ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611070002
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Antiques & Designs
SOURCE: KATHY SUE GRIGG
Three days at the furniture mart in North Carolina buying and looking are never enough, but I saw enough to report that the items and styles there connects nicely with what has already started around here.
The last time I was there was in '91 when the western (or cowboy) trend was introduced. It never caught on here or in Charlotte, N.C., where I was living at the time.
The first observation about this fall's market, which ended a few days ago, was all the different new styles in lamps and shades. Not only did the lamps come in all shapes and colors, but the shades were particularly interesting. One of my favorites was made of colored beads stringed together in forms of hats. When the lamp was turned on, the light glowed through the beads and made the color come alive. The shades could be used on a floor lamp or a tabletop lamp, perhaps in a bedroom, to give the room a whimsical feeling.
Another shade, a long thin barrel-shaped '60s style, really caught my eye. It's candlestick base and pullstring with a ball on the end gave it a transitional look.
That brings me to another interesting trend - balls. They were everywhere and made out of everything - pillows shaped like balls, balls of seeds, balls of ivy and boxwood. There even were balls made of porcelain with hand-painted flowers.
The animal that made a big splash at the mart was the tree monkey with long body and arms. I saw pictures, lamps and accessories using the monkey. One of the most interesting items was a centerpiece of a monkey sitting with his legs bent at the knee, his elbows resting on his knees. He was holding a vase between his legs. The vase was a removable piece.
Another piece featured a monkey bent with his arms holding a fairly large bowl that seemed to be saying "try one." There also was a lovely picture of a monkey leading an elephant - my favorite animal. I wish I had bought that one.
The furniture displayed was still a lot of the painted variety that actually looked more stressed than painted. The iron in the furniture was not the usual black wrought-iron or verde green, but russet-colored. This gave the iron a worn, rusty appearance. (My mom would say, "I've thrown away stuff that looked like that").
Furniture with brown reed woven backs and seats were plentiful. Brass-headed upholstery nails were used on everything, on sofas upholstered in worn-looking leather, on large rectangular ottomans, on chairs and, believe it or not, on lamp shades and pillows.
One of the funkiest items was a sofa designed in the '50s-'60s style using long narrow peg legs made of stainless steel, not wood. Cool!!
The slipcover is definitely back with interesting types of cording and fringe. The look and feel is so comfortable.
The fabric being used is more woven, with a sheen. There were lots of velvets, chenilles and tapestries.
Artificial flower arrangements were back with a much more realistic feel and look. Fruits, feathers and flowers were made into some of the most unique arrangements. Containers were old and rusty, but in contrast, some were elegantly decorated urns. The one that caught my eye was a long cylinder-looking tin that florists use for cut flowers - so fresh-looking.
The three days truly were not enough, but not to worry. In January, they do it all again in Atlanta.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 linesby CNB