Treasure Hunting

Anyone else finding it hard to believe that we are already in the beginning of October?

I am less than 3 weeks away from attending High Point Market in High Point, NC. For those who may not know, High Point Market is a bi-annual trade show in the "furniture belt" of America. The interior design industry descends on this small town to be introduced to new products in furniture, lighting, accessories; discovering new trade partners as well as networking with fellow designers.

I am excited to report that in addition to all that High Point has to offer, I was selected to be part of the HPXD group of designers. We are going on a fabulously curated tour of "to-the-trade" partners. I am extremely honored to have been selected. I can not wait for the treasure hunting to begin!

Let's talk about treasure hunting and why it is different than trend spotting.

Trends are typically colors and styles that come in and out of popularity. It is a cycle that typically starts as a reaction to something. Over the past 2 years, we have seen client investments focusing on comfortable living. While this seems broad, it is a direct reaction to the pandemic and the insecurity we felt during lock down. In response, warmer color palettes like Sherman Williams color of the year - Redend Point, are gaining popularity over cool, grays due to the feelings of happiness, optimism and energy warm colors often evoke.

Treasure hunting is something a bit different. It is the discovery of the unique and special items that speak specifically to me and in turn fuel my creativity. The feeling I get when this discovery occurs is magical. I can't explain how I innately know that "this is it" but I do and it has always been a part of me. Elizabeth Gilbert explains it best in her book Big Magic - “Ideas are driven by a single impulse: to be made manifest. It might have been done before, but it hasn't been done by you!”

I am going to tell you a story about a previous client where this magical moment happened. I was hired to design a dining room in a beautiful historic Victorian home. The client wanted to lean into the Victorian style of their home. It's a tricky situation when you are designing in historic homes because you need to be true the soul of the home but you also don't want to turn it into a really bad bed & breakfast.

From the onset, I knew the focal point for the room was going to be show stopping wallpaper. Not only it is period appropriate but it is a way to transform the mood of a room. While foraging through suppliers, I discovered the most PERFECT wallpaper. It had it all - florals, rich jewel tones and Victorian style while still having a contemporary sensibility. My favorite part was the incredibly unique color palette of Provençal Blue, Garnet and Rose.

Behold Cinda's Rose by Lewis and Wood - my muse for the Dining Room.

It was this discovery that lead the creative manifestation of a truly unique but timeless room.

Concept Board

At the time of this design, in November of 2021, I did not see anything even remotely similar to this palette in editorial or social media. The combination of red and blue, while classic, was not happening...and pink was definitely not in the equation. Fast forward to the new textile introductions; red & blue were in everyones color palette. Almost like a rebirth of traditional elements. Maybe it's becoming a trend or maybe not. Maybe it me spotting something special for my clients and custom tailoring it where is no longer a trend but is, in fact, personal and timeless.

New Releases from Rubelli, Scalamandre and Schumacher

My point in sharing this story is not to say I can predict trends that are approaching, but to say how important it is for me, as a designer, to trust my internal treasure hunter. She is a creative force who is always searching to discover the gems that spark the magic. The most beautiful designs are born out of total trust from my clients who allow me to fully lean into my creativity and come along for the ride.

You can follow along and see what treasures I discover next at market through my stories on @styledbystorms