HIGH POINT, N.C.–While the second day of High Point Market yesterday brought a cold rain, it couldn’t dampen the excitement of the new category and licensed introductions seen in the rug, lighting and home decor categories at the show.
Another bright note is the continuing theme of bright, bold colors, which these categories saw as the perfect complement to the popular neutral and leather furniture sold at retail.
Designers and other licensed lines made a strong showing. Nourison debuted its new Barclay Butera license at market, with 32 skus in six collections, ranging from $299 to $1,999 at retail. Partnering with Butera “will open doors for us,” said Julie Rosenblum, brand manager, Nourison. “His name means something to the designer community.” The line includes flatweaves, woven distressed leather and Barclay’s signature stripes, among other looks.
Jaipur also debuted a new licensed collection, with Australian designer Jenny Jones, who grouped her new designs into six color groups so people could use the same color palette but in different designs in their homes, she told HFN. People choose a design based on color, she said. “People like color first.” The rugs will also include labeling that includes information about the female weavers and where they come from, as well as the design’s backstory. Jones feels so strongly about the weavers that she will also donate all of her U.S. royalties of the line to the company’s Jaipur Rugs Foundation’s Alternative Education Program for five years.
Shaw brought an additional 85 designs under its HGTV license to market, to coordinate with HGTV’s new furniture line with Bassett. The nine new woven styles—called the Intrigue collection—include plaid, paisley, mum and chevron designs. The seven tufted styles, called Grandeur, include animal skin and geometric styles.
At Capel, designer Genevieve Gorder added more flatweaves to her line, which was first introduced at the last High Point Market. For this show, new designs include Dot, which was inspired by the tiles in the New York subway system, and Snow, influenced by needlework Gorder saw in Norway.
Laura Kirar expanded her collection with Arteriors Home, as well as announced that her partnership with it has been extended for another two years. New pieces include the lighting collection called Bilbao, which is a play on the renowned museum in Spain and its titanium exterior, the designer told HFN. Tassel was another item, a fun take on a large tassel as a table lamp and pendant. Kirar has her “head in textiles,” she explained, as she is currently designing her fabric collection. “I wanted to create a simple piece,” she said of Tassel, which is influenced by fashion.
Companies also extended their lines to incorporate new—but complementary—product categories. Jaipur jumped into the decorative pillow category with five new collections: Soho, a group that was designed to work well with leather furniture; Regal, silk looks inspired by the company’s rugs; Brooklyn, which is “all about color, pattern and texture,” said Jason Moody, creative director; Landscape, a line with soft colors; and Pop Nomad, which has bright designs, some of which are suzani-inspired.
Momeni also brought in its first decorative pillow line, along with ottomans. In three categories—outdoor, kilim and suzani—the new category will help add sales for retailers that sell rugs, said Reza Momeni, president.
Feiss broke into the mirror category with 54 designs, from bath to home decor. “We haven’t been in mirrors for many years,” said Maria Scutaro, president. “The reaction has been really nice.” Items include a “true Venetian,” polyurethane, frameless and metal items. The company also brought 65 new portables to market, including more items made of ceramics and metal. “We haven’t done much before with metals,” said Scutaro. “But we wanted earthy finishes.”
The Phillips Collection added its first outdoor furniture lines, including Patina, a copper over fiberglass line that has been patined, as well as Old Lumber, which has Phillips’ Roman Stone finish. “Customers wanted outdoor,” said designer Jason Phillips. “It’s a new category for both new and existing customers.”
Pacific Coast Lighting expanded its portable ceramic line, some items of which are made in the U.S.—a trend that “the consumer seems to be driving,” said Rick Spicer, vice president, sales and marketing. The company also added more glass items in portables, as well as items that were larger, as retailers are asking for taller pieces, he added.
And flatweaves continue to be hot at many rug companies. Rizzy Home added Twist, a thicker flatweave, introduced to address customers’ complaints that other flatweaves don’t stay flat, said Al Mortensen, the company’s newly annointed director of creative and design.