful centuries-old motifs and patterns (like lattices, stars and medallions) that are the foundation of Arabic architecture, rugs and furnishings — and how easily a piece or two can be mainstreamed into a room for an extra pop.

Traveling west brings us to Nouveau Classic, the newest spin on New Traditional, infused with a French twist. Feminine and soft in appearance, elaborate curves lend grace to antique-inspired accents, like cane chairs and gilded frames.

Classic yet streamlined, traditional Gallic motifs like bees, urns and scrolls accentuate this fresh and charming tableau, brought into the current century with posh, reworked prints.

With all the emphasis on classic design in the past few seasons, the newest emerging look is born and bred in our own backyard. Early American style is the rising star, showcased here in Federal Mandate.

As New Traditional looks shift toward enhanced elegance and opulence (and away from strictly streamlined and clean-lined), it's no wonder the sophisticated, graceful and grand designs of the Federal period undergo a renaissance. Key highlights include mahogany and cherry finishes, cabriole legs, chinoiserie and gold leafing treatments skillfully placed to create subdued drama.

Finally, our newest emerging look, Vintage Lounge, draws on the design buzz that hip and happening bars, hotels, restaurants and boutiques create in rethinking the "lounge" area. Celebrity designers envision fabulous areas — each one more glam than the next — for fashionable types to sit and gather and perhaps sip a martini.

The impact of these hot spots has filtered down, setting trends in architecture, interior and fashion design, even music. Plush sofas and seating, bold patterns and lush embellishment highlight the vintage-cum-modern groove.