The last hurrah

High Point, NC - As a last hurrah, I salute the plentiful and imaginative designs inspired by the outdoors.

Considering that the products we looked at this week are generally slated for fall deliveries, there was an amazing crop of merchandise on display that seemed more geared to spring and summer selling rather than the cooler seasons. In a sense, they appeared to mirror the sudden outbreak of summery temperatures outside and a riot of blooms that had exploded all at once over the last couple of weeks.

Botanicals were plentiful, often rendered in black or sepia on white or cream colored linen used as covers on light hearted upholstery pieces and pillows. Hickory Chair, Century, Pearson, Baker and others made the best of them. Colorful bird prints and garden structures, both as three-dimensional furniture and depicted in prints added freshness and whimsical notes.

Ticking stripes, denim and many natural textures in buttery golden tones picked up by heavenly blues and newly emerging greens conveyed a joyful and casual mood, even when applied to traditional furniture frames.

A good example in furniture was Schnadig’s "Outside In" collection. A small charming group, cottage style, was offered in faintly green tinged driftwood finish and at very gentle prices.

A different expression was presented by Tozai, a division of Two’s Company, in a delightful collection of porcelain pieces decorated with slightly abstracted floral, butterfly and bird motifs.

The same garden-centered  idea was reflected in  wall décor, where botanicals and garden mazes were prominent. Animalia also tapped into nature in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms.