Perk Up!

When I talk about brand image, I tell you to 'tell your story' through the use of coordinated visual presentation. I've gone so far as to say don't be kitschy or cute. However, in some cases, that is exactly what you should do. Case in point: This espresso stand near Seattle.

There is a sea of thousands of shed-like boxes sitting roadside in our state, all espresso stands advertising 'the best mocha' or '$2.00 lattes everyday' or even bikini-clad baristas (don't get me started as to what story THAT is telling....).

This one certainly stands out from the crowd, don't you think? The coffee pot shape, art-deco style and retro vibe (not to mention bright neon lights at 5 AM) are impossible to ignore. There is no doubt as to their product, or that they tend to details in their business. I've never seen this place without a huge lineup of cars in the drive thru - it's busy all day long, even though it is not located in a high-traffic area.

I can't think of a more perfect example of how having an engaging visual presence & personality is of benefit to your business... or of how sometimes, whimsy and kitsch are just the thing your business needs for a little perk up!

Friday Flowers {On Thursday}

I am posting my weekly Friday flower arrangement today {Thursday} as I am signing off a little early this week. I hope you have a nice weekend and I look forward to catching up with you all next week.

xx
Anna

Window Display Grafitti

Have you seen the new ad campaign for K&G Fashion stores? It literally cracks me up everytime I see it. I've searched everywhere online for a photo still of the final frame from that commercial, with no luck.

Please understand that I'm not condoning this kind of thing, nor am I suggesting that you DO this to a competitor's windows. You have to admit, though, that in the face of ripoff artists, copycats, and absurdly overpriced merchandise, it is an almost understandable approach: If your artwork or window displays or web site has ever been copied by a competitor, isn't this the kind of revenge you'd like to get?!

You could, of course, grafitti up your OWN store windows. If you sell fashion, maybe you could try a version of 'What Not to Wear' and show two mannequins: one dressed WRONG, then paint the 'big red circle with slash mark' over it. Have a second mannequin dressed in the latest style - and maybe that one has a big yellow smiley face painted over it. Just do the paint on the INSIDE of your windows, using a sponge-tip paint pen (the kind they make for school pep rallies and post-wedding car decorating).

Display ideas are everywhere, aren't they?! Or, is it just me?

Recent Project

We worked around the client's existing bed head above and just added the lamps and bed cushions.

Here are a few snippets of a house I just finished working on. We re-used a few of the client's existing pieces and added some new pieces and lots of pretty fabrics to freshen up the home.

Today I Love...

I love this green and white gingham slip covered armchair with the lace trim detail along the bottom hemline. Such a pretty chair sitting on my favourite white painted floorboards.

Image - Country Home via Mary Ruffle

Happy Thought

Image 1 - Elizabeth Messina via Mary Ruffle

Image 2 - Kate Spade

Pretty House

Amanda posted this gorgeous house yesterday so I don't want to steal her thunder however, I do really love this exterior shot with the billowing sheer curtains. Isn't it gorgeous? You must go and see the rest of the house on Amanda's blog.

Image - Country Living Magazine via Swish & Swanky Blog

A Little Flower Arranging Spot

And just in case I didn't post enough images to get you excited about a flower shed yesterday, here's one more. Although I think this one is a little corner in a kitchen. I just love the mix of blue and white china, fresh flowers, old family photographs and the pretty little wall lights.


Image - House Beautiful via Mary Ruffle

A Flower Shed

One day I would love to have a flower shed in which I could arrange flowers and store all of my vases and baskets and garden things. In my perfect flower shed I would have a large sink, a large work bench, lots of shelving and places to hang baskets and buckets. I would also have a pretty spot for some lovely old chairs where I could sit and drink tea with a friend whilst I contemplated my next arrangement!! I must get this book above called Shed Chic as I am sure it would provide lots more inspiration for my little flower shed.

Image 1 & 2 via Belle Maison Blog

Glamorous Times

Following on from my vintage fashion posters which I posted last week...

I am very inspired by the style and grace of these women. Look at the beautiful dress Grace Kelly is wearing in the bottom image. I just adore the green and white floral fabric it is made in. On another note, look at the curved banquettes which are made in white painted lattice. There is just so much inspiration in these beautiful images.

Image 1 - Vi.sualize.us, Image 2 - Grace Kelly via Porchlight Interiors Blog

Online Merchandising Tips

I've just recently become involved as part of a committee handling the planning of an event. This isn't my normal 'design' work, it's long-distance communication and research. As part of that, I am building a blog that will be used to inform attendees of event plans as they develop. I'm adding some links to that blog - providing contact options that readers can utilize to connect with one another, and also merchandise sales to help raise funds. So, I headed over to Cafe' Press - to do some research as I prepare to create custom graphics for the merchandise and set up a shop for the organization to sell it from.

What I found when I was reading through their 'new stores' info was THIS article. An amazing compilation of information on merchandise display, this page contains essential tips for anyone who is selling product online. The last tip on the page is a concise and clear explanation of what the phrase 'Above The Fold' is, and why it's SO important to any online content.

This is such helpful material that I wanted to pass the resource on to all of you. While some of the writing is definitely geared toward the setup of a Cafe Press shop, you don't need to be doing that to benefit from this advice - head over and check it out here.

logo courtesy of Cafe Press.com

My Democratic Right

On Wednesday the 22nd of April I voted for the second time as a South African citizen. Along with 15528688 other South Africans I shared in this democratic right.

South Africans and the IEC set an example for how elections should take place on African soil when compared to recent elections held in Zimbabwe and Kenya.

The ANC party headed by controversial leader Jacob Zuma have reached 10 million votes and seems to be heading for a 2/3 majority. All eyes will be set on the man Jacob Zuma to see what happens next.
During the week while we were out voting for our next President an attempted assassination took place on the Prime Minister of Lesotho Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili.

Tomorrow I am heading to Lesotho and the Drakensberg for 12 days. I am really excited to go traveling again and will this time be heading north with my parents.

Friday Flowers

Here are some flowers I arranged this afternoon for the weekend. Thanks for visiting me here this week and for all of your lovely comments!! See you next week.

xx

Anna

A Case Study: Hogue Cellars Winery

You told me you want to see some 'Before & After' shots...
Before Deb's Retail Redesign:

After Deb's Retail Redesign:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

The principles used in this redesign project include using scale, color, space, and organization for maximum visual impact. A basic clear-out and clean up of old product, broken fixtures, useless props, and miscellaneous items that had no place on the retail floor made the place look instantly cleaner, larger, and brighter.

That was followed by rethinking how the space was used, and allocating previously empty floor space to display products. A huge impact was made by simply filling shelves & hooks up with merchandise that was being stored in a stockroom, rather than the previous arrangement of one of each item out on display.

It took one day for me to plan this redesign, and one six-hour evening session of four people working in the shop to accomplish the re-set. No paint, construction, or other large-scale solutions were used in this phase. It was all done by rearranging and adding fixtures & product.

The retail manager reported that within one week, most of the new merchandise had sold out. Even items that had been on the shelves for months were selling - and people thought it was new. Even employees.

It's just that simple!

Give me a shout... I can help you do this, too!

Photo Credits: Debi Ward Kennedy, courtesy of Hogue Cellars Winery, subsidiary of Constellation Wines. All other use prohibited.

You Can Have A 'Designer' Look

Store Design is the equivalent of having a fashion expert give you advice! The process of having a professional redesign your existing business environment can redefine your brand image, update your look, and make you relevant to the lives your customer is leading. And that makes them want to shop in your store and purchase your merchandise.

My Retail Design Services can help you go from this:

To THIS:


VaVaVaVoom!

Want results like that? Email me. I'll swoop in like Stacy & Clinton from TLC's 'What Not To Wear' and get you in style in no time. Yes, even without coming to your store! You'll be thrilled with the results, and even happier with my reasonable fees. And your customers? They'll be raving fans.

(I do not, however, give you a five thousand dollar credit card like Stacy & Clinton do. Sorry!)

Photo Credits: All property of DWK, courtesy of Columbia Winery, subsidiary of Constellation Wines/ICON Estates and Assencia Estates. Any other use expressly prohibited.

