Flipside

I thought maybe you'd like to see how the inevitable snafus of display affect me, too!

The photo above shows how I envisioned and planned a display for an antique booth. The approach to the space is from the right, down an aisle, so I did the buildup in a triangular shape from that direction - so the eye travels from low to high and then back down again. There are other furnishings to be placed at either end of the table, as well, that aren't shown here. This kind of 'mock setup' is something I do during the planning phase - I'm spatial (um, no, I did not say 'special', I said 'spAtial'!) and need to actually see how the sizes & scale of things interact. Plotting on paper is all well and good, but it doesn't address every issue. I was happy with the way this all turned out.

Well, when I set this up in the antique mall, I wasn't happy with how it looked. For one thing, the mirror behind the table had to hang a bit farther left than I wanted it to - some trim on the wall made it bump out too far behind the table. So it didn't reflect the lamps, which it need to do to counteract the overhead florescent lighting. (shudder. This is death for merchandise.) So the 'adjusting' commenced. It took me about ten minutes of shuffling the larger pieces around before it allowed me to place the lamps where I wanted them and still keep the focal point of the display at an eye-catching level.

Here's how it ended up: Basically the items on top of the table are a 'flip' of my original plan.

There is a wealth of product in this small space (3 X 8') - from large furnishings to accessories for home, parties, and fashion. The theme is 'Bridal Sweet', and it focuses primarily on wedding-themed items. The color coordination keeps it from being overwhelming, but there is certainly enough here to capture the interest of shoppers for awhile...

(See how that warm incandescent light makes a difference?!)

So, just a reminder, from me: when you are working your store displays and it doesn't pan out exactly like you thought it would, don't be discouraged! You didn't do anything wrong - this happens to everyone. Remember that it's an art, not a science, so be creative.

('Cause you know, it's not called 'disWORK' - it's called 'disPLAY'!!!)

Edited to add: And then again, sometimes it doesn't really matter exactly how you place things, because within a day of installing them they have all SOLD OUT. Holy Moses.....!