Archives for April 2012

High Point Furniture Market: The SXSW of the Furniture Industry?

Spring 2012 was my first opportunity to attend the High Point Furniture Market, and bear witness to what is said to be the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world. I’ve worked on production shoots centered on the furniture industry and am no stranger to it. I am not, however, an “industry insider” by any means. So, it was interesting to be able to get a sneak peak of what really goes on behind the scenes at this over a century-old semi-annual event.

My focus was on the market culture that exists during this time. For six days, the City of High Point nearly doubles in size, with an international population flooding the area. I make the South by Southwest comparison because it rings true. The now infamous festival in Austin, TX, basically creates the same kind of fervor that Market does in High Point. an Elaine Smith Girl Like SXSW, High Point has an interactive component with the use of social media and technology. It also has entertainment with concerts, and a few celebrity sightings. Martha Stewart, anyone? If you consider that fact that Market kicked-off the same weekend that the River Run International Film Festival was closing in nearby Winston-Salem, then you also have the movie component. See the connection? So, it is a big deal. It’s probably the area’s biggest deal that locals not connected to the industry know anything about. Ironic, since most of the city nearly comes to a stand-still for a week during both the Spring and Fall markets.

Elaine Smith

Photo of Elaine Smith from elainesmith.com

You see a lot at Market. Some of it seems logical…buyers and sellers making deals to move product into stores. Some people have an idea exactly what they’re seeking and zero right in to find it. While others explore, just looking for that spark of inspiration.

One company stood out, though, with a simple, old-fashioned technique: curiosity. Mine was peaked by a masked woman walking around the International Home Furnishings Center (IHFC). I had seen her a couple of times, and again when I turned a corner. Of course I had to ask her what was up with the mask, and she told me. She was a live model for Elaine Smith, a designer of pillows and accessories. I walked with her back to the showroom space, in a sort of “Take me to your leader” moment. There, I spoke to Mark Eitel, the company’s VP. He told me that the masquerade theme was inspired by the annual carnival in Venice, Italy. He said that Elaine Smith was inspired by the city, and other European locales, to create her new line. They often use mannequins and live models known as, “The Elaine Smith Girls,” to bring the concept to life. “For us, it’s just about elevating the presentation,” Eitel said. Eitel went on to tell me that the High Point Market is their favorite, because they feel valued when they come here. “They just really seem to roll out the red carpet.”
There’s much to appreciate about the atmosphere during High Point Market, and it explains why so many continue to show up year after year.

High Point Furniture Market : Fine Artist Carolyn McDonald

Artist Carolyn McDonaldAuthor and Fine Artist Carolyn McDonald was a pleasant discovery at High Point Furniture Market thanks in large part to Time Frame who showcased her work.

Carolyn’s bold colors and ‘one a day’ style was a refreshing break from the trite.

You can feel her sense of joy and unique commitment to color in what many would consider mundane subject matter. It was her visible joy in the everyday that drew me in and piqued my interest.

“My inspiration comes from my surroundings and relationships.  I hope to be a student the rest of my life.  I learn from painters such as Degas, Cassatt, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Sargent, Hopper, and Thiebaud.  Also, I gain perspective and skill from more modern day masters such as Dawn Whitlaw, Michael Shane Neal, Paula Frizbe, Timothy Thies, and Carol Marine.”

High Point Furniture Market : Fanshawe Blaine and Interiors from the Road Less Travelled

FanshaweBlaine Map Desk at High Point Furniture Market

For years I have collected maps to hang on my walls, fill my shelves and tuck in my weekend travel bags. My adventurous spirit has lead me on many journeys and I freely admit that I am drawn like a moth to a flame to the travelers design style, especially when I see vintage maps that speak to me in soft nautical colors.

While exploring the Antique and Design Center at Spring High Point Market, I was brought to a full stop by the eclectic antique collection of Amanda and Victoria of Fanshawe Blaine.

See for yourself why I was smitten by their incredible eye for the global travelers style. From FURNITURE, TRUNKS BOXES & TRUGS and ARCHITECTURAL & GARDEN elements to CURIOUS DISCOVERIES – I am in heaven!

 

John Strauss at High Point Market, Spring 2012

Linking Triad attended the Spring 2012 High Point Furniture Market. We met John Strauss through Twitter in 2011. We’re very impressed with his sustainable approach to furniture design. We think you will be as well.

John Strauss, furniture designer
http://www.straussfurniture.com/

High Point Furniture Market: Interview with Jaime Derringer

Jamie Derringer of Design MilkHigh Point Furniture Market takes place twice a year, in April and October. On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending my first market and had the opportunity to interview bloggers and editors covering the market.

