Bob Mackie
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We all know it's practically impossible to choose an easy chair or an end table, even after limiting yourself to only a couple of mind-numbing visits to furniture stores. But pity the poor retailers and interior designers who trek to this Southern city each year for the Fall International Home Furnishings Market, the largest wholesale home-furnishings market in the world.
Buyers at the show, which wraps up today after a week and a half, have been picking over the latest offerings from 2,300 manufacturers of home furnishings. In the frenzy of new furniture lines, a few major themes emerge from high-end, hand-produced pieces at astronomical prices to affordable mass-produced collections. These styles won't start showing up in local stores until spring, but here's what to expect:
Orient Express
Inspired by high-end auction houses and antique dealers who report strong interest in Asian furniture, manufacturers in the U.S. have turned eastward for design ideas. Unlike the Oriental furnishings popular about six years ago, today's offerings are more subtle. The stark geometric shapes, curved lines, lacquer finishes and mix of materials (often pairing wood with bamboo, cane or stone) that are characteristic of the genre have been softened and adapted so these pieces will easily blend in with contemporary tastes.
Taking License
An increasing number of manufacturers are hedging their bets by forging alliances with celebrities and well-known organizations. They're hoping the name recognition will put an added stamp of approval on their furniture even if the licensee had little to do with the design of the pieces.
Thomasville's extensive 96-piece Ernest Hemingway Collection, for example, features furniture and accessories inspired (that's the key word) by the travels and adventurous spirit of the famous author. And award-winning designer Bob Mackie, who has dressed the likes of Cher, Carol Burnett and even the fashionable Barbie, among others, brought a dramatic flair to the elaborately carved living room and bedroom pieces that bear his name at American Drew.
Other licensed collections include the elegant Victoria and Albert Museum Furniture Collection from John Widdicomb; the sporty PGA Home Tour Collection from Keller Manufacturing, Vanguard Furniture and several accessory firms, and pieces from Kincaid and La-Z-Boy inspired by the popular paintings of American artist Thomas Kinkade.
Going Global
Asia was not the only overseas influence at this year's market. Ethnic motifs from many parts of the globe presented intriguing options. Designers found their inspiration among such diverse sources as traditional African villages, the tropical British West Indies, Spanish influences found in the architecture and furniture of old Havana, wood carvings from Thailand and Indonesia, as well as cozy European country cottage looks.
Modern Times
Retro, modern, mid-century modern... call it what you will, as we approach the millennium, designers are looking back but not too far back for contemporary inspiration. Clean lines, curves and echoes of art deco, especially French deco, are all part of this movement.
Urbanomics
The continuing demand for urban-size (read smaller scale) furnishings has encouraged manufacturers to offer more good-looking pieces that are lighter in scale and often architecturally inspired. Bright, clean-lined and eclectic, these pieces easily blend with a variety of styles to create a very personal ambience.
Halo Giftshop: Home Decor and Giftshop. Expose yourself to the fabulous amounts of home decor available to you from around the world!
What was your favorite thing about The Carol Burnett Show?
I used to LOVE the way Harvey Korman could never keep a straight face when he was working with Tim Conway. I loved the crazy costumes Bob Mackie designed and I especially loved Tim Conway's deranged little old man with the wild hair who shuffled everywhere he went...he was always gonna "whizz over there".
I liked her as Eunice. And I also liked when she and Harvey did the Gone with the Wind skit. Pretty funny
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