Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Spring Gala

May 5, 2022 Sara Hillery

SHID was honored to create a tablescape for the Lenox Hill spring gala, held on April 28th. The work and legacy of Lenox Hill, a 128-year-old settlement house on the East Side of Manhattan that provides human services including an early childhood center, centers and care programs for the elderly, shelters and prevention programs for persons experiencing homelessness, and more, is beyond inspiring, and I was thrilled to support (and celebrate) them.

Using the gala’s theme “A Garden of Earthly Delights” as a springboard, I incorporated my favorite earthly delights from some of the places I have traveled and lived. With a focus on flowers and fruit trees, I set out to marry my traditional taste and penchant for punchy playfulness in “And the Zest Was History”, a sumptuous visual array full of whimsy and vibrant natural elements.

Many of the tablescape components are a nod to the East and Gulf coasts, highlighting the impact that Virginia, Louisiana, and Texas have made on me and my design sensibilities. The chair fabric from Palm Orleans, for example, features a lively print of oysters and citrus. Oysters are found in abundance along Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay, just south of New Orleans, and in Houston’s Galveston Bay, making them a highly personal and much beloved earthly delight!

I loved living among satsuma trees in Houston, but, since moving back to Virginia, have had to settle for a different breed of oranges. Their color, scent, taste, and the cheerfulness that they exude inspired me to choose these fruits as the table’s centerpiece as well. Pink peonies (which echo my garden in Virginia) as well as flowers found farther afield, like the orange pincushion protea flower, honor both a love of home and worldly travel adventures.

Naturally, we incorporated our signature SHID blue and white palette when choosing the table skirt, candles, napkin detailing, and even the ribbon for our favors (spoiler: they were delicious chocolate bars from local favorite Miss Maude’s). The table skirt has Virginia references hidden in plain sight: it features creatures that are prominent in the local landscape and the tableware selections include a tobacco leaf plate and dogwood napkin ring. As a nod to Jeffersonian and classical architecture, I even included a Chippendale planter on our table.

And, because every detail is worth attending to (and because I unabashedly love color and texture), I finished the table with pink champagne glasses, pink dogwood blossom napkin rings, clear glasses dotted with vibrant green, tobacco leaf salad plates, bamboo inspired flatware, and round rattan placemats.

Special thanks to our patrons: Zafferano America, Quadrille, Pomegranate Inc, Palm Orleans, Miss Maudes Bar of Chocolates, Hines and Company, and Capital Garden Products. Your beautiful products helped us create a lush and colorful table worthy of a place in a garden of earthly delights!

High Point Market Highlights 2022

April 13, 2022 Sara Hillery

We’re back from High Point Market and excited to share our highlights with you. It’s always a whirlwind few days discovering new trends and seeing favorite designers and tastemakers, and we come back feeling inspired and ready for the next design challenge.

At High Point, we saw designers mixing metals to a whole new level. Brass, black, chrome, and more: these metals were combined in spaces for glam looks that add polish and shine. Showing in groups of three or more, these mixed metals catch the eye and had us coming back for second or third looks. Keep your eye out for designs highlighting polished nickel—we sense a comeback.

Yellow was a big color at HPMKT, and it took sunny centerstage in several showrooms we saw. Blue and green were also popular shades with some displays bringing all three colors together through upholstery, fabrics, accessories, and accents. At SHID, we preach the value of incorporating even a pop of color so seeing rooms infused with both bright and subtle hues made us very happy!

The influence of British caning is still alive and well. The style at this year’s HPMKT was less “West Palm Beach” and more universal with chairs in various shades to choose from.

We spied some cool furniture pieces using burl wood. The gorgeous grain of these pieces come from knobby root growths that, when sliced, reveal an almost bubbly texture. The result: pieces with one-of-a-kind colors and patterns.

We also loved the texture on the cerused oak pieces we saw. Using a wire brush to scrape the wood yields a unique, gently distressed look.

Several showrooms featured black and white combos, including a lot of lighting with black finishes. Although this color combo isn’t our typical aesthetic, when used intentionally, it can add instant glamour to a space.

