The last time I attended High Point was 3 1/2 years ago in the Fall. I remember it being pretty much greys and charcoals. There was very little colour although, of course, I looked for it.
Maria Killam, Alicia Connolly & Barbara Miller (Picture from Day 1 at Market)
My friend Barbara Miller (above right) and I walked the Suites at Market Square today and came upon this fabulous lighting and accent furniture designed by Stacy Kunstel and Michael Partenio.
She is a stylist and her partner/boyfriend is a photographer. They style and shoot for Traditional Home, Better Homes and Gardens and New England Home.
Her work is stunning and of course I immediately had to find out her best styling tips.
So here are her top three:
1. She never arrives at a shoot without a ton of books, pillows and flowers.
2. Choosing the right angle to shoot something can make a room go from cold to intimate. It’s that simple.
See how the camera is positioned LOW in the AFTER photo? That’s where the tripod is. So if you’re snapping photos of an interior and you’re not using a tripod, get on your knees to take the shot, don’t just stand there and point and shoot unless it’s the BEFORE picture.
Before After
And one thing I recently learned that I can add to this is that when Style at Home published my home this month, I was fascinated to see how they cropped the images for the magazine. I’ll show you in a future post so you’ll see what I mean.
It’s entirely changed the way I crop images now for my blog or anything else. Sometimes a photo can just look dull until it’s cropped.
3. Over Scale lighting is important. Table lamps should be a minimum of 36″ high and have a 20″ wide shade.
Stacey said this charcoal shade is currently their best selling colour.
Speaking of lamps, look how they make this room by Larry Laslo for Chaddock. Check out the French Deco sofa. This is definitely a sofa for a room designed just for show.
Stacey showed me a living room she recently styled for a shoot and said “The homeowners are NEVER in there”.
Purple is the big story here at High Point, it’s everywhere! Here I’m at Design Legacy.
I’m roommates with Traci Zeller at this market and she has a new line of pillows for C.R. Laine! The launch party was Sunday night and here she is. She said yes she did buy her dress to coordinate!
Here’s another one of her pillows in this lovely vignette. There were so many fabulous rooms in C.R. Laine’s showroom I asked her if she had designed the colours to coordinate with their already decorated rooms, she said it was a coincidence.
Hmmm. . . I think understanding colour trends probably had more to do with it.
Traci said her pillow collection was inspired by the geometric feel of English garden plans. And she loves symmetry and order.
Traci is the Mom of twins. Here’s one of them.
Stacey from Naquin Interiors guided me over to their corner for a pic because we coordinated with it so well.
Turquoise and teal are also everywhere along with lots of coral. I took this photo because I liked the art arrangement.
I love these chairs in the horizontal stripe!
Over scale. There’s another trend. Here’s a very tall curvy chair and there were lots of unusually high wing chairs at market.
Tracy Hiner at Black Crow Studios makes these wallpaper murals entirely custom to each space. She did many of the rooms here at C.R. Laine. Stunning!
And look at this yummy, buttery leather, yellow sofa! I had to snap a photo. Leather like this I can get excited about!
Day 3 at Market today! My feet hurt so much! You can tell who the seasoned High Point attendees are, their shoes are all about COMFORT.
Amanda Gates interviewed me for her Design 101 Podcast series way back in January and it’s live today, check it out here.
Related posts:
Maria Killam’s Trend Forecast for 2014
Colour Forecast for 2015 from Palm Springs
Atmosphere: The One Thing You Cannot Buy
Thanks so much for sharing Maria. I am heading to market tomorrow and can’t wait to see some of the fabulous lighting and accessories up close and personal. Thanks again for sharing and giving me something to look forward to…..and for the tips on photographing a room!! blessings-Jenn
I wonder if the gray will remain timeless as some say. Thanks for the tip on table lamps and scale. What is the rule for size of a light fixture over a dining room table – round, rectangular or square? Thanks Maria. The show looks amazing – so many gorgeous items.
I wouldn’t call grey timeless at all. That’s what everyone thinks of the current trend colours which is why there’s so much of it in everyone’s home when the trend is current.
Definitely. Any rule to be followed on appropriate size of dining room light fixtures over a square table? Half the width of the table (which over a square can be quite large) or just whatever feels right? Thanks Maria.
I just bought my first couch yesterday. Purple. Granted, I am sure it was not the exact perfect shade of purple, but it was the best of the options. (furniture companies for the masses are still stuck on brown and have some awful fabric choices)
When I told people I was considering a purple couch the response tended to be…have you thought about….? People had a hard time with a purple couch. But the browns and grays did not fill me with happiness. I walked into a store that was filled with brown leather couches and they had one bright yellow couch with yellow pillows–it filled me with happiness while the other were depressing. So, I had the confidence to go ahead with my purple.
