TrendWatch Unveils Top 3 Trends for Fall 2019 High Point Market

August 16, 2019  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

The signature program illustrates leading home furnishings trends through an opening day seminar, three on-site trend vignettes and an at-Market publication.

“TrendWatch not only identifies directional design trends, but also highlights the breadth and depth of on-trend product showcased at High Point Market,” said Dorothy Belshaw, executive vice president, chief marketing and digital officer for International Market Centers. “TrendWatch is key for companies looking to identify the trends that will impact product design, consumer preferences and home furnishings sales.”

TrendWatch is curated by 23-year magazine editor and home furnishings forecaster Julie Smith Vincenti of Nine Muses Media. The trends are influenced by consumer insights and creative intelligence from the interiors, fashion and consumer product arenas.

The three trends identified for Fall 2019 TrendWatch:

• Animalier  - Animals have been subject matter for painters, illustrators, textile designers and sculptors throughout the centuries. The “animalier” was known for realistic portrayals. This season, TrendWatch crosses artistry and classical design with a mysterious, colorful jungle landscape for Animalier. Product selections will include furnishings in all product categories — especially upholstery, accent furniture, wall decor, wallpaper, area rugs, lighting, and decorative accessories — in classical and tropical colorways; animal skin prints; avian and exotic animal motifs; polished and burnished metal finishes.
• Drenching - Neutrals may reign, but color confidence is always on the rise. Take color-blocking and color drenching, which are proving to be even more compelling in home furnishings. These decorative techniques are especially suited to modestly scaled interiors, which add to their appeal and longevity. Meet Drenching, a crash course on sophistication and easy elegance. Merchandise selections will include furnishings in all product categories — specifically upholstery, bedroom, accent furniture and outdoor furniture for small-scale living. Also, wall decor, wallpaper, area rugs, lighting and decorative accessories done up in these colors: violet, citrus, moody blues and upbeat greens.
• Focus - Serenity, wellness, well-being and mindfulness - the pursuit of calm, clarity and contentment can be a journey. TrendWatch’s exploration of the process, Focus, looks at color, material and nature as a mindset, all against a backdrop of serene, yet powerful, colors. Products include furnishings in all product categories — particularly upholstery, dining, accent furniture, wall decor, wallpaper, area rugs, lighting, and decorative accessories — in serene colors.

“TrendWatch closes out the year — the decade, in fact — with displays that move past ‘now’ and pivot to ’next,’” explained Smith Vincenti. "One display is exotic and dramatic, yet approachable — it’s the convergence of jungle motifs and Maximalist decorating. Another strikes balance between wellness, tactility and craft, and the pervasiveness and pace of technology. Lastly, we channel timely colors to convey optimism. And beyond this season’s compelling displays, we’ll present both a TrendWatch retrospective and a trends guide for the decade ahead in the CEU seminar."

Vignettes will be located in the walkway between IHFC and Showplace near the transportation terminal, in the IHFC Green Lobby and in the Suites at Market Square lobby. The TrendWatch: Fall 2019 seminar will be held from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 in the Suites at Market Square Seminar Room (SAMS-T-1014); and printed copies of the publication will be available at the opening day seminar and digitally via a QR code scannable at each of the displays.