KAREN WIGHT -- No place like home

Furniture buyers are back from High Point, N.C., where twice a year they

gather to get up close and personal with the new designs that furniture

manufacturers hope will catch on in 2000.

High Point is in central North Carolina and is often referred to as the

Furniture Capital of America. It is surrounded by such cities as

Lexington, Thomasville, Hickory and Lenoir. In other words, furniture is

big business in this region.

Buyers spend a week going from showroom to showroom. Each manufacturer

tries to outdo the other. Buyers are lured by outrageous parties,

creative literature and, all in all, a Mardi Gras atmosphere with a focus

on furniture.

After the dust has settled, orders are placed and generally everyone is

happy the mayhem has ceased. The buyers return, collateral in hand, and

prepare their audiences for the next style wave.

This fall, two looks were prevalent: first, clean, sophisticated lines

with a historic twist, a la Barbara Barry and Bakers’ Historic Charleston

Collection. These furniture lines work well with any setting and have an

uncluttered and rich look -- not modern but definitely classic. Pieces

like these would complement any room.

The second look has a more ethnic emphasis. Ralph Lauren has perfected

the bamboo motif with his carved wood furniture. Leave it to the epitome

of American classic to combine high quality and style with a slightly

foreign presence.

Les Interieurs, a nearby store in Westcliff Court, also carries several

English and French pieces with faux bamboo details. This look has a place

in almost any room -- not too much, not too little but just the right

combination. It’s dynamite.

Coach, manufacturer of those great leather bags, has introduced a line of

furniture for those who can’t get enough of a good thing. Not

surprisingly, the line is called Coach Classic Furniture, and it is just

that. The company offers a sofa, chair and ottoman, and the luxurious

pieces are available in seven leather treatments.

Most upholstered pieces are very subtle -- little or no pattern, very

John Saladino, my favorite design guru.

Discretion is the theme, though definitely not boring. Rich colors and

textures make up for any loss of pattern. Pieces seem to flow together,

and mixing and matching is certainly no problem when there is peace in

the design family.

Even pillows and trims are discreet and well behaved.

You get the feeling that too much was just too much. We have a lot on our

minds with the new millennium and we don’t need to be overpowered with

too much visual distraction.

Covered buttons, top-stitched seams and tiny pleats are the order of the

day -- dressmaker details are everywhere. Details that take you a while

to notice. Details that might not get noticed at all but are clearly well

thought out.

Tufting, covered buttons sewn into the back or seat of a chair or sofa to

create a textural effect, is making a comeback. It might remind you of

your grandmother’s sofa, but it’s back.

There is a lack of dust skirts and certainly no dust ruffles. If there is

a skirt at all, it is straight, maybe with a pleat in the center or at

the corner. Again, less is more. Fewer pillows. And the flange (a flat

piece of fabric that creates a border) is making a big statement, having

replaced fussier counterparts.

If you want to take a peek at the latest High Point highlights, you’ll

have to wait. Unfortunately, immediate gratification is not in the cards.

Lead time is 10 to 12 weeks for the newest furniture designs but there

are catalog pictures available through furniture stores.

Check out the Ralph Lauren store in South Coast Plaza, Les Interieurs in

Newport Beach or Baker, Knapp & Tubbs in the Laguna Niguel Design Center.

The pictures do not do justice or replace the impact of the real thing,

but they can give you ideas and also the price points.

And anyway, design is an evolution. Live with your new piece of furniture

in your mind before you go out and make a big commitment.

So, the design mantra for the year 2000? Not surprisingly, less is more,

quality counts, and when in doubt, don’t.

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* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident who owned Wight House Design

for 10 years. Her column runs Saturdays.