Bouclé Fabric was everywhere on sofas and accents chairs with vendors assuring us of its lasting appeal dating back to the midcentury modern time period from the 1940’s to 1950’s. You can find bouclé fabric on pieces that stand the test of time for it’s durability.

What do you think… is this for you?

Speaking of lighting, we also noticed how painted and patterned lampshades have become more common and more accessible than the previous hand-painted versions.

We love bringing the outdoors in and a few other trends we spied showed we are in good company. Grass cloth is still popular for furniture items, case goods, tables, inside drawers. And a hot new texture for indoor/outdoor is water hyacinth, woven from the plant’s leaves and stems

My Top Five Trends From High Point Market Fall 2020

October 21, 2020 Sara Hillery

We’re officially back from High Point Market (the largest home furnishings industry trade show in the world), and we’ve put together a list of the top trends we spotted in home décor for the rest of 2020 and 2021!

Extra Deep Sofas
One of the most interesting trends we saw all over market was extra deep sofas. With so many of us spending more time at home, working from home, binge watching television, and lounging about it makes sense that sofas are getting even more comfortable.

Imagine taking movie night to the nesx level of coziness with this chaise lounge!

2. Global and Travel Inspired Accessories and Materials

We saw a huge amount of global and travel inspired decorative accessories and materials this market. From rattan wrapped light fixtures to painted pottery, to worldly looking figurines and sculptures.

Our favorites were definitely the textural rattan lighting, each fixture is totally unique a will add interest to any space. Check out this chandelier from the Laura Kirar Collection

These rustic figures, masks, and pottery pieces are a perfect option to round out a space. They are great for accessorizing, filling in holes in bookcases, or standing alone as striking art.

Woven wall hangings have been popular for the past few years and the trend is still going strong. Often times, more affordable than paintings, wall hangings are a great alternative!

We are obsessed with these antique plaster molds repurposed as art pieces! Their well-worn wood has so much character and would add interest to any wall or bookshelf.

If you want to create an escape within your own home, look no further than this jungle themed wall mural. The colors and fine detail will definitely make you feel like you are on safari or in the tropics (without all those pesky mosquitoes)

3. Blonde aND wHITE wASHED fINISHES

Blonde and light wood finished are back in a big way! With the rise of boho chic and coastal cool aesthetic on the rise over the past several years, lighter wood finished have been in high demand. We love the way their tones can be easily mixed in with other materials, colors, and textures without overwhelming a space.

Blonde and lighter finishes are so versatile and buildable! Consider swapping out your dark dining table with a lighter option, the depth that can be created by layering textures and tones allows investment pieces, like a dining table to grow and change with your style for years to come!

Coffee tables and dining chairs are also absolutely stunning in light wood, allowing for the finer details of each piece to be highlighted in a way that feels fresh and new!

4. Rich Earth tones

We saw burnt orange, deep greens, and vibrant ochres everywhere!

We were so inspired by this burnt orange velvet sofa! It would look amazing in a room with light, airy walls or it could be right at home in a traditional study with rich, darker materials.

We swooned over these sienna colored leather pillows and poufs. The color is so versatile and could be used as a more dynamic neutral.

Shades of Persimmon offered a softer take on the burnt orange trend.

We found another swoon-worthy velvet sofa in this deep olive green hue. The classic silhouette pairs perfectly the the statement velvet for a cool, classic look. Green has been very popular the past few years, and we are so happy to see that it will continue to show up in home décor!

5. The Marble and Alabaster “Look”

We saw faux and genuine alabaster and marble all over market this season and couldn’t be more excited! With all the difficulties the world is facing during the pandemic, supply chains too have been impacted driving the price of materials through the roof. Faux alabaster and marble products hit market hard and we are so impressed with their quality!

This faux alabaster statement pendant is a show stopper for sure! These curves would cost a small fortune to create out of genuine alabaster, so this faux piece is a stunning alternative.

We found this natural marble occasional table and loved the idea of each piece being totally unique. This simple design is elevated by the use of natural marble and would look amazing in any space.

This planter has son much subtle dimension, it won’t take away from the beautiful plant it holds, but offers so much visual interest.