I agree wholeheartedly! I feel purple is wonderful, and having a couch that delights you rather than depresses is what matters. Other people only come to visit your house, but you live there all the time, so doing what makes you happy with your decor is most important. Congrats on your choice to go with what you love…
Hooray for colour!
Good choice, Liz!
I would have gone with the purple as well, it’s a gorgeous colour.
There is nothing gray in my home, it’s just not the colour for me, regardless of whether it’s trendy or not.
Congratulations Liz! I love purple too:)
Purple can be an amazing neutral, or it can pop and be a great focus. Good choice!
Maria, I know this is off topic, but I noticed all the clothes you are wearing are colorful and cheerful, like you (whereas a lot of other people are wearing neutrals). Just an observation that you are sharing Happiness in the colors you wear. 🙂
Thanks Kathy, it IS my brand so I can’t get away with wearing neutrals anymore but I have to say I don’t feel as happy when I do stick on the occasional neutral outfit even to wear out and about at home.
I am currently deciding on sofa and a fabric to go with it. I have two kids and a dog and the room the sofa is going in a family room so trying to find the right color for the sofa is difficult. I am leaning more towards a darker gray (i know i know the trend is so over). Any suggestions? I am using more blue/greens in the room and have to blue/green velvet chairs to go in the room. I would love to go to HP and see all the eye candy!
Navy!
Love the photos and all the color you snapped for us! Glad to have you in our wonderful state of North Carolina! We’re at our home on Emerald Isle and the beauty of the isle fits the name…at least it will when the very warm weather returns! And, thanks to Stacy for her photo tip! Also, you’re right, that yellow leather is delicious!
Hmmm.
I thought when it came to table lamps, the bottom of the shade was supposed to hit about eye level.
Meaning … eye level when you are seated.
As long as the shade covers the bulb I think you’re good, I have never heard that rule.
I recently found the rule via Internet search when I was helping my sister look for lamps.
But there are exceptions to everything.
Back in the 60’s & 70’s table lamps were very tall. You can find them in antique stores. I guess everything that’s old is new again.
Larry Laslo…YESSSS!!!! franki
Rodier (France) used coral & teal – which ‘sings’ to me
Wait … so gray is totally out now? I thought browns and tans were out.
P.S. Love your glasses in the first pic!! I’m looking for a pair just like that!
No Grey is NOT OUT. It’s a required crisp backdrop against all this bright colour that we were formally using in kids rooms but now are accessorizing and decorating with. Beige dies with all these bright colours. I’m just saying, it’s not here forever, just like any other TREND.
I think turquoise and coral “everywhere” is pretty funny. Those were the desert sunrise colors used for accent by Del Webb in his 1990s-built homes in Sun City West. All the mass-produced Indian “art” (pottery, pics, etc.) was in those colors and I went through the phase myself long before I moved to Arizona. It finally departed the desert (although it went quite well with the pinky beige cabinets and white tile/carpet in Del Webb’s original homes and then with the pinky beige tile that replaced the white tile later. It was finally replaced by brown everything which is still going some degree of strong here. The grey trend seems to have skipped Arizona entirely.
Thanks for the great tips on taking pictures and the quick review/reminders about lamps and sofas.
No the gray trend did not skip Arizona! I am a color consultant for Sherwin Williams near Sun City and people order it by the buckets full. The description of Del Webb homes is dead on! I go into these homes regularly and help customers overcome the sea of pinky beige. If they are keeping some of the pinky beige and want grey I have the perfect taupe color strip that does not accentuate the pinks but still updates these clients beyond brown or beige.
I, for one, would be interested to hear more details about the color strip that mitigates pinky beige and works with gray.
I love seeing everything you see at Market! Keep showing us more. Love the color this year, especially the turquoise and coral.
Lots of fun, Thank You!
I am curious … is it a faux pas to paint all the rooms the same colour in your house? I want one neutral colour and the tones in my house are warm. Currently I have2 colours – mostly lovely varying shade of lovely greens and yellows. I have dark living room furniture and honey oak cabinetry in the kitchen with the same oak trim all through the house. It is actually quite nice but I am just feeling that I’d like the colour to flow as one (at least on the main floor). I am in the process of changing two -10′ ft. long countertops, the back splash, and my floor tiles (haven’t started looking for any of these) – kitchen and hallway/bathroom lead into the a separate dining room and living room. I want it all to look visually light and fresh but I am scared that I will go with the wrong warm neutral colour. I am also wondering … since I will be replacing the appliances, too – what colour for the quartz counter tops? Do you have any suggestions for my questions? I like the paint colour in the living room with the mottled wall picture behind the couch. It looks like a shade of green – a little lighter than the colour on my kitchen and dining room walls.
HI Cat,
Without seeing photos, it’s impossible for me to give you accurate advice, my eBook will help you in choosing the right neutral based on the existing undertones in your home. You can definitely have the same neutral throughout the main areas of your house, here’s the link to download my ebook:
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