by Rosie Schulz | Dec 6, 2018 | Christmas, Custom Design, International VM, Visual Merchandising, Window dressing |
“Meanwhile… I’m putting up more twinkle lights.” – Kathleen, You’ve Got Mail Hands up. Be honest. Who’s favourite holiday has rolled around for another year? Two hands up over here – we love Christmas! We could start listing all the things we love about the silly season; decorating the tree, dinner parties with friends, but of course, one of our favourite things is the unveiling of department store windows. We’ve searched through the cities and have found our favourite selection of dreamy, vibrant and comical Christmas displays. From Paris to New York, get ready to travel through the best festive windows of 2018. LONDON: Harrods When it comes to Christmas windows, we can’t go past the legendary Harrods. This year, the series of Harrods windows draws inspiration from our own visions of a traditional festive season; a fridge bursting with seasonal treats and parties filled with gold glitz and glamour. Designed off the concept of sensory storytelling, Harrods maintains its focus on luxury while relating to the themes that everyone loves and can relate to around the merry season. Harrods has mastered their designs by utilizing scale, repetition and colour… and also our love for roast potatoes. PARIS: Galeries Lafayette Christmas dreams became a reality this year as Galeries Lafayette Haussmann let the Parisian children bring the window characters to life from their imaginations. Children between 5 and 11 years old entered to draw their Christmas character and the winning drawings were chosen to be transformed into soft toys and displayed in the vibrant window display. The imaginative friends can be seen enjoying a Christmas party in a candy...
by Rosie Schulz | Dec 3, 2018 | Custom Design, International VM, Visual Merchandising |
Taking on a vision and brief from a client, forming a design and making it a reality is one of our favourite things to do here at VM+. For a 1-day event at the Brisbane International Airport, VM+ transformed ‘the green’ into an indoor cricket pitch. Following on from the competitive Australia vs India cricket match held at The Gabba, the BAC (Brisbane Airport Corporation) hosted a friendly rivalry with the two teams made up of representatives of the travel industry and captained by international superstars Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz. VM+ took on the task to install a 20 meter long pitch with a truss structure thoroughly covered in cricket netting, complete with sponsor signage and floor decals. The activation involved passengers before they departed on their long haul flights allowing them to sit and spectate on a tiered seating grandstand. The activation focused on tourism, Brisbane becoming a destination city and the relationship between two cultures. “Gert-Jan de Graaff BAC Chief Executive Officer said it is an exciting world-first event that not only highlights the great mateship and friendly rivalry between Australia and India, it provides a unique opportunity to strengthen and celebrate tourism between the two nations.” (BAC) See more images of this activation in our Facebook Gallery. VM+ often extends itself into creating custom builds and designing activations. We aim to create atmosphere, an escape or a visually dynamic reality. Check out what else we do here! Don’t forget to stay up to date on our social media pages – Facebook – Instagram –...
by Rosie Schulz | Oct 19, 2018 | Christmas, Corporate Christmas, Custom Design, International VM, Trends, Visual Merchandising |
“December… Saving the best till last.” One of our favourite parts of the festive season is getting to decorate our trees, adorn our homes and set the table in a different style every year. We’ve been busy venturing across the seas and travelling interstate this past year to collect ideas and bring you our favourite trends this coming Christmas. Let the magic of Christmas 2018 begin! Wabi Sabi Originating from the Japanese language, Wabi-Sabi means to accept imperfection. It is a belief and aesthetic based on recognizing that something incomplete can become beautiful. A design example we love is expanding on our connection to the earth through natural materials. This trend is taking over from the Hygge trend (the cosy contentment of simple living) and leads into a Scandinavian tone but with a focus on abandoning perfection. Focus on textures such as metal and driftwood to incorporate this beautifully flawed trend into your home this Christmas. Our go to colours: Gun-metal grey, silver, olive green and natural hues Traditional Green, red and gold. The combination of these colours has screamed Christmas for centuries. Add a few little berries to your wreath to enhance the festive ambience and decorate the tree in glitter, matte and reflective finishes for a contemporary twist. Make a statement with vibrant red velvet poinsettias or keep it familiar by dressing the house in colours reminiscent of a childhood spent waiting for Santa. From nutcracker soliders to reindeers, this iconic Christmas trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and we can’t wait to see how it continues to change and adapt year after year. Our go to...