When I found out Jaime Derringer of the wildly popular Design Milk was attending market, I knew I wanted to get in touch with her. She took time out of her busy schedule to talk to me about her blog and her first experience at market.

About Jaime
Before Jaime began blogging, she worked as a project manager in marketing, advertising and publishing for medical and pharmaceutical companies. In 2006, when she and her husband moved into a townhouse in suburban New Jersey, she discovered blogs and her passion for design.

About Design Milk
Design Milk is a blog dedicated to modern design and boasts a global audience. It focuses on art, architecture, interior design, furniture and décor, fashion and technology.

How did you start Design Milk?
In 2006, I had a job with a lot of down time and was online a lot, looking for furniture for our new home. I discovered design blogs around the same time and used my own blog to catalogue items I was finding for my home. Then I started to find other cool things and began posting about them. More and more people started to read it and people liked the things I was posting about. I did it part time for three years as I worked full time, then I quit my job to follow my dreams. Design Milk is my passion, 110 percent. I wake up everyday happy I’m doing it.

What do you like about High Point Market?
Market is different than what I normally write about on the blog. I try to spot trends and new design innovations that are accessible to everyone when shopping for their home. The products at market are what we deal with everyday.

How do you use social media?
Social media is the single best thing I have ever done for my blog. Not only does it drive tons of traffic to the site, but it allows readers to easily access the content and pick and choose what they want to read so they do not have to be bombarded with their RSS feed. Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest are valuable tools. They can be a challenge to manage, but at the end of the day those are the best tools I’ve ever had for my blog, bring readers in and keep them interested.

Look for Jaime’s market posts on Design Milk, complete with video in the next few weeks. You can connect with Jaime on Twitter @designmilk.

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High Point Furniture Market: Interview with Crystal Gentilello

Crystal Gentilello, Founder and Editor in Chief of Rue MagazineHigh Point Furniture Market takes place twice a year, in April and October. On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending my first market and had the opportunity to interview bloggers and editors covering the market.

Crystal Gentilello, founder and editor in chief of Rue Magazine, was kind enough to spend some time chatting with me about Rue and her experience at the market. She is also a Style Spotter at market, so make sure to follow her board on Pinterest.

About Crystal
Crystal has a background in English and journalism, but has a true passion for design. After college, while working for a publisher, she became friends with a couple of interior designers. Their success planted the seed that design was a feasible career option. She started a design blog (formerly known Plush Palate) as an after work hobby. With her eye for design, she was able to form a captive audience. Two years after the launch of her blog, she made the decision to launch Rue Magazine.

About Rue Magazine
Rue, an online lifestyle magazine, was founded in 2010 by Crystal and Anne Sage. Since its inception, it has become a leader in the shelter magazine category.

Where did the idea for Rue Magazine start?
After blogging for two years, I had the idea for the magazine. I didn’t realize how much work it would be to create a magazine. As I was setting up my first photo shoot, I mentioned it to a friend, Anne Sage. She was really excited about the project. She became involved and took ownership of the project, becoming a bona fide co-founder of Rue.

What are your plans for your personal blog?
Rue is my number one priority and passion. I wake up and thinking about Rue and the future of Rue. My blog is fun and a great way to have a daily conversation with my readers. It also allows me to be part of the design industry daily.

How will your experience at the market tie into Rue?
I think it is important for bloggers and editors to come to come to High Point because it is one of the biggest trade shows in the country. You see everyone; it is a great networking opportunity. It is a great place to spot trends and see the best of the best in one spot. Without a doubt, some of our finds at High Point Market will show up in Rue’s upcoming issues.

Where do you see Rue going in the future?
I want to continue to grow our readership, online presence and advertising program. We would like to publish more often. Right now we come out every six to seven weeks. We would love to bring that down to every four weeks to provide our readers with more content. The possibilities are endless right now in our day and age because of technology. We are excited about making it an interactive experience. We would love to see the business grow in an e-commerce way. There are a lot of exciting things in the works that readers will start to see.

The next issue of Rue is scheduled for a May 3 release. You can connect with Crystal on Twitter @crystalg.

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High Point Furniture Market: Interview with Roxy Owens

Roxy Owens of Society Social and My Cup of TeHigh Point Furniture Market takes place twice a year, in April and October. On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending my first market. I had the opportunity to interview bloggers and editors attending the market.

I sat down with Roxy Owens, founder and designer for Society Social, and the writer behind the delightful blog, My Cup of Te.

About Roxy
Roxy grew up in a small North Carolina town, just an hour away from High Point, and received her undergraduate degree in marketing from North Carolina State University. Roxy made the move to the Big Apple to pursue an MA in marketing from Parson The New School for Design. She started off in the fashion world, working at fashion week and interning with Donna Karan. After graduation she became a buyer for Belk. When the economy started to fail, she found herself stuck in an office crunching numbers and not feeling creatively fulfilled, and so her blog My Cup of Te was born.

