by HIGH POINT — Michael Mitchell, Mitchell Hill, Charleston, South Carolina, he’s attended market for 26 years
What’s your first stop when you get to High Point Market? “Schwung has many unique and interesting pieces. I always spend the first day scouting for one-of-a-kind and cash-and-carry items.”
What’s on your shopping list for the spring show? “Upholstery, accessories and lighting options.”
What are a few can’t-miss showrooms on your schedule? “My favorites are Hickory Chair, Made Goods, South + English and a few others I always make sure to see.”
What about the market are you most looking forward to this spring? “Discovering new trends and getting inspired by the showroom presentations and my fellow designers.”
What must-have items do you bring with you to the show? “I always bring my own coffee maker. The one in the room is always too small. I keep my essentials small and light — a water bottle, tape measure and business cards.”
Jo Ann Howa, Natural Instincts Interior Design, Park City, Utah, she attended her first High Point Market in 1988
What’s your first stop at market? “Phillips Collection warehouse for its one-of-a-kind, unique pieces.”
What are a few can’t-miss showrooms on your schedule? “Definitely can’t miss Verellen, Cisco Brothers, Phillips Collection, Arteriors and Taracea.”
What about the market are you most looking forward to this spring? “I’m most looking forward to seeing the new trends and introductions. As always, it’s so great to catch up with friends from the past 30 years of attending market.”
What must-have items do you bring with you to the show? “Comfortable shoes!”
Sherial Starr, Starr Design Studio Group, Boulder, Colorado, this is her third time attending market
What’s on your shopping list for the spring show? “This time I’m focusing on wallpaper, so I’m going to focus on wallpaper showrooms. Wallpaper is difficult to see online. I want to get an inventory of colors, and I like to see them in-person, so I make sure I have the colors right.”
What are a few can’t-miss showrooms on your schedule? “I’m going to look into the ones we’ve seen and heard from during the Vacation Rental Design Summit to make sure I’m taking advantage of all they have to offer.”
Are you a wanderer or a strict schedule follower during market? “I like to wander around. I feel like if I’m making appointments, I’m worried about being late or not being in the right place.”
What are your must-have items to survive the show? “Chocolate, alcohol and comfortable shoes!”
Jennifer Skultety, Dwell by Cheryl & Jskul Style, Charlotte, North Carolina, she’s attended market for seven years
What’s your first stop at market? “I always try to go ahead and peek into 214 Modern or Chelsea on Green or Design Legacy for some art and color inspiration. I love looking at unique art and accessories and antiques for inspiration or for that special touch. That’s my favorite thing to do.”
Are you a wanderer or a strict schedule follower during market? “(With Dwell by Cheryl), we make a really crazy, strict, packed schedule with vendors. … We try to plan where we’re going to be to best budget our time, but we also plan our days around good food. That’s important!”
Are you shopping for a specific client’s project? “We aren’t always but this time we are so it’s going to be kind of cool to have a specific client in mind as we go hunt down certain things for them.”
What advice would you have for a designer attending market for the first time? “There are a couple of really cool hubs if you stay near the center, like InterHall in IHFC. They have a lot of great resources there. And right across from there is Showplace, with great resources like Rowe Furniture, Surya and Hooker Furniture.”
What must-have items do you bring with you to the show? “Comfy sneakers.”
Brad Ramsey, Brad Ramsey Interiors, Nashville, Tennessee, he’s been attending market for “eight or nine years”
What’s your first stop at market? “We are excited to celebrate 35 years of Elle Decor at the Sherrill (Furniture) showroom on Friday night when we arrive. Why not kick things off with a party?”
What’s on your shopping list for the spring show? “I always like shopping for unique, one-of-a-kind finds when we are at the market, but we mostly come to ‘sit and see’ so that we can tell our clients how a piece looks and feels in person.”
What are a few can’t-miss showrooms on your schedule? “One of my favorite stops is always the Verellen showroom, where I check out some of the other art, textile and candlemakers represented. I am also going to be on a panel at the Odette showroom, a brand that is a recent discovery for me, so I’m excited to check out what they have to offer.”
What about the market are you most looking forward to this spring? “The weather! Haha! Seriously, it looks like we are going to have great weather, which is nice because it can be really hit or miss.”
What must-have items do you bring with you to the show? “Whether using our individual iPhones or our work iPads, we usually take hundreds of photos during market and upload them to our cloud drive, which we reference throughout the year.”
Julie Perkins, True Style Life, Buda, Texas, she’s attending market for the second time
What brought you back to the High Point Market? “I came to the Vacation Rental Design Summit first and then will spend a couple of days at the market.”
What’s your first stop at market? “I’m going to do the insider’s tour (Hot Spot Tour) on Saturday. I’ll also stop by Bernhardt — it’s one of my favorites — and American Leather, which is positioning itself more as a luxury brand. It’s luxury but comfortable and very well made.”
Are you shopping for a specific client’s project? “Not this time so I’ll be focusing on seeing vendors I haven’t seen for a while and big furniture vendors.”
What are you most looking forward to during market? “I’ve made a few friends during the Vacation Rental Design Summit, and I’d like to spend more time with them to cement those connections before we go back home. It’s nice to build your network.”
What must-have items do you bring with you to the show? “The right shoes! I packed my Steven Madden platforms. They’re leather and that helps because they’re stylish and I can wear them with pretty much everything but they’re comfortable.”
Eddie Maestri, Maestri Studio, Dallas, his studio has attended market for three years
What’s your first stop at market? “I like stopping by the antique malls first.”
What’s on your shopping list for the spring show? “Antiques, fabrics, new products and lines from my favorite showrooms.”
What are a few can’t-miss showrooms on your schedule? “I’m looking forward to seeing Bernhardt’s new collection. I like visiting Odette for their reimagined vintage pieces. Feizy and Rug & Kilim are also must-visit showrooms. I can’t wait to see their products.”
What about the market are you most looking forward to this spring? “I like having time to connect with my peers and exploring the Antique & Design Center for projects I’m working on.”
What must-have items do you bring with you to the show? “My own large bag for brochures and product information, definitely a water bottle, and a blank notebook so that I can take note of my favorites and the ideas that get sparked by being around so much inspiration.”
