Travel, sports themes dominate furniture show

HIGH POINT, N.C. — We needed our winged traveling shoes at this fall's International Home Furnishings Market show.

Not so much for walking as for transporting us to places we'd never been or hadn't seen for a long time — different periods in history and different cultures.

Here are a few of the places we went and the designs that shone the most at this twice-a-year home furnishings show. Every fall, and again in the spring, about 80,000 buyers, designers and journalists from around the world descend on this town to get the first peeks at furniture manufacturers' introductions.

Traveling stateside

At Pennsylvania House, there was Steve Tyrell's Southern Roots Collection. The 56-piece cherry collection of indoor and outdoor furniture is inspired by the Grammy Award-winning jazz singer's memories of growing up in Memphis and New Orleans. Designs in the collection also are reminiscent of pieces found in the plantations of the South's antebellum period.

The ones that resonated most were Christine's China ($3,599), inspired by his mother's dining buffet and named for her. It has sliding doors of Okoume veneer (a pale almost pinkish wood from central Africa) decorated with ribbon grillwork over beveled glass.

From the South, we went to the Asian-inspired Zen Home Collection at Century Furniture, and the fashionable styles of Oscar de la Renta.

Standouts in these collections were the Zen Home Platform Bed ($5,150 for queen size, $5,785 for king) that is a continuous curve supported on flared feet, and the green chinoiserie Japan chest with hand-painted birds by de la Renta ($2,240).

Latin beat

There was a distinct Latin and Mediterranean vibe at Pulaski Furniture with the Casa Cristina Furniture Collection. Pulaski joined with Latin media star and talk-show host Cristina Saralegui to create a 110-piece collection that includes everything from clocks and bedroom furniture to even the bathroom sink. Warm tones, slightly distressed antique finishes, soft curves, motion skirting on dressers and cabinets were design rhythms that picked up Latin and Mediterranean architecture and art themes.

"Latin life is rich with warmth, family values and history," Saralegui said. "I want to bring that beauty into American homes."

"We are people who enjoy having family over," she added. "It's typical on Sunday to have people just drop by.... "

One signature piece in her collection is an upright, white buffet with curved doors and drawer fronts in the base, and antique cherry planks behind open shelves in the top. The suggested price will be $3,149 when the collection is shipped to retailers early next spring.

Saralegui said her favorite piece is a tall poster bed with honey finish on carved posts, topped by metal arches that create a crown canopy. It's imposing, but not overwhelming. "That's the one that's going into my home," she said. Suggested retail for the bed will be $3,599.

Other introductions influenced by Hispanic culture included Santa Barbara from Stanley Furniture and South American pieces from National Geographic licensees Lane and Palecek.

Score!

The chairs at Bassett Furniture's newest celebrity collection were decidedly man-sized. The John Elway Collection — yes, named for the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback — is for the world of home entertainment.

It has the usual design suspects in the home-entertainment world — recliners with drink holders built into the arms, entertainment walls with media storage and occasional tables. Prices range from $599 for cocktail tables to $999 and up for sofas, depending on upholstery. "There's pretty much a TV in every room," Elway said of his home. "I think there are about 20 TVs in the house and a home theater. When we're together as a family, we are usually in the family room."

And at Baker Furniture, the 60-piece Thomas Pheasant Collection had overtones of artist/designer Andre Arbus. The collection's serene palette seemed to be a perfect foil to its spare shapes.

Standouts included a mahogany desk with ivory leather inset and his alabaster Concentric Table Lamp ($1,312).

Last stop on this tour: The spirit of adventure was found in the National Geographic Collection. Elegant wood carvings, finely tooled leathers and wrought iron details brought South America to life. There are nine licensees behind the brand including Lane Home Furnishings and Palecek. Prices range from $250 to $1,499.

Furniture trends


The International Home Furnishings Market draws some 80,000 manufacturers, wholesale buyers and others to High Point, N.C., twice a year and offers a look at what you'll see in retail showrooms in about six months. Here's what's coming up:

The "cottage" look abounds. So does painted wood furniture. Among the colors are variations of Martha Stewart's signature sea-foam green.

The shift to smaller or more realistically sized furniture is accelerating.

Uptown: Like many introductions, a Moondance etagere from Stanley Furniture was styled to complement condos, townhouses and other urban spaces.

Indoors and out: The Gulf Stream collection, by designer Richard Frinier for Century Furniture, reflects nautical styling for living room or porch.

Black leather: Bernhardt's Gotham end table features circles within a circle. It will retail for about $625.

Romancing the home: Tufted chair from Hooker's Intimate Home collection is upholstered in tone-on-tone damask.

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