The Artist

Yesterday I posted images of our new display at Black & Spiro in which we have a painting by a talented new artist we are representing.

Her name is Diana and she is a friend of my mothers. She has been painting on and off for years. She painted the painting below and gave it to us as an engagement present 8 years ago. She has been painting for family and friends mostly however, she recently decided she would paint a few of my vignettes.

A few weeks ago she arrived at Black & Spiro with the painting above of some pink peonies I had arranged in a blue and white ginger jar on the bench in our kitchen at home. I actually posted this image on the blog late last year and she loved it so much that she painted it. I instantly fell in love with the painting. One of our customers also fell in love with it and it sold on the very first day we displayed it.

Her second painting which I posted yesterday also sold on the very first day we displayed it. We are now awaiting delivery of painting number 3 with a couple of our customers wanting to be notified when it arrives.

Diana is so excited, as am I. I have always loved her style and I am just so thrilled that she has finally taken the step to allow me to have her beautiful paintings on display at Black & Spiro.



Diana gave us the painting above for our Engagement present and I have continued to love it over the years. I have it hanging in our kitchen at home above an old chest of drawers which houses my napery collection.

Black & Spiro Today

Here are some photos of our new display at Black & Spiro. I am thrilled to have a painting by a new artist we are representing exclusively at Black & Spiro in the display. She will be painting some of my table vignettes in the future which is very exciting.

Catherine Martin's Vogue Living

I just received my copy of the latest Vogue Living edited by guest editor Catherine Martin {thanks for the heads up Amanda}. I am so excited about this issue. I have been trying not to open it up all day so that I can enjoy it without interuption tonight but it just keeps on beckoning me as it sits beside me on my desk. I think it's going to be one of the best issues of late.

Displays Done Right in Black & White

Take the basic merchandising principles used in those 1920's displays (shown in my previous post, below) and utilize them today, and what do you get?

White House Black Market. Perfection.
Trendy. Stylish. Glamorous. Elegant.

Fashions may change, but some things - like display excellence - NEVER go out of style.

I can't even count how many times I've heard comments about how small independent merchants have nothing in common with and/or nothing to learn from the Big Box stores. Wrong.

Go to the mall. Get online. Open a catalogue or a magazine. Look at how 'the big guys' are displaying products. They pay big bucks to designers and stylists to make those products appeal to their market demographic.... and you don't have to pay a THING to learn from them.

Look at the basics: Color, Scale, Composition, Spacing, Lighting, Contrast, Signage. This is 3-D art, easy to decipher. If it works for Macys or WHBM or Anthro, it will work for you.

Just one thing: Copy the FORMULA, not the display. (As in, use odd numbers of items, use a hot trendy color on the rear wall, make funky props to catch attention, etc. ) Imitation is not flattery. It's laziness. You're all originals - BE original!

Photo Credits: White House, Black Market.

I Love...

I love this beautiful collection of things. Maybe I love it because there are some pretty blue and white pieces and pink and white pieces {my favourite} or maybe because the collection is just so imperfectly compiled. I'm not really into a big matching set of anything. Yes, that's why I think it appeals to me so much...it's mismatch heaven!!

Image via Brabourne Farm Blog

**Reminder

Image 1 & 2 via vi.sualize.us

Black & Spiro Today

I finally had all of the beautiful vintage fashion posters, which I purchased in Paris last year, framed. Today I had them hung in a cluster on a wall in our new display at Black & Spiro.

We used a silver bamboo frame on the posters with a white matting board. They look so beautiful. We have a total of 16 available for sale however, I think I am going to find it very hard to let some of these beauties go!!

I will be posting more photos of the display later this week, once the new curtains are installed, so do stay tuned.

PS. Notice the aqua wall they are hung on. I told you I was into aqua at the moment!!

I have been asked to provide pricing on the posters by a few readers. They are all $340.00 except for the LV one which is $480.00. Thanks for your interest!! Oh, and if you would like to see the full set available please email me anna@blackandspiro.com.au and I will email them all through to you.