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Why Heirloom Quality Furniture Looms Large | High Point Market Design Influencers Tour

We recently visited High Point Market in High Point, North Carolina. The highlight of our trip to the furniture manufacturer capital of the world was an exclusive insider’s view on the High Point Market Design Influencers Tour as one of the design influencers.


In a world full of fast furniture - like fast fashion - many who have remained home during the pandemic, have sought out new furniture and decor that represents them and how they want to live. And many have found that the easily accessible furniture they relied on before the pandemic, does not meet their family’s needs because daily use (which wasn’t happening before) of that furniture revealed how inadequate, unsustainable and lacking in quality it was while everyone is home using it.


While we constantly extol the virtues of investment grade furniture for your home, this tour brought it full circle with behind the scenes showroom tours where we were able to touch, see, feel, smell, ask questions of manufacturing executives, discuss sustainability processes, design details and customization options among a whole host of other subjects.


One good thing I noticed throughout the tour was the story behind the makers and families that started these business and that are still (in some cases) family run or employee owned. Stickley Furniture is top of mind. Stickley Furniture is family owned and operated but employs staff from over 30 countries at their factory in North Carolina. They produce heritage quality furniture that is surprisingly modern and chic and not the typical mission furniture they have been known for in the past. Stickley has been able to maintain quality while moving into the future. Take a look at some of their offerings:




This desk by Stickley was a Finalist for a Pinnacle Award. What I loved most was the furniture is solid hardwoods like walnut and maple.


We plan to give you all the details of what we learned and how the resources we have access to as a design firm can help you choose the right furniture and goods for your family whether your home design goals include a focus on sustainability, high design, comfort, function or customization. And if it’s all of the above, we have something for everyone.


We visited 13 showrooms so we will likely cover the tours in 3 parts. In this first part, we will speak to the quality of the furniture and goods we had access to and the companies that make them.

Crypton Fabrics will be a perennial favorite because they are easy to clean and resist stains from red wine or soda spills.


We saw a demonstration at our visit to Cisco Home which is located off the beaten path in a huge former factory right in the neighborhood where some of the old factory workers live.


Cisco Home offers Crypton Fabrics and some pieces use upcycled or recycled denim.


Plus we were able to see and take part in a live Crypton Fabric demonstration showing how coca-cola and highlighter markings can be easily removed from any of their fabrics with a little water and dabbing from a paper towel! I don’t think I will ever not recommend Crypton Fabrics.



We also visited Rowe Furniture, Hooker Furniture Brands, and Universal Furniture. All offered stylish, modern and trendy options from traditional to ultra-modern.


Organic, curvaceous and fluted forms were a strong presence in Miranda Kerr’s Universal Furniture Tranquility Line this season.


Rowe Furniture leaned into luxe transitional styles with exquisite Crypton performance fabrics that every home owner could love. It even had a room dedicated to showcasing the fabrics.


The Crypton ”boucle” like fabrics were so unbelievably soft and luxurious. We loved the texture and feel, as well as the variety of color options.


We also had a chance to visit Hooker Furniture and its furniture lines from Marq to Melange. We left the showrooms impressed and ready to specify. The Melange collection’s textured case goods reigned supreme.


The Marq Collection also stood out for its refinement and sleek euro-sensibilities and modern lines.


The focus was clear throughout the tour - Quality, Craftsmanship, Durability, Style and Well-Designed Furniture - these are traits that are prized and desired by designers and homeowners alike so these showrooms were able to lean in and focus on what they do best.


We also visited the new Hubbardton Forge Showroom. Their lighting is made in Vermont and can be customized by color, finish and configuration. Lighting never looked so good or felt so new and exciting.





These are only half of the showrooms we were lucky enough to have behind the scenes access to as High Point Market Design Influencers. I’ll share more from the remaining showrooms next week. We learned so much about how these manufacturers produce their furniture, lighting, home decor and furnishings and how they have been able to maintain quality in the face of fast furniture flooding the market. We will talk more about that next week so stay tuned.


The High Point Market Design Influencers Tour 2021, Participating companies:


AREA by Edwards Fields, www.edwardfields.com Cisco Home, ciscohome.net Crypton Home Fabric, www.crypton.com Hooker Furniture, www.hookerfurniture.com Hubbardton Forge, www.hubbardtonforge.com Innovation Living, www.innovationliving.com Jaipur Living, www.jaipurliving.com Lloyd Flanders, www.lloydflanders.com Rowe Furniture, www.rowefurniture.com Sherrill Furniture, www.sherrillfurniture.com Shifman Mattress, shifmanmattresses.com Stickley, www.stickley.com Universal Furniture, www.universalfurniture.com


The High Point Market Design Influencers Tour 2021 Designers:


Matt French, http://www.frenchandfrenchinteriors.com/blog Jewel Marlowe, http://www.jeweledinteriors.com/blog Samantha Regan, www.shiningondesign.com Karen Wolf, http://www.kbwinteriors.com/blog Elizabeth Elliott, francandeli.com Dee Frazier, https://DKORHOME.com Joy Williams, http://www.joyfuldesignsllc.com Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors Rydhima Brar, R/terior Studio



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Joyfully Designed is a blog written and produced by Joyful Designs®️Studio. All rights reserved.


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