05.16.06

The anatomy of a window display

Posted in business-a-go-go, Fun Stuff, Main at 8:35 pm by carrie

Someone asked me how I come up with the window displays… it’s a bunch of different factors!

I usually start with a drawing and a list. I list out all the new products coming in and anything I would like to highlight to the world passing by. I think of each grouping in colors, themes and uses. For this particular window I wanted to reflect the look of our latest postcard we mailed out. Part Mother’s Day and part Baby. So, I figured out we were getting assorted colored aprons, purses and gloveables for the Mother’s day display and assorted Baby items on the other. I wanted to “bridge” the colors of the two displays so I used pink and yellow as my core colors and then added onto each section depending on what was there to fill in the gaps. The odd products that did not go in the window were the darker colored items, so I had to create a floating display for them. Some of my techniques are more obvious in other displays, this one isn’t so obvious :)

I started with the little clotheslines by taping ribbon to each side of the window frame (which fell today because of the heat! I’m going to have to find a way to drill into the aluminum frame or something!) and used products that would match hung with clothespins. Bunnies by the bay has the cutest little baby items in yellow and pink, so I mostly used their stuff.
	So, on the other side I hung Carrie’s aprons and the gloveables in corresponding colors to the baby side of the window.
	On the inside, you can kind of see the entire display. Along with “Harriet” our display head. She scares me… every time I walk by, out of the corner of my eye, I think someone is sitting at that desk staring at me blankly. yikes! So, Harriet got a vintage hat in the same pinks and everything on the yellow and pink desk/vanity has pink/yellow with green accents. On the center display I did all teacups in pink and yellow with sort of burgandy and green accents. At the very end is the baby display with the cute little cut out wood letters spelling “giggle” on the wall.
Here’s a close up of Harriet and the desk display with the purses, gloveables and aprons. I actually sold an apron and had to change everything around because of it. so, this is the display, take two.
	Here’s another cabinet to the right of the display… same feel and colors.
	I love cloches. You can showcase things inside them and it looks so elegant and gives you that old world botanist’s study feel. I put two spaghetti poodles in one and jewelry in a mini-birdbath in another. You can’t see my other candy dish and bell jars on the other side but we filled them with jelly bellies and carefully placed jewelry on top. I love candy in displays, it always brings more interest, bursts of color and texture… but hopefully, not ants!

That wasn’t the best example of how I do my displays. I want to do a step-by-step with a pile ‘o items and a blank space and the different ways I shuffle things around. It usually takes me a solid week to do one full room, depending on how much I change it up. I tend to change the whole store around about 6 or more times a year. And every holiday gets a whole new display as well. I try to keep it different in here. Who wants to come into the same stale shop time after time? I wouldn’t!

In other news… Violet Cottage (my little side business with Cindy) is thrilled to announce that our new bath bombs, candles and hand creams are almost here!!! We’ll get the bath bombs first and they are so awesome! They have a ton of moisturizing oils in them so when you get out of the bath, you smell great, skin feels great and it is quite refreshing! And, I’ve tried other bombs… they either stain your tub, leave little bits of stuff that clog your drain or make your tub slippery. These bath bombs won’t do any of that! :)

Lastly… our party is almost upon us. I’ve been frantically trying to order a few things for the giveaways and come up with a little snack plan. I think we’re going to serve cupcakes, scones, little quiches, assorted finger food items and beverages. The gift boxes I’m giving out will be a surprise but everyone gets something really neat and special :) I hope it’s not blazing hot out that day!!! I’m excited to see all the familiar faces and meet new ones!

Thanks for reading, have a happy week!

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