At the fall 2011 High Point Market: A counter trend appears on the horizon after several years of a minimalist, clean and serene approach to home décor.
 | | Kinsey Console |
Patterns ranging from Macintosh-inspired fretwork to Art Nouveau-inspired headboards to accents with lacework and needlework motifs to fabrics with ogee and Greek key designs abound in the Hooker Furniture and Sam Moore showrooms. The architectural and geometric patterns “represent a much-needed counter trend to the recent super-clean looks,” said Michelle Lamb, director of The Trend Curve. (trendcurve.com) “Patterns draw the eye and draw you in. They won’t eliminate the need for a minimalist approach, but will create a better balance between plain and pattern in the two years ahead,” she said.
 | | Curlacue Detail |
Colorful, vivacious and extravagant patterns are particularly prevalent in Hooker’s Mélange accent collection. These patterns are as classic as repeated damasks and scrolls and ogees and as whimsical as bright florals and botanicals. Geometrics, prints, mosaics and animal prints are in both bold and subtle interpretations to make a big or small statement. Some blend, while others can define a room’s look. “Patterns that suggest order have great appeal,” said Erica Wingo, product manager at Hooker Furniture. “The shopper gravitates to geometrics, especially those using tracery and stitching to define shape and form. Understatement is the key to this modern, minimalistic vibe, inspired by everything from textiles to lacework, iron work and graphic patterns.”
In the Sam Moore showroom, dramatic fabric patterns include Suzanis, hound’s tooth, ogees, Greek keys, fretwork and trellises, said Sandi Teague, director of merchandising. “We’re seeing lots of open patterns.”
 | | Marquette Bed |
At Hooker Furniture, some of the noteworthy pieces with pattern and fretwork include the Ludlow bed with a Macintosh inspired headboard and the Marquette bed with a headboard and footboard featuring an Art Nouveau-inspired egg-shaped motif and the Kinsey home entertainment and home office collections designed with bold circular fretwork.
While the bold patterns have a contemporary vibe, they also represent a return to tradition, believes Lamb. “The grillwork and lattices are age-old designs. They are part of a return to tradition that has been going on for more than a year. The idea is not to repeat the past, but to recontextualize design elements in a way that works for 21st-century homes. That might mean tweaks to scale, texture, materials or functionality of the piece to which they are applied,’ she said.
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