Gray was a common color at the market, such as the D'Artagnan sofa from French Heritage/Photo: French Heritage

Charlotte settee and side chair, china hutch and lamp table from Century Furniture illustrate the made in America theme./Photo: Century Furniture

French Heritage reinterpreted its traditional style with its hot pink Vincent Bergere chair./Photo: French Heritage

Limited Aesthetica from Christopher Morley's Pheromone collection was part of the trend toward framed groupings. More info at www.pheromonedesign.com.

Aviva Stanoff's pillows incorporate tactile natural elements./Photo: Aviva Stanoff

Flatiron office cabinet from Century Furniture's Archive Home line shows the textured wood look./Photo: Century Furniture

Brightly colored tables and accessories were in evidence from Century Furniture./Photo: Century Furniture

Striped painted Fontenay chest from French Heritage/Photo: French Heritage

Currey & Co. Axel orb lantern follows the layered lighting trend./Photo: Currey & Co.

Twice a year, the furniture industry descends on High Point, N.C., for its largest trade show. This year, despite the sluggish economy, there were still signs of a fresh outlook on home décor. With an emphasis on "Made in America" products, some vendors played it safe with vintage American styles, but classic modern and new eco-inspired looks also dominated the show. Here's a breakdown of the leading trends:

FABRIC
Innovative fabric treatments were on display in many showrooms. Embellished and ethnic fabrics on upholstered items resulted in a one-of-a-kind artisan look. Often combined with leather, fabrics were shirred, embossed, embroidered or left natural, sometimes with nail trim or adorned with crystals. The looks ranged from luxurious to rustic, traditional to modern. The most obvious trend was linen and burlap, used for everything from upholstery to draperies and bedding in every style category. Old seed bags were used for upholstery on traditional styles, and velvets made a big return. Multi-colored floral prints were practically nonexistent, but a few pale, tropical-inspired variations were spotted.

TEXTURE
Shirred, ruffled, embossed with natural items, felted or twisted into flowers, fabrics all made for a visual and tactile experience. Textured wood is something new; sand-blasted and rough, it was used for chests and tables, often unstained or slightly white-washed. Century Furniture's new casual collection, Archive Home, featured textured wood in a medium-light tone.

COLOR
Gray -- from pale, gray-tinted whites to deep charcoal -- was the dominant color in nearly every showroom. Usually used monochromatically, gray sometimes was combined with bright accents such as hot pink, orange or yellow. Yellow leather was seen at many showrooms, while the orange trend also continued. Deep blues, from royal to navy, were combined with white in several showrooms for a crisp look, usually with the color on the walls and blue-and-white graphic patterns for the fabrics. Pale, ethereal lilac and amethyst combinations, looking almost neutral with just a hint of color, also were spotted. Emerald green seemed to be making a slight comeback. French Heritage, known for its fine case goods, took tradition to a new level with a hot pink Bergere chair and striped-painted chest. Many vendors, from high-end to moderate, painted their furniture in citrus colors, and many offered custom colors.

LAYERING
Rugs, one placed on top of another, were spotted all over High Point. With the base rug usually a sisal or sea-grass rug placed at an angle, the top rug was patterned, often in faded, worn-looking colors. A new trend of layered lighting -- a chandelier inside a birdcage, metal sphere or translucent shade -- seemed to be catching on. The layering of fabrics also was a popular trend, with sheers layered over heavier upholstery fabrics.

STYLE
The clean lines and minimalism of modern looks continue to be strong, meaning fewer accessories and less clutter. "Eco Style" was another popular theme, featuring such natural elements as bamboo, rough-cut and petrified woods, shells and other items found in nature. While the traditional styles of 18th-century England and France will always be a staple of interior designers, they were approached with a lighter, fresher hand and a more youthful appearance, using plain fabrics, a variety of textures and sometimes painting the chair or sofa frame or wood table in an unexpected color. The over-accessorized look of the '80s and '90s is pared down and edited, leaving just a few larger choice items for interest.

FRAMES
A noticeable trend, spotted everywhere, was framing of just about anything: a collection of old books without covers, shells, iridescent insects artfully arranged, moss, butterflies, rocks and even a collection of odd rusty hardware -- all were framed and turned into "art."

LANTERNS
Lanterns of assorted sizes were also spotted all over High Point. As candle holders, they were grouped together in varying sizes on table tops, on the floor or hanging. Electric versions also were spotted, used in a series of similar sizes to light a hallway, or hung at different heights instead of a single chandelier.

Robin Strangis, an ASID-certified interior designer, owns Loring Interiors in Minneapolis. She is also the author of "The Color Idea Book."