Twice a year, High Point, North Carolina, becomes a major showroom for the furniture industry, as brands present new collections to retailers, interior designers and buyers. The fall edition highlighted a shift toward more expressive details, richer colors and furniture with stronger visual character.
Green emerged as one of the event’s dominant shades. Displays ranged from earthy vegetable tones to darker, moodier hues. The color’s appeal lies in its connection to nature and its ability to create a calm, grounded atmosphere without making a room feel plain. The trend also follows Benjamin Moore and Behr naming green-based shades among their 2027 Colors of the Year: Webster Green and Grounded.
Floral patterns were another prominent feature. Designers used botanicals across a wide range of scales, from subtle, faded-looking prints to oversized blooms with a tapestry-like character. Florals appeared on entire sofas as well as smaller pieces, giving furniture a deliberately nostalgic quality while maintaining a strong visual impact.
Wood also moved to the exterior of upholstered seating. Rather than hiding the back or sides of a sofa, some designs used broad wooden shells or panels to frame the piece and give it a more architectural silhouette. The approach reflects the growing importance of furniture backs as sofas increasingly sit away from walls in open living spaces.
Upholstery silhouettes varied from lightly raised, leggy designs to generously skirted forms and pieces wrapped completely in fabric. Each approach changes the perceived proportions of a chair or sofa: exposed legs create a lighter look, full skirts add volume, and continuous upholstery gives the furniture a unified appearance.
Garden-inspired forms reached beyond fabrics and wallpaper to lighting. Visual Comfort & Co.’s Fairoaks collection by Fisher Weisman uses branches and twigs to conceal a chandelier’s ceiling cord, while Hudson Valley Lighting presented a chandelier influenced by the shape of a tulip. Both designs bring botanical references indoors through structure rather than all-over pattern.
Fringe provided a final decorative accent. Thick bullion fringe appeared on skirted chairs and sofas, adding weight, texture and movement. Although the detail recalls Victorian interiors, its use with cleaner furniture shapes gives it a more playful and contemporary effect.
Sources: House Beautiful.