April Showers Bring May Flowers

Design shows, projects galore and lots of good things kept me away from my keyboard last month and resulted in the writing delay! 

All is now back on track, and I’ll aim to keep all on schedule for the rest of the year.

Thank you to the readers who reached out wondering if they had missed their monthly journal in their inbox. Apart from my colourful and layered designs I am known to be timely, which means if I am even a few minutes late for a meeting or an event, colleagues and friends think they have the wrong date / time in their calendar. A wise woman, Sarah Kravet to be precise, once said to me ‘’if you are not on time, you’re late’’ and I couldn’t agree more!

So what got me distracted last month………………..

April saw a return to High Point Market in North Carolina, the first time I have been there since 2016. It’s a massive show, over 10,000,000 sq. ft. and I am so glad I decided to go back. For the uninitiated it can feel very overwhelming, but there are guides throughout the market to ensure you get to where you want to go. One thing that HPMKT is not short on is hospitality.

Buses transport you to and from your hotel, so every day you arrive at the main transportation hub, which looks a lot like what you find at an airport, it’s huge. From here you can decide to walk or take a shuttle to where you’d like to start your day. There are large multi-story exhibition halls with booths and showrooms set up just for the show and in the surrounding streets there are permanent showrooms. Many permanent showrooms partner with smaller artisanal companies’ so you can find gorgeous art or bespoke pottery at an upholstery showroom for example. There is also a huge vintage market which I love to spend time in, in fact I had the pleasure of spending a lovely evening there, which is why and where the photo above came from. There is always great art to be found here and you know how much I love gallery walls.

If I was asked to talk about what I saw as an overarching theme – you know I never refer to trends unless I am being disparaging – it would be the following –

1. Wireless Lighting

Was huge at market. There were several companies, some new to me who were specializing solely in wireless lighting and many of the big guys had wireless collections.

Wireless table lamps are perfect for kitchen or dining tables – it started out in the hospitality sector – think about good, but still intimate low to the table lighting to illuminate what you are eating / reading.

It’s now also available as wall sconces and picture lights – ideal if you need occasional light in a space and don’t want to incur the costs of an electrician / painter etc. Perfect if you are renting or away at school and want something that’s easy to remove when you leave.

The heads of these type of fixtures are held in place with a magnet and easily detach for charging. They really are amazing and most come with a charge of around 15 hrs. and work with a remote control. I can see these being really useful to add lighting to a bookcase wall or on a kitchen shelf or island, even on bathroom table if you want something lovely for reading whilst you bathe. 

2. Maker / Craft Forward

There were lots of small artisanal brands represented at High Point Market and it was so lovely to meet with makers from across the globe and from right here at home. Sometimes you need to travel to find people from home who are doing amazing things.

Nothing is more authentic than seeing someone immersed in their craft, doing what they love, you can feel it in what is produced, and I am so looking forward to working with several new artisans on upcoming projects. 

3. Lighting as Jewelry

I’ve always looked as lighting as the jewelry in a room, and love to work with design houses who make beautiful, curated pieces that look like something you would want to wear. 

Sconces that would make fabulous earrings for example, well at market there were several nods to this but a new collaboration with Noz Nozawa and Corbett Lighting stole the show. Lovely fashion forward pieces that paid homage to her love of stackable rings and chains.

I’ve decided that an eight-year hiatus was too long, so I plan on returning next fall and can’t wait to return. It’s a bit of an endurance test, you walk for miles every day but meeting your trade partners in person and sharing meals with industry friends is always a real blessing and full of insight.

Now at The Lobby

Our studio waterless diffusers and our studio blend essential oil bundles are now available for purchase at The Lobby!

Located at the corner of Marlborough and Yonge Street in the former Hopson Grace building there are lots of goodies to see and enjoy, including ours.

We have sold out of the diffusers on our website (again) but stocks are enroute, so you can either purchase in person or online from The Lobby or from our website.

Thank you to everyone for their support. The essential oil is what I refer to as a winning and magical combination of Lavender, Cypress, Wild Orange & Litsea.

These oils were selected by me to enhance communication, ground, energize and provide manifesting properties!

Go on and give it a go. The waterless / cordless diffusers are a game changer – there is a built-in oil reserve and multiple speed and timing options that you can select. 

Watery Flat Lays

Talking about manifesting properties. At the weekend we have a favourite dog walk along the waterfront that takes us past a home that I always pause to look at.  It’s in need of a large renovation, and it has the most amazing views and a one-of-a-kind location.

As serendipity would have it, through a mutual contact who knew nothing of my slight obsession with this home, I was connected with the owner who is planning to build a new home and is looking for an interior designer…..! 

I always say to my team that words and thoughts become things, and this is proof positive of that anecdote. A city home on the waterfront is such a unique offering, my creativity has gone into overdrive and I’m loving the initial inspiration trays that my team and I developed for our initial client presentation.

Our trays are layered with samples, furniture cards and some of our favourite design books. The overall feeling is very immersive. 

What’s Next?

With HPMKT in the rear view mirror my next creative travel plans are centered on New York for ICFF and Kips Bay Showhouse in May.

April saw lots of presentations, some for projects we have been working on for over 12 months. It’s so wonderful to have the opportunity to have this job, this passion as my career. 

I could never do something I am not passionate about; every client presentation is unique to that client and that particular home. Yes, we have a ”look” that is layered and yet tailored, colourful but grounding and approachable but above all what we do is livable.

We design spaces that feel intimate and simply right when you are home alone and yet lovely for sharing with friends and family. Our rooms are not for walking past and admiring, they are for you to use and enjoy each and every day and I am so very lucky that this was my calling and that so many lovely people connect and resonate with what we do. 

April was a very inspiring month and I look forward to all that May brings.

Warmest,

Credits, images, musings and some more contents of my head.

1-Divine powder room inspiration from Storie Collective, featuring a cheeky Urban Electric wall sconce. 2-I’m a sucker for linen and beautiful tailoring. Image sourced via Pinterest from Asian design house Obscur, from our Pinterest Board Fashion. 3-Just looking at this made me hungry. Nashi pear, stracciatella and fried caper salad by The Cordony Kitchen, from our Pinterest Board Recipes. 4-As a forever watch-wearer I loved this Hermes orange one! 5-Our industry dinner at HPMKT last month courtesy of The Design Leadership Network, Kravet and Benjamin Moore, located @antiquedesignct. 6-Lampshades galore from Pooky wireless lighting at HPMKT. 7-Textiles galore at Shoppe Object at HPMKT. 8-Noz Nozawa lighting for HVLG. 9 & 10-From waterless to watery –mother nature is always a grounding point in our designs. Inspiration boards by Gillian Gillies Interiors. 11-Our waterless diffusers and essential oils – divine – available online on our Studio Shop or in person at The Lobby!!

Copyright © 2024 Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc., All rights reserved.