The world-famous High Point Market in North Carolina just wrapped up last week. Host to nearly 100,000 attendees from 100 countries, the show includes 12 million square feet of home furnishing showrooms spread over 180 buildings in High Point’s historic downtown. Former courthouses, movie theaters, post offices, and gas stations are transformed into the year’s most watched furniture fashion runway.
Here’s a recap:
- Comfort reigns. Many of us have learned to love the comforting embrace of home and want our furniture to reflect that. Furniture Today says the 2022 showrooms are featuring lots of sectional sofas, with comfortable updates like cloud-like deep seating, plushly padded arms and feather back cushions. Upholstery fabrics are designed for performance but softer to the touch.
- Make a statement. To provide interest and contrast, interior designers are including a statement piece. Divans, settees, sofas, upholstered benches and chairs boast unique angles and sculptural designs that can be viewed from all sides — perfect for today’s open-concept rooms and floating furniture layouts.
- Colors are neutral and soothing. The 2022 palette features gray accented by soft blush tones, along with a range of clean whites, creams, warm neutrals and deep blues and greens. Leather upholstery pieces are trending toward lighter, beachy tones as well as gray, sand, navy and white.
- Something old, something new. Vintage and vintage-look are enjoying a resurgence, along with family heirlooms and accessories that have sentimental and emotional significance. Furnishings reflect early 20th-century design influences such as the Bauhaus movement and Art Deco, and upholstery pieces pair clean, unique silhouettes with tactile materials. Mixing new and old styles lends a timeless quality.
- Multi-functional furniture and spaces. 2022 designs offer versatility and adaptability to various living situations, letting us perform two or more functions, save space and downsize if needed. Desks convert into dining tables, nightstands hide clothing and “smart furniture” features tech enhancements such as lights and USB outlets. One company’s sectional sofas and chairs offered reclining, footrests and storage consoles with wood tops, wireless charging pads and hidden cup holders. My kingdom for a chair!
- Sustainable, eco-friendly furnishings. In the interest of preserving our planet, low-impact furnishing and lighting materials are becoming popular. Many 2022 designs feature jute, seagrass and rattan. Upholstery fabrics are featuring sustainable materials such as recycled yarns.
- Wellness-conscious decor. The Spruce notes that whole-home health remains a strong trend for 2022, reflected in design materials with antimicrobial properties and in certified foam for mattresses and upholstered furniture. When home furnishings contain CertiPUR-US® certified foam, it means the foam is made without chemicals of concern and has met rigorous standards for content and emissions for indoor air quality. A healthy home is always in style!
