What does a luxury interior designer actually stop for at High Point Market? To find out, Ellen Gefen spent twenty minutes walking the Fall 2019 market with Atlanta designer Michel Smith Boyd, pausing wherever something caught his eye.
The walk moves quickly, from brass-trimmed consoles and leather lighting to embroidered artwork and throws. Along the way a handful of ideas keep coming back, and they are useful whether or not you ever set foot in a showroom.
Key Takeaways
- Every room benefits from one piece with a sense of humor.
- Look for familiar things used in unexpected ways. “What’s old is new again” comes up again and again on the walk.
- A one-of-a-kind piece can be the thing you build a whole room around.
- Small luxuries matter: a proper luggage rack in a guest room, a beautiful throw, good hardware.
- Pillows, color and hardware are finishing touches that can change a room without replacing the furniture.
- Some things are worth seeing and touching in person before you buy.
Give Every Room a Sense of Humor
The first stop sets the tone. “I like any piece of furniture with a sense of humor,” Michel says. “I think every room needs a little bit of something light in it.” A playful piece works as an icebreaker when a guest walks into your home: not everything is so serious, and it shows some personality.
Familiar Things, Used in New Ways
At Dunes and Duchess, which Michel calls one of his favorites because of how far designers can customize the pieces, a chandelier is built from spindles you would expect to see on a staircase. It is something you are comfortable with, used in an unconventional way, and that is what makes it feel modern. Brass detailing along the base of a console earns praise for a practical reason too: it stands up to kicks and vacuum cleaners.
The same idea returns throughout the walk. At Hammerton, glass block, a material you would not usually think of putting in a home, shows up in lighting in a new way. Later, embroidered versions of classic album covers turn something old into art. “Everything that was old is new again” becomes the refrain of the day.
Find the Piece You Build a Room Around
One piece with ball-and-claw feet and an ostrich-like texture stops Michel in his tracks. “This is one of those pieces that you build a room around,” he says. “I live for pieces like this. This is the kind of thing that keeps me in business.” The appeal for his clients is that he has found something special for them, and “they don’t have to worry about their neighbor having the same thing.”
He is drawn to handmade and global pieces for a similar reason. They give a window into the personality of the homeowner, and they show how far the industry reaches beyond High Point, North Carolina. Looking at one-of-a-kind pieces, he explains why he comes to market at all: “I get to see it in person. I don’t want to buy this over the Internet.”
Small Luxuries That Make a Home Feel Finished
Several of the stops are about small things done well:
- A luggage rack in the guest room. It comes up as the thing a guest room should always have, in place of a chair or the foot of the bed.
- A lacquered towel rack. Michel admits he does not usually care for utilitarian objects, especially in bathrooms, but calls this one a must.
- Accessories on stands. A necklace displayed on a stand is offered as an alternative to stacks of books everywhere.
- A great throw. “You need throws,” as the conversation puts it, and the examples on display come in a wide range of colors.
Hosting soon? See our Best Guest Room Decor Ideas.
Color, Pillows and Hardware: the Finishing Touches
Chartreuse is one of Michel’s favorite colors to pop against a gray or very neutral interior, and he demonstrates by pairing throws on the spot. It is a small demonstration of what a designer’s eye can do for a homeowner.
Pillows get the same attention. Boucle and other nubby textures, color blocking, and details borrowed from fashion are described as “jewelry on a pillow,” and as an easy way to keep changing your home.
Hardware is the last stop. If you want to change the look of a piece of furniture you already own, new handles can do it. As the pair agree, the finishing touch can sometimes be your starting point.
More ideas: Luxury Throw Pillows by Elaine Smith.
Wallcovering Never Went Away
Asked whether he likes wallcovering, Michel is clear. People say it is coming back, but in his words, “I never stopped using them.” He uses wallcovering so often that he feels everybody knows it will be part of his projects. The stop here is York.
Related: Custom Textiles and Wallpaper Produced in the USA by Cotton and Quill.
Old-World Furniture for New Kitchens
One showroom from France shows furniture made to look antique but built for how kitchens work now: a table that extends to 14 feet, an extending island with a wooden countertop, shelving that can be adjusted, and cabinetry that hides electronics. Michel notes how tough it is to design a room and not lose the aesthetic because of the electronics. The pieces come in more than 40 colors, and delivery from Europe takes about three months.
For more of Michel’s work in kitchens, see Custom Kitchen Cabinets and Counter Tops by Michel Smith Boyd and 1429 Manufacturing, and for his later predictions read 2022 Home Design Trends to Watch: Michel Smith Boyd.
Companies Featured in the Video
- Dunes and Duchess
- Van Collier
- Outpost Original
- Ngala Trading Co.
- ModShop
- Hammerton Lighting
- Creative Cables
- Objet de Curiosité
- Michel Ferrand
- Addison Weeks
- Alicia Adams Alpaca
- York Wallcoverings
- Stephan Wilson Studio
- V Rugs and Home
