Not many people can say they shop for a living, but—honestly—a lot of my time as product editor of Country Home is spent shopping for everything from furniture and lighting to vintage accessories and bedding. This is especially dangerous as my husband and I are in the process of buying our first house. I warned him that we may need to factor decorating costs into the mortgage. I don't know if he believes me.
I've been to my fair share of trade shows featuring everything from tile and windows to appliances and outdoor furniture, but I'd never been to the High Point Furniture Market—the world's largest furnishings-industry trade show. It is held twice a year (in the spring and fall) and boasts 12 million square feet of showroom space. So I packed my most comfortable shoes and lots of layers for fall weather in High Point, North Carolina, and went to market with Stephen, our style director, and Laura, our deputy home editor!
The first thing we noticed is that a lot of furniture manufacturers introduced country style collections. They are realizing what Country Home readers already know: People want their homes to be comfortable, casual, and inviting. When they are shopping for furniture, they want it to be good looking—but durable enough to let the dog jump on the sofa or the kids build a fort under the table.
Here are three of my favorite products from the show:
Broyhill's Attic Heirlooms collection is known for its beautiful wood furniture in worn finishes that look like they were pulled from your grandma's attic. We were excited to see the newest addition to the line, Fireside Cherry. Distressed wood details paired with a warm cherry finish enhance the simple Shaker styling. The collection includes dining, bedroom, entertainment, and occasional pieces and is available in stores now.
Cedar chests from Lane aren't new, but I hadn't seen the Grace Wedding Chest ($599) before. At first glance it looks like a plain chest, but a panel on the front slides open to reveal hooks for storing jewelry or keys, and a false bottom inside conceals additional storage.
Pretty painted furniture is a must-have in a cottage-style home. And there's lots of painted furniture out there, but most of the prices aren't so pretty. I did discover Riverside painted furniture with much more reasonable prices.
Two of my favorite pieces were the Cape May side chairs in Seaspray White ($150 a piece) and the Spring Street Twin Picket Headboard ($350) in Clearspring Green.
The paint finishes are slightly distressed, so they'll fit right in with any well-loved painted pieces you already have.