I have had so many people ask me about Market this year. What do I do there? Do I set up a showroom? Can I buy samples? The best question was, “I want fresh accessories for my home, some furniture for my guest rooms and new art. Where can I find new things that are not in all the big box stores?” The answer to that one is simple - Market! So, we planned a shopping day.
The first thing we did was outline what we were looking for. Furniture Market makes Furnitureland South look like a TJ Maxx in regards to size. Knowing your style, and what you are looking for is key to a successful day. In this case, we were looking for accessories for the living room, den and kitchen area. A furniture piece for the foyer, lamps and accent chairs for the guest rooms.
When shopping for upholstery at Market, you have the opportunity to sit on the furniture, select the fabric, the cushion type and the wood finish. I lean towards a performance fabric on all upholstery simply because it’s not about if you spill, but when you spill. A good performance fabric lets us clean it right up. I don’t mind my pillows being in a regular fabric, or using a ready-made for the pillows, but the main fabric should be the good stuff.
Sitting on the style of sofa or chair you want makes all the difference. Because most of my vendors do not sell in North Carolina, it can be hard to have my client sit on a piece they really like. Another fun thing I do is bring my guy friend to “man-sit” on the chairs, sofas and recliners. For many of my clients' families, we need to consider a man’s height and weight to help determine the comfort level for everyone in the home. Especially if he is taller and needs more leg room, you may need to find a size to compromise!
Then we were on to put together fresh accessories that will tie in to our fabrics and have a fresh look and feel for the home. When working in a monochromatic color pallet, the texture is key to making everything look amazing. Some should be matte, and some should have grooves, or rough or raised edges. And even if you are not a bling girl, something shiny is needed in every room.
The questions were flying about who buys all this stuff and can we go into every showroom? Simple answers here, furniture stores and designers, and no, we will not get into every showroom.
I personally like to mix my look a bit by shopping at showrooms and mixing it with a one-of-a-kind find in an antique store or what I call curiosity shops.
At the end of the day, we had selected accessories, art, chairs and one-of-a-kind finds to create a fresh look that is all her. And with pieces that are not found at the big box stores.
Even though Market is over there are still ways I can create this experience for you. So, if you want this kind of experience head to my website and I can tell you more!
Happy Shopping!
Comments