I am so excited to head to High Point Market next week as an official Style Spotter for the show! The Market is like Fashion Week for the home business, with gorgeous new furniture, lamps, accessories, rugs, and more! I’ve always loved going to this huge trade show because it’s inspiring and exciting, but this year is going to be even better since I’m now an official tastemaker for High Point Market. I’ll be spotting the best trends, colours, and ideas at this 11-million-square-foot show. That’s a lot of ground to cover, right?!

Pearson Furniture

A couple of weeks ago, I gave you a very early sneak peek at new products that will debut at High Point Market next week. And if you follow along on Instagram with me, you’ll get to see what I’m loving in real time as I walk the show! I love spotting trends before they actually make it into homes - like the incredible array of pink I saw everywhere at last October’s event!

Highland House

I’m also giving other designers a tour of my favourite showrooms at market, and our first stop is definitely going to be Highland House! They create the most gorgeous furniture, and their colour story is always ahead of the curve.

Denise McGaha table for Replacements

As if that wasn’t enough to do, I’m also thrilled to be creating a custom tablescape for Replacements, an incredible resource for new and vintage tabletop. I’ll share the big reveal of my design next week on Instagram - but I had to show you this amazing creation by Denise McGaha from last year’s table design event. How incredible is that floral arrangement, too?!

Antique Curiosities

One of my favourite things about High Point Market is finding new resources for my clients’ homes! I was so charmed by these framed prints from Antique Curiosities - perfect for a child’s room I designed for one of my clients!

Highland House

Time to start packing, especially those comfortable shoes! It’s going to be a great week - stay tuned as I share my favorite new products and inspirations from High Point Market!

Until next time,

-Cynthia

I love creating spaces that welcome guests and family for parties, dinners, and celebrations! A living room or family room in your home should invite people to gather, to sit and talk, and to feel comfortable. I have 5 can’t-fail tips that make your living spaces so enticing that your guests won’t want to leave!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs - see the full project here.

Don’t Make a TV the Focal Point

When a television is the first thing you see in a living space, it can be off-putting! Especially when it’s switched off and is just a big black box. I like to use art as the focal point of a room - it tells a story about who you are and what you like. Art can be a great conversation starter, and it makes a room feel much more welcoming!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs - see the full project here.

Offer Plenty of Seating

No matter what size room you have, it’s great to offer a lot of seating for your guests. In the rooms I design, I’ll add ottomans that can double as stools, or accent chairs that can be pulled over to conversation areas. The more the merrier is the rule in this room!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs - see full project here.

Light It Up

Layered lighting is fantastic in an entertaining space! You want the option to have a bright room for a celebration, but softer lighting for conversation. I always plan overhead lighting, natural light, and plenty of lamps in my projects. Be sure you have enough tables for drinks and plates, too!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs - see full project here.

Soften the Look

Extra comfort and texture are key to a welcoming space, so be sure you add plenty of pillows and throws. That way your guests will be able to settle in and feel right at home!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs - see the full project here.

The Final Touches

Fresh flowers are the perfect way to create a celebratory look! I love to have fresh flowers in my spaces even for a night in with my family! Other great touches include accessories and books. They’ll give your guests clues about who you are and what you like - and they give you plenty to talk about!

Use these ideas to create welcoming spaces that are perfect for entertaining! And invite me, too!!

Until next time,

-Cynthia

I was thrilled to be selected as a 2019 Style Spotter for the High Point Market - it’s Fashion Week for home furnishings! As a Style Spotter, I look for trends and fabulous new products that I think are noteworthy and on the cutting edge. I had the chance to get an early look at what’s coming for the April Market, and I chose 5 amazing new products that I think will be showstoppers! Let’s take a look…

Modshop

Known for my use of colour and moments of eye candy in each room I design, I have now fallen head-over-heels in love with textures. Adding another component to my designs means that this incredible tufted green couch by Modshop ticks all the boxes. Traditional in its shape, colourful in the perfect shade of green to balance the sophisticated lines of the furniture. The eye candy is a tie between the textural tufting and the killer brass kick plate. This piece is the perfect foundation for a phenomenal living room!

Streamline Art

Art is a big part of the finishing touches for any room design. Abstract art is a favourite of mine because it can be many things to many people. You can also find abstract art more readily from up-and-coming artists, which means you might be able to purchase more pieces! This piece by Streamline Art is fantastic because of the use of colour and scale. Perfect as the statement piece in a hallway or hanging over a couch or bed.....I might even be tempted to hang it vertically to mix things up!!

vanCollier

The art work of Wendy Concannon has always been a favourite of mine for obvious reasons....colour!! Now available as tables from vanCollier? I mean, come on!! In my mind, no design concept is complete without a small cocktail table that is more art than anything else. The accent, the fun, the eye candy these tables would bring to any room are a home run and definitely the piece that will start conversations! 

Robert James Collection

I am having a love affair with natural wood at the moment. Always one to build a dining room centred around a wooden table, the textural elements of the rough-sawn or quarter-cut tables on the market today have me swooning! This design by Robert James Collection is the perfect table in my opinion. The simplicity of the design allows the transition from modern to transitional depending on the chair selection. It is a statement piece to itself and the warmth of the wood colour is fabulous in any setting!

Robert James Collection

With my obsession for draping curtains on beds, the potential for this incredible four-poster bed is what caught my eye. Needless to say, the beautiful wood treatment, the square posts, the incredible brass details.....this bed by Robert James Collection is one serious bed! Drape sheer white panels around the edges, drape it in colourful sheets, and I am never getting out of bed!!

What do you think of my 5 picks to preview from Market? You can see it all in a video I’ve created for High Point Market on my Instagram account here! And stay tuned - I’ll have more fabulous looks from Market Week April 6-10!

Until next time,

-Cynthia