Going to the huge home furnishings trade show, Highpoint Market, in Highpoint, N.C., is a highlight of my year. I can't wait to see what fresh looks are emerging onto the interior design stage, and spending time in this creative oasis always revs me up for the new year.
What am I loving for 2016's show, which will be held April 16-20? Timeless classics reimagined through subtle changes in silhouettes and reinterpreted with exciting new fabrics. I firmly believe in investing in high-quality furniture -- made of the best materials, using the top craftsmanship -- because it will look lovely for decades. And I opt for pieces that are so stylish, they transcend trends.
Here are some of my top picks, the sofas, chairs and ottomans that are making my heart thump hard:
GEORGE SMITH CLASSIC
1 Sometimes you just can't improve on perfection. That's how I feel about this ageless classic, an English rolled arm sofa made popular years ago by British designer George Smith. You can pull out a copy of Architectural Digest from the '60s, and see this lovely sofa starring in a beautiful room scene. And, you can find it still winning hearts in the world of design today. The features that make me swoon? The turned legs with casters on the front legs, the two- or three-cushion seat and the tight back. If you have a pet that likes to sleep on the back of your sofa (like my cats do), this sofa is a great pick because it won't break down under the furry weight.
CHESTERFIELDS
2 Chesterfields have been turning heads for a long, long time. Any why not? These sheltered arm sofas provide the perfect little corner for you to prop up with a few pillows and watch TV or read. I have one in my living room and adore it.
I really like the current rendition of the Chesterfield because the arm is not too wide and it has just the right amount of tufting on the back. If you get too many tufts on a sofa like this, it starts to look like a Victorian piece, which is too fussy for my taste.
When I'm designing a larger room for customers, I often pair a Chesterfield with an English rolled arm sofa. They look lovely together, are similar enough so they harmonize, but different enough that they each bring a different voice to the grouping.
COMFORTABLE CLASSIC
3 With its clean lines and loose back pillows, this gorgeous sofa is the right pick for any style home. A timeless classic, it can go traditional or contemporary, depending on the fabric. It's not just its good looks that steal hearts -- this is one of those magical pieces of furniture that fits anyyone who sits in it. Often, sofas are too deep for those of us who are shorter. But this sofa is comfortable for people who are petite and those who are taller.
HOLLY SWIVEL GLIDERS
4 OK, I admit it. I had a prejudice against motion chairs when they first started making an appearance at market. Recliners, rockers, swivels -- I had seen so many bad examples through the years I didn't think this style would ever be for me. But our younger customers started asking for swivel chairs, so I took another look. Now, I'm crazy about these super comfy, lovely chairs and have two in my home. Midsize and wonderfully shaped, the Holly chair is a go-to for our designers when they are creating a comfortable, stylish space. It's the kind of super-comfy chair everyone in the family will fight over.
COMPACT COMFORT
5 Here's another motion chair I adore for 2016. It's smaller than the one above, which makes it ideal for spaces where a larger motion chair just won't fit, like a hearth room. If you are downsizing or live in a smaller house -- like a condo or cottage -- this chair gives you all the comfort and look without eating up floor space. I ordered several upholstered in fabric depicting American artist Hunt Slonem's bunnies.
VINTAGE FEELS
6 Those of us who are sentimental at heart always want a few pieces of furniture that have a warm, cozy feel to them. My mother-in-law had a pair of chairs in her home I always adored. That's why I was drawn to an Allerton chair, with "S" leg and classic lines.
OTTOMANS FOR OPEN SPACES
7 When we are helping customers design large living rooms, our goal is to make the lofty rooms feel cozy. So we often start with a large square ottoman, placed in front of the fireplace, surrounded by sofas and chairs. It's amazing how adding a beautiful ottoman, with tufted top and turned legs, instantly warms up a big open space.
This column was adapted from Mary Carol Garrity's blog at nellhills.com.
HomeStyle on 01/30/2016