by Rosie Schulz | Aug 30, 2018 | Children's Play Space, Custom Design, Shopping Centre, Visual Merchandising |
“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Mr. Rogers Tree Top Play is the newest play area designed by VM+ and installed at Robina Town Centre on the Gold Coast. Inspired by the rainforest which surrounds Robina to the West, Tree Top Play draws off the flora and fauna found in the mountainous region of the Gold Coast Hinterland. The play area was custom designed by VM+ to be a place of interactive learning and fun. The first eye-catching element in the tenancy draws your eye up into the canopy of the rainforest, where circular timber rings hang, overflowing with greenery, Edison bulb lighting, mirror disks and fairy lights. The effect is magical and immersive. The custom built cubby house includes leaf shaped climbing grips instead of a classic ladder, and a green slide bringing delight to the adventurous. Pebble cushions and log and stump cushions surround and spread in and around the cubby house providing comfort and security. The timber tic tac toe game varies from the original classic with a guest appearance from the local cockatoo and green tree frog. The swiveling cubes line up to provide more interactive play and memory learning skills. Sparking delight in children, the Green Tree Frog climbing wall sits at a perfect height for boys and girls to boulder along the mounted frog, completed with high quality hand-holds so children can practice their hand-eye coordination. A caterpillar play panel sits at the end of the walkway ready for little hands to explore each element but also allow multiple children to play at the same time. A “Can You Find Me”...
by Rosie Schulz | Apr 9, 2018 | Custom Design, International VM, Visual Merchandising |
The Prop House Goes for Gold, Styling the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Athletes’ Village. “The Commonwealth Games athletes’ village looks more like a luxury resort holiday rather than one of the most competitive sporting events in the world.” says The Courier Mail. The team at The Prop House has been busy over the last few months, creating elaborate and beautiful installations for spectators and athletes to enjoy during their stay on the Gold Coast in the Athletes’ Village. With so much colour and excitement surrounding the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, The Prop House has been busy designing unique ways to celebrate the memorable event. Hosting over 6,600 athletes and officials during the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the Athletes’ Village on the Gold Coast will welcome international visitors to the Games through an extraordinary compilation of Australian themed spaces, designed by The Prop House. The talented Brisbane based design team have drawn inspiration from our country’s iconic landscape to inspire and dazzle guests at the Athletes’ Village. Specialising in custom props and creative event styling, The Prop House aims to reignite imaginations through unique, Australian themed designs. From the reef to the rainforest, installations will reflect Australia’s recognizable scenery and aims to encourage travel towards various corners of the country. Some of the themed hubs include Rainforest, Reef, Sunset, Outback, Surf and Beach. The exterior of the buildings was not forgotten, as The Prop House styled colour onto every surface possible, hanging bright lanterns and festoon lighting throughout the Village. The poolside transformed into a retreat with beanbags, hammocks and cushions galore, while the green grass invites guests to...
by Rosie Schulz | Mar 5, 2018 | Custom Design, International VM, Shopping Centre, Visual Merchandising |
“Good Luck, Good Health, Good Cheer and Happy New Year!” Chinese New Year is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate our multiculturalism. This year, Australia Fair on the Gold Coast, Brisbane Airport and Harbour Town all celebrated the beginning of the Year of the Dog 2018. Two large voids in the Australia Fair shopping centre hung an elaborate chandelier of Chinese fans and lanterns. The lanterns symbolize people letting go of their past selves and are red in colour to symbolize good fortune. