Contents
- 1 Lee Hönigsfeld, executive vice president, Armen Living
- 2 Phil Carlitz, chief operating officer, Bedding Industries of America
- 3 Hossein Azimi, CEO, Bellini Modern Living
- 4 Micah Swick, president, Bernards Furniture
- 5 Heather Eidenmiller, director of brand development, Bernhardt Furniture
- 6 Donnie Leslie, senior vice president operations, Braxton Culler
- 7 Maurishka Pinedo, president, Cisco Home
- 8 Crystal Nguyen, vice president of merchandise, Coaster Fine Furniture
- 9 Chris Taheny, senior vice president of sales, DreamFit
- 10 David Crimmins, vice president of sales and product management Flexsteel
- 11 Marcus Bontrager, president, Fusion Designs
- 12 Sandy Mowry, senior vice president of sales and merchandising, HF Custom
- 13 Liz Wood, merchandise manager, Hillsdale Furniture
- 14 Brian Berk, president, Howard Elliott
- 15 Jim O’Keefe, vice president of sales, Howard Miller/Hekman Furniture
- 16 Tim Donk, vice president of product, Legends Furniture
- 17 Billy Curtright, vice president of sales and marketing, Magniflex
- 18 Gabriele Natale, president, Manwah USA
- 19 Matt Rosilio, CEO, Meridian Furniture
- 20 Derek Leishman, national sales director, Mlily USA
- 21 Bobby Papazian, executive vice president of sales, Napa Furniture
- 22 Christopher Rankin, executive vice president of product development and sourcing, Rockford Wholesale
- 23 Meganne Wecker, president and CCO, Skyline Furniture
- 24 Joseph Savovic, president and CEO, Soundstage USA, LLC
- 25 Jim Tellyesh, president, Spectra Home
- 26 Norman Wyatt Jr., lead designer, Stylecraft
- 27 Wes Stewart, president, Sunset West
- 28 Robin Hoff, senior vice president upholstery merchandising, Theodore Alexander
- 29 David Jolley, vice president of sales, Unique Loom
- 30 Sean O’Connor, president, Universal Furniture
- 31 Zack Taylor, president, Wesley Hall
Lee Hönigsfeld, executive vice president, Armen Living
The hottest thing in the market right now is outdoor furniture. As people continue to cultivate larger outdoor spaces and balance their desires for more time spent outdoors, our team works to deliver a wide range of outdoor designs that have more substantial frames, with beautiful designs that are also standalone pieces you would have indoors but are specially designed for outdoor living.
Our Vivid collection is the hottest collection in our outdoor line and includes outdoor dining, bar chairs, deep seating and a matching chaise lounge, and is available in Taupe Olefin upholstery and Light Gray Eucalyptus or Brown Eucalyptus wood.
Phil Carlitz, chief operating officer, Bedding Industries of America
Split head mattress options will be the hottest thing at the spring market. We have the deepest line of domestically built options in both hybrid and all latex constructions, offered in both queen and king sizes.
Adjustable base attachment rates continue to rise with premium mattresses, and when you install one, there is no better enhancement than the split-head for comfort. We introduced the first mattresses in the category about a year ago, and it has become one of our fastest growing segments. Our dealers are seeing great sell through, and we are exploring adding this feature to more mattresses in our line as well over time.
Hossein Azimi, CEO, Bellini Modern Living
With modern home construction trends emphasizing the seamless integration of indoor and outdoor spaces, we believe the hottest thing at market will be our new 16-piece, made-in-Italy Marinello collection, durable enough for outdoor living, but with the style and comfort of indoor furniture.
Micah Swick, president, Bernards Furniture
I think it hinges on what happens to sales figures now and then. If home sales were to drop off again — and because retailers dictate markets, not consumers — they’re going to pull back. It might come down more to price points than it does to a category.
Heather Eidenmiller, director of brand development, Bernhardt Furniture
Mixed materials in upholstery, motion that doesn’t look like motion and indoor/outdoor looks that are seamless. Our consumers are looking for art pieces for their homes, for elevated style. We are taking materials and transforming them into something unexpected.
Donnie Leslie, senior vice president operations, Braxton Culler
Some might be surprised that a company known as a leader in bench-made custom upholstered furniture would say that the hottest thing at market will be its thoroughly refreshed wood finishes, but the fact is that the pulse of Braxton Culler is customization. Indeed, nearly half of everything we produce in our Sophia, N.C., plant runs through our finish line before it is delivered to dealers and designers across the country, from our accent chair frames, to the feet on our sofas, to our wicker and rattan designs and our steadily expanding bedroom and dining room offerings.
Maurishka Pinedo, president, Cisco Home
I am excited about the move into color, patterns and frills. The maximalism of today is combining more worlds and cultures together, the old with the new, modern with vintage, even the mixing of new materials with salvaged materials.
The combination of maximalism and eclectic is trickling down to the at-home designer. People making more bold choices and committing to their interiors in a grand way is refreshing.
Crystal Nguyen, vice president of merchandise, Coaster Fine Furniture
Motion furniture has become increasingly popular in recent years, and we expect our expanded, trend-right, high-value motion program will be the hottest thing at market. After a hiatus from the category, we are making a significant push in both power and manual designs with new frames from Vietnam that are stylish and tariff-free. Suggested retails range between $999 to $2,899 depending on the model.
Chris Taheny, senior vice president of sales, DreamFit
Work From Home remains prevalent throughout our country and is leading more consumers to look for solutions to multi-purpose rooms in the home. Traditional beds in guest rooms or bedrooms where children have left the home are ripe targets for transformation leading innovative companies like American Leather to lean in on sleeper sofas. But accessories that enhance the sleep sofa experience are scarce, so we are collaborating with the brand to offer an exclusive custom sheet program.
David Crimmins, vice president of sales and product management Flexsteel
For us, it’s fully loaded motion. It’s our best category and our best performing. We just need ocean freight to continue to decline. It seems to have leveled off from January, but we’re still absorbing a high amount. We’re fairly optimistic.
Marcus Bontrager, president, Fusion Designs
Dealers are looking to stock some portion of their floor with goods that are domestically produced and can be delivered quickly because there are consumers with immediate needs who don’t want to wait eight or more weeks for their furniture.
We expect our solid wood coordinating dining sets to be the hottest thing this market, because retailers are seeking products that will attract a new generation of design-savvy shoppers to their stores. They know younger consumers often yearn for quality, but have been priced out of the solid wood, American-made dining category.
Sandy Mowry, senior vice president of sales and merchandising, HF Custom
360-degree upholstery with distinctive details. Consumers are floating furniture in their rooms and our new introductions look good from every angle.
Liz Wood, merchandise manager, Hillsdale Furniture
Whole home collections. We are hitting core consumer lifestyles, and it gives us a great story to tell that is meaningful to buyers.
Brian Berk, president, Howard Elliott
Home décor with natural elements, solid wood, marble, slate and travertine continue to drive trends in accessories, decorative mirrors and accent furniture. Customers are looking for value so having items that provide function as well as aesthetically pleasing will be an added bonus.
Jim O’Keefe, vice president of sales, Howard Miller/Hekman Furniture
We do a lot in accents and smaller purchases, and I think they’re easier as they’re more palatable to the household budget. Our Howard Miller brand is doing better than furniture I think because it’s more decorative. I can see pieces like that leading us out of all the doldrums. They are the early glimmers of hope.
Tim Donk, vice president of product, Legends Furniture
That’s a tough one. The trend is organic, natural, sustainable, and I think that trend is stronger than how strong trends normally are. As a buyer, I might not refresh my bedrooms as often as I should, but now with these trends, there will be a lot of refreshing.
I just think that this is a more radical trend than normal. Normally it’s finishing or mixed media, but it doesn’t mean the stuff on their floors won’t work. But now it will. It’s more modern and more organic. I think this is a trend that people won’t have covered. Modern, natural, curves, both in case goods and soft goods.
Michael Hsieh, CEO, Lifestyle Enterprises
Better values. It’s always about value, whether price or quality. When people come into our showroom today, they see different products — design-centric and modern and our bread-and-butter — and value at every price point.
Billy Curtright, vice president of sales and marketing, Magniflex
The hottest thing at High Point will be our new accessory line of pillows, mattress protectors, aromatherapy, adjustable bases and linens, all with the same design and quality consumers and dealers have come to expect from Magniflex.
We will offer these accessories as a part of a $300 bundle package that dealers will have as a regular consumer promotion. When a consumer buys an amazing Magniflex mattress, they can get up to $300 worth of Magniflex accessories for free.
Gabriele Natale, president, Manwah USA
Crazy values. I think 2024 is going to be tough. It’s an election year, and consumers don’t have a lot of disposable income.
Motion product is retailing very well, and it’s our core business, so we’re sticking to our obsession with comfort, quality and value.
Matt Rosilio, CEO, Meridian Furniture
Curved silhouettes and organic shapes are the product trends dominating our showroom this market, aligning with the principles of hygge (coziness). People are moving toward a more welcoming, less rigid home atmosphere, with a clean, modern vibe. At the same time, the look now is never stark. Earthy tones and natural materials connect us to the world outside our windows and ground our interiors.
Derek Leishman, national sales director, Mlily USA
Adjustable power bases continue to trend up for two primary reasons. Consumers are prioritizing sleep and want the enhanced function and personalized comfort that bases offer, and retailers see the adjustable base as a strong growth category that increases the average ticket with the ability to drive Adjustable base programs are still an under-represented category with big opportunities, and Mlily introduced new power bases in January 2024 Las Vegas Market, with additions at this April High Point Market and again for Vegas in July.
We recognized what has been happening at retail, and we leaned into adjustable bases as a strategic way to drive traffic, boost tickets, grow margin and power up the selling story without overwhelming the retailer with clearing out product on the floor to add new ones. Bases are an easy way to add value for the same square footage.
Bobby Papazian, executive vice president of sales, Napa Furniture
I think it’s going to be leather motion. It’s just a hot category. It’s become very competitive. There’s some real hot pricing out there from some of these big guys. I’d like to say it’s going to be bedroom and dining, but I doubt it. But I do believe dining will be a big category going forward.
Christopher Rankin, executive vice president of product development and sourcing, Rockford Wholesale
Textured upholstered furniture has been steadily on the rise over the past couple of years, and there’s no indication of the trend slowing down. While bouclé has long dominated the fabric scene, both retailers and consumers are looking for more feel-good options to add character, movement and, yes, warmth, this season. For this reason, we’re certain our newest textural furniture pieces will be among the must-haves at market.
Meganne Wecker, president and CCO, Skyline Furniture
I expect to see a swing back to more traditional designs at High Point this season. We are witnessing fringe and ruffled skirts, classic colors and timeless pieces experiencing a resurgence in popularity.
Our collection with Stoffer Home, which launches this High Point, is really hitting on these trends, and we’re anticipating a strong response from our customer base.
In addition to design trends, there is significant interest in social claims, as consumers increasingly prioritize ethical practices when making purchasing decisions. We anticipate sustainability and the environmental impact of products, Made in the U.S. and diversity to be hot topics at High Point this season.
Joseph Savovic, president and CEO, Soundstage USA, LLC
Merging technology with furniture. We have five patents and two pending, and when you bring innovation to the conversation, you’re also bringing solution-oriented products into the picture. Consumers have changed from five years ago, and you have to consider their lifestyle and buying patterns.
Jim Tellyesh, president, Spectra Home
For us it is leather, expanding our program to reach more customers and new customers. Price is going to be critical, retailers seem to be looking for deals right now, so hitting the right price points will be key.
Norman Wyatt Jr., lead designer, Stylecraft
Accent chairs, definitely. I think there will be a ton of new, creative designs in chairs and a fresh exploration of shapes and forms, as well as an exciting use of fabrics, materials, colors and patterns.
Wes Stewart, president, Sunset West
Our focus is on new. We are working on some very exciting new introductions to be unveiled at Casual Market in July. Expect to see new silhouettes and compelling textures, across multiple lifestyles for next season.
Robin Hoff, senior vice president upholstery merchandising, Theodore Alexander
With our focus as a whole home resource, our team has collaborated on the relaunch of upholstery and a new lighting category for April market. The nucleus of our upholstery and lighting programs are lavish design details that invoke emotion and prompt a purchase with our target consumer. It’s an exciting time at TA, and we’re looking forward to kicking off market.
David Jolley, vice president of sales, Unique Loom
Outdoor continues to boom. Consumers have prioritized outdoor living spaces in recent years, and the category is still growing. We have significantly expanded our outdoor rug offerings to address the increased demand.
Sean O’Connor, president, Universal Furniture
Organic transitional that has traditional features in part, but is a fresh take through finishes and materials — like what we’re showing with Griffith Park. This works for designers who are looking for eclectic, niche pieces for their clients and also offers groupings that work for furniture retailers.
Zack Taylor, president, Wesley Hall
The new classic. We’re introducing Bunny Williams for Wesley Hall this market, and this ‘classic leaning transitional’ collection reflects Bunny’s hallmark blend of graceful forms and gracious comfort. From continental to mid-century, English to early-American, the varied inspirations and origins contribute to a best-of portfolio of her favorite silhouettes and signature timeless style.
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