High Point Antiques Front And Center

We hope you enjoyed last week’s Q&A with Karen Luisana and Amanda Kinney, the founders of the Antique and Design Center of High Point (ADC). We’re finishing up the interview this week and sharing the story of how the dynamic duo decided to create such a remarkable High Point antiques venue. We’re one week closer to #HPMkt, which runs from October 22 through 26; and don’t forget, the Antique and Design center opens two days earlier, on October 20, and runs through the 26th. You’ll find some incredible furnishings there, as is illustrated in the vignette above.

The High Point Antiques Craze

This portrait of Karen Luisana and Amanda Kinney illustrate the vivacious energy they bring to ADC.

C&C: Has creating this dynamic business together enhanced your lives in any way?

KL: So…let me count some of the ways! The depth and breadth of this is really too much to take on. I personally Love having our own business. We don’t have to answer to people that we disagree with (although there are always things that we can’t control or change, but that’s life). We don’t have to do anything concerning our business that we don’t agree with and don’t believe in. We make the decisions right or wrong and live with the repercussions of our decisions, right or wrong. We are doing what we Love to do and what could enhance our lives more than that?

AK: On New Year’s Eve 2010, as we began planning our very first show, I made a resolution to travel more in the new year. Well I never would have imagined all the adventures that Karen and I would experience together over the next 12 years! I have learned so much and been inspired daily by the people we’ve met and places where we’ve traveled.

C&C: What is the most exciting thing you’ve heard a designer or other professional shopper say when they're touring the show?

KL: There are quite a few that we hear over and over again, i.e., 1. Our first stop every Market! 2. Sensory overload—we have to come back every day! 3. I haven’t been to a more beautiful antiques show anywhere else in the world, including the high-end shows in Europe. 4. We’re counting down the days for market to be here. 5. I pre-sell everything I buy here, so when I load my truck, the money is already made; thank you, ADC.

AK: “I’m so excited to be here: This is my favorite part of Market!”

C&C: Is there anything else you’re bursting to share with Currey & Company readers?

KL: We love how Currey & Company honors the past by creating beautiful lighting that is inspired by antiques. We are all part of this magical tapestry that wouldn’t be the same without every piece.

AK: We look forward to seeing everyone in October!

The Full Backstory

The timelessness of the accessories in this image illustrate the special items for sale at ADC.

Here’s a brief history of how the Antique and Design Center of High Point came to be: Karen had been an antiques dealer with a background in set design for advertising for many years. Amanda was a real estate broker-turned professional wedding/portrait photographer who had recently moved back to North Carolina to be close to family. After being family friends for many years, Amanda began working part time for Karen at Luisana Designs and Antiques, helping her with her website, photography, and branding.

In 2009, Karen saw that the antiques/design world was changing and she wanted to do something new by bringing all her favorite secret sources together. It seemed counterintuitive to give away her sources and share her customers with her competition, but she believed that by banding together and supporting each other that the antiques dealers and the interior designers would strengthen their businesses exponentially. Besides, she thought, you can never dim your own candle by lighting someone else’s!

Not only are the antiques and vintage pieces being shown valuable, the programming at ADC is well-attended.

So she and Amanda set out to find the best dealers in the country so they could bring them back to High Point. That first show of 54 dealers felt so good that they decided to partner and continue the journey by moving to Market Square, growing the number of dealers, and producing educational and social events during the show. Before long, 54 dealers turned into 75 and the event evolved into a “must-attend” destination as designers visited and found the soul they had been seeking for the spaces they were creating. And the rest, as they say, is Market history! If you’re new to High Point, the physical address of ADC, which is a private entrance to the show, is 316 W Commerce Avenue. ADC is open from 9 a.m. through 6 p.m. and please note, there is no early entry.