Las Vegas Market

My head is still spinning with inspiration after attending Las Vegas Market last week! I know I’ve mentioned it a few times already on Instagram, but I am still SO excited about it… there’s something about being surrounded by other designers who you respect, ooh-ing and ah-ing over new furniture lines that inspires you to do more and to be better. I had been wanting to go for a while now, and we made a last minute decision to make it happen this year, and I am so happy that we did!

It’s taken me some time to sort through the 1,000+ photos I took and the pile of business cards I brought home, and I still need to spend quite a bit of time organizing all the info, but I think I have enough to at least share with all of you!

So as promised, here is my recap of LVMkt…

What is Las Vegas Market?

It’s hard to capture what it is fully in words, but Las Vegas Market is essentially a HUGE gathering of designers, shop owners, and retail buyers who come together to shop manufacturer showrooms. Designers use this time to source products for specific projects, to keep up with ever-changing design trends, and to network with others in the industry.

It is located at the Las Vegas Design Center, and comprised of three large buildings full of over 4000 different brands and categories, and a separate area with over 600 unique temporary displays. Two of the buildings have 16 floors each, and the third has 10 floors, making up more than 5.4 MILLION square feet.

Let me tell you — I knew it was big and I heard it would be a little overwhelming, but I had no idea how massive + overwhelming + amazing it actually was going to be!

What trends did I see?

TEXTURE… TEXTURE… AND MORE TEXTURE!

From furniture options, to rugs, to decor pieces and accessories… texture was key! I saw macrame wall hangings, woven leather chairs, tons of tassels, and case goods with very textural fronts. It seemed that every showroom I went in to had at least something woven in there, and I am not complaining!

MORE SATURATED COLORS

If you follow many design firms on Instagram or Pinterest, it’s no secret that white + neutral has taken center stage for quite a while. I still love the peacefulness that white and a natural palette can bring, but I am so happy to see some more saturated color start to return to people’s homes!

Dark walls + colored rugs…

Lots of dark velvets…

Warm and rich leathers…

And not just in furniture, but in artwork too!

Some showrooms REALLY embraced the saturated colors!

I also know that blush has had it’s time in the spotlight for a while now, and although we may start seeing less of it, there were still several different showrooms with accent pieces in the lovely hue!

WOVEN FURNITURE

This may not be the newest trend, but seeing how many new pieces are still being produced with woven elements, makes me more certain that it’s here to stay for a while!

I have been in love with these barstools for a while now, and they will definitely be my next splurge for our own home…

I thought the detail on this woven leather chair was stunning.

What were some of my favorite new products?

What were the Pavilions like?

The pavilions were the temporary exhibit spaces that I mentioned earlier. I think they are a wonderful resource for shop owners who are finding new products specifically for their retail spaces. We didn’t spend a lot of time here,  but I did find a few smaller shops that I would love to source from for future clients.

I thought the artist who did these landscape paintings was especially talented, and I love them paired with the gold-leafed frames…

I actually already knew the guy who runs this shop, but he is so great! He makes beautiful mudcloth pillows and pairs different vintage fabrics with industrial frames to make ottomans and benches. We have one of his benches in our loft at home!

I couldn’t help but smile when I saw these fun plant hangers…

And antique glass beads will always catch my eye!

Biggest Takeaways?

Interior Designers know how to have fun! Most showrooms had some sort of food or drink offered throughout the day, which made it much easier to keep chugging along! To say my feet hurt by the end of the day would be a huge understatement, but the vodka sodas definitely helped get me through!

Design trends come and go, and while I think it’s important to stay on top of what the current styles are, I think it’s immeasurably more important to create a home that you feel comfortable living in, and that you and your family can grow with. I think that’s where a good Interior Designers comes in — they help you distinguish between fleeting trends and classic styles, and are able to marry the two into something current yet timeless.

I have the best husband and mama ever… they were such troopers as we schlepped from showroom to showroom… they carried my bags, business cards, and catalogs, and took photos of each showroom I walked in to so I could remember them and set up accounts with the ones I fell in love with once we got back home. I’m lucky to have such great people who support me and my business whole-heartedly! They got a few nice dinners on Madison Nicole Design’s dime out of it too!

I told a few people that now I just need 10 more houses, and a few million dollars, and then I can fill it with all the beautiful pieces I saw while at Market! I guess that’s the good thing about being an Interior Designer though… I constantly get to curate beautiful spaces for wonderful people and their own homes, and now I don’t need quite as many for me! Haha!

I can’t wait to go to my next Market… not sure yet if it will be in Las Vegas or if I’ll try to get out to one of the ones in Atlanta or High Point. Markets happen in a few different cities, each about two times per year. Not all vendors go to each market, so it’s important to make trips to the different ones so you can see new products and network with different vendors. All in all it was a wonderful (yet tiring) experience, and I know I will grow so much as a Designer from it!

Until next time!