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From Home Furnishing Business

American Furniture Hall of Fame Highlights Events During HPMKT

April 15, 2024  by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

The new Eternal Flame sculpture at the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame has been fully installed and lit in a ceremony on April 12, and now is the ideal time to honor someone with a commemorative brick in the Pathways of Honor that surround the unique High Point landmark.

Each brick is etched with a custom message.  The Pathways of Honor is formed by bricks etched with a custom message on the walkways surrounding the Wanek Family and Ashley Furniture Inds. Eternal Flame.

By buying a brick or two, families, friends and companies will help welcome guests to the commanding entrance of the industry’s new home, destined to be a popular backdrop for selfies sent around the world. The cost is $1,000 per inscribed brick.

“Placing a permanent commemorative brick in the Pathways of Honor is the ideal way to publicly honor those special people and companies in your life who impacted you in untold ways,” says Karen McNeill, CEO and chairman of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors. “It is a chance to visibly acknowledge those who believed in you, encouraged you or opened a door that was the key to where you are now.” Bricks may be purchased by going to http://www.bricksrus.com/donorsite/halloffame.

“Tell Us Your Story” Video Booth
Additionally, a self-contained videotaping booth called “Tell Us Your Story” has debuted at the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame®.

This new exhibit captures the stories and ideas surrounding the dynamic world of home furnishings, of the industry and consumers.

“Everyone loves a good story,” says Karen McNeill, “As a profession focused on creating beautiful living environments, we want to share the memories and ideas of our guests and what makes this industry so special.”

“Whether the comments are suggestions or stories that are touching, humorous or even quirky, we’re asking visitors to tell us what their furnishings — or the home furnishings industry — means to them. Together, we can preserve the unique spirit of what each of us calls home and the dynamic industry that furnishes it.”

Tell Us Your Story features easy-to-use technology that enables visitors to sit down, answer a few questions and record a memory, idea or inspiration relating to home furnishings and the role furniture and decorative accessories play in their lives.

The booth Is self-contained and includes taping and editing capabilities so that visitors can record and review their messages. Consumers will be asked questions like: What piece of furniture from your childhood holds the most memories? If you were moving to a desert island, what one home furnishings item would you take? What does your home mean to you?

Industry members from all segments and all roles will explore questions like: What is your job and why do you like it? Why would you recommend this job to others? What is your favorite memory from your first home furnishings market? What do you love most about working in the home furnishings industry?

Visitors can explore the recorded memories and insights of other participants on a screen on the front of the booth, enabling stories to be easily shared and enjoyed.

Fast Changing World of Fabric Printing
Finally, a new traveling exhibit exploring the fast-changing world of digital fabric printing is debuting at the Hall of Fame during Market.

“Textiles Reimagined: Brave New World of Digital Printing” features engaging, interactive exhibits which invite visitors to immerse themselves in the brave new world of digital textile printing. The exhibit will include woven and print boxes that provide a tactile fabric experience; pattern play cubes that invite visitors to try their hand at rearranging a series of creative design elements; and a selfie area where various textile patterns will be projected onto a wall.

Upholstered chairs sport printed fabric designs which took their inspiration from vintage fabrics.    Drawing on the rich history of Springs Mills, a manufacturer of bedding and bath textiles founded in 1886 by Leroy Springs and Elliott White in Lancaster, S.C., the exhibit spotlights textiles, documents and other historic resources from the company’s storied past along with technology used today to create the latest generation of engineered print designs.

Organized by Springs Creative and led by Design Director Ashlyn Beck, it will be open to members of the home furnishings industry during the April 13-17 High Point Market and to the public afterward.