High Point Market: The Largest Home Furnishings Trade Show in the World
All I needed to hear was furniture and art to know that I wanted to go to High Point Market in North Carolina this year. I was attending in support of my cousin Norman Wyatt Jr., an artist and designer who debuted his premier furniture collection of over 150 items with StyleCraft Home Collection. It was a beautiful experience to share such a celebratory moment with him and eleven other family members, but it was also a treat to experience the largest home furnishing trade show in the world.
Unbeknownst to me, nearly 80,000 people gather every year at this event to admire and consume collections and pieces from artists and designers around the world. The drive to the market is very unassuming, and then suddenly, you’re in this expansive city within a city where there is nothing to do but go building to building and showroom to showroom taking in art and hearing designers share their design experiences and business approaches. What a treat for someone like me who is always inclined to hear the story of another creative.
When I think about my early creative inspiration, it can be traced back to my cousin Norman Wyatt, Jr. in many ways. I didn't know anyone else who could say they had a painter and visual artist in their family, and I was always proud of that. My brother and I spent a great deal of time with Norman and learned from him how to see the world from a colorful, dynamic, and artistic perspective. He was the first to show us how to sketch and to introduce us to global art styles.
He has spent many years as a visual artist, producing original pieces and stock artwork that can be found at vendors like Wayfair, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Art.com and more. To now see his designs come to life in furniture form is inspiring to say the least. Below are photos of some of my favorite pieces from the collection.
There is absolutely no way to cover 2,000 exhibitors within 180 buildings in just one weekend, but we made our best efforts to see as much as we could. I like to think I have an eye for interior design and have a well curated home, so it was a dream to meander the halls of these buildings, taking in showrooms and getting ideas for ways I could incorporate the latest trends in design into my own home.
Photography is not permitted unless expressly granted by showrooms; however, I must appear nonthreatening because I took as many photos as I could without fuss. I promise I wasn’t there to steal designs for my own profit—I was simply there as an admirer.
Most of the brands were totally new to me, and though I was not able to see all who were exhibiting, I did get to see the showrooms of brands like Feizy, Phillips, Karastan, The Oliver Gal Artist Co to name a few.
The market happens twice a year in April and October, and if you’re into this kind of thing, then it really is the experience of a lifetime. Visit here to learn more about exhibitors and essential information to plan your trip, including lodging, airports, shuttles and more.
