The High Point Market - Design Industry Inspiration
The Slaughter Design team and I are just wrapping up our adventure to the High Point Market interior design show, and I am inspired. We learned and saw so many beautiful and profound things, things that go way deeper than we normally think about day to day. I am feeling not only inspired but actually emotional about the visit and I feel that it's important to share with you all.
The High Point Market is the biggest furnishings trade show in the world with over 75,000 people attending every year. Set in the heart of the old furniture building mecca of the foothills of North Carolina, it is a spectacular event with more design insights and ideas on offer than you can begin to comprehend. Beyond all the myriad colors, textures, and shapes that we feasted on and put into our mental design toolkit (and ordered!), I was really inspired by how deeply meaningful our industry is and how people are really thinking about design in terms of bringing richness and health into people's lives.
Of course we saw beautiful antiques and met interesting people, but surrounding and informing all the seeing, touching, and feeling of truly luxurious furnishings, we saw a common force to do better, to make the world better. We learned about technology that is truly taking Interior Design to a higher innovation level. We saw fabrics intertwined with copper threads which promote circulation and healing! We saw SeaQual fabrics made partly of recycled Marine trash and post-consumer PET land trash - a cause near and dear to my heart. We learned which companies are giving back to their employees and which companies are bringing their production in house and into the United States.
There is a new way we are looking at our industry: we believe that we are fundamentally employed to promote health, safety, and wellness of people in their environment. Particularly meaningful is the innovation I witnessed that resulted from the pandemic. While much of the time we are simply selecting pretty things for people, today I am humbled to be a part of a greater movement in Interior Design and grateful to have all that I have.
Not only that but the time was one of rich and meaningful camaraderie with my team which only adds to the inspiration and joy of the design work. I feel like they deserve a big mention here for all that they do. Thank you to Kaitlin Bright and Shari Rannells for dedicating time away from your families. Kaitlin, you are wise beyond your years and are an absolute anchor for me, not to mention beautiful! Shari, thank you, for keeping us well fed, with passes to events, and on schedule, not to mention keeping up with all of our orders.
Thank you to my team members holding down the fort in Fredericksburg. Shawna and Patricia. We are SO EXCITED to share what we have seen with you and get back to work. I know that I have the best team ever of strong, independent women!
Lastly, thank you to my clients, past and present, for the opportunities to build deep relationships with you and to serve you. I realize my life is good because of all you and it has been such a pleasure to get to know you! I am not perfect, but it sure isn't for lack of trying! As I look out the window here and see spring shouting through all of the beautiful red maple trees and the dogwood trees are in bloom, I am in my happy place!
-Amy