About Society Social
Society Social boasts a line of fun, festive cocktail carts, tables and chairs and accessories introduced in summer of 2011. You can visit Society Social at High Point Market hosted by Acacia Home & Garden, IHFC, Wrenn Wing #346.

How did you enter the blogging world?
I’m one of those crazy, idealistic people, if I’m not happy, I’m not going to do it. I quit my job, I was unemployed for a year. I was happier, I was poor, but happier. During that time I started my blog. I really felt like my blog brought me back to who I was. I read other blogs like Design*Sponge and other interior design blogs and Rue came out and I knew, this is what excites me.

What is the focus of your blog?
My Cup of Te chronicles my personal journey. I blogged about the whole process of starting Society Social. I think that is what helps sets the brand apart. People want a personal connection.

The Draper Accent Table by Society Social

Where did the idea for Society Social come from?
As I read interior design blogs, I saw a gap in the market for fun designer bar pieces at a price point people in their twenties can afford. Personally, I love to entertain and hangout with family and friends. The bar cart is where it all started.

How do you use social media for your blog and business?
I am a huge advocate of social media, which stems from my marketing background. I am always sharing. People like to connect. As a small business owner, I can’t afford an ad in House Beautiful, so I use social media to market my business. It’s genuine and I love to connect.

It was wonderful to meet Roxy and I wish Society Social success at the market!

You can connect with Roxy on Twitter @SocietySocial or @MyCupofTe.

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Family Fun Day at Camp Weaver

Families matter. A lot. And spending time together as families is what our children will remember.

I don’t remember what I had for breakfast every day as a child, or even things my mother said to me. I do, however, remember my mom helping me select a pair of awesome red tennis shoes from the Sears catalog, visiting historic Civil War battlefields as a family, working together in our backyard garden, playing baseball because we had enough people for two teams without calling the neighbors as extras, feeding the ducks at the park, catching fireflies in the middle of the night, dancing around the living room to our favorite records, eating popcorn while we watched the Disney Sunday Night Movie every single week, and the list goes on and on and on. The foundation on which we build our adulthood are the memories of experiences we shared with our families as children.

The Guilford Parent Academy is holding its FAMILY FUN DAY on May 19, 2012, at Camp Weaver.

This FREE event is a way for parents & children to spend some time together and highlights the importance of doing things as a family to build community. There will be wholesome food, entertainment, health screenings and activities like canoeing, swimming, kayaking and more…. again, all for FREE.

The Parent Academy offers free seminars, classes and events to parents/caregivers and children throughout the year in order to help both succeed in school and in daily life. This event is their way to say thank you to the parents/caregivers of Guilford County. Take a look at this promo video for the Parent Academy for more info.

Here are more details:

FAMILY FUN DAY at CAMP WEAVER
Saturday, May 19 from 10am to 4pm | 4924 Tapawingo Trail, Greensboro, NC 27406

Free transportation provided at pick up / drop off locations:

  • Smith High 2407 S. Holden Rd.
  • Dudley High 1200 Lincoln St.
  • Gateway Education Center 3205 E. Wendover Ave.
  • High Point Central High 801 Ferndale Blvd.

Shuttle buses to Camp Weaver run every hour from 9:30am to 3:30pm.

Return shuttles provided every hour from 11am to 4pm. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

This event is targeted to K-8 grade students of the Guilford County Schools.

Put it on your calendars now. Tell your kids about it. Plan a memory and go have fun making it!

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100 For 100 Event at The Center For Visual Artists

Currently on display at the CVA Gallery. Piece is made entirely of cardboard.

When is the last time you have been Downtown to the Greensboro Cultural Center? I have to admit that as someone who is born and raised in Greensboro, I don’t take advantage of visiting the great art, music, retail, food and historical venues we have at our disposal Downtown as often as I should or as I would like to.

I will, however, be going to this:

On Friday, April 20, 2012 there is a great free event that will be featuring 100 different works from 100 different local artists held at The Center for Visual Artists on the 2nd floor of the Greensboro Cultural Center. Some of you may know the building better if I say that it is across from Center City Park and that Cafe Europa is connected to it.

Each artist has been given a 10×10″ canvas to work with and each piece will be offered for $100 with all proceeds going towards sustaining the Center for Visual Artists. Works are available first come, first serve so you may want to get there early to acquire your favorite. It may end up being my creation, as I was asked by Gallery Curator Kristy Thomas to contribute!

For more information about the Center for Visual Artists check out www.greensboroart.org.

What events have you enjoyed most at The Center For Visual Artists?

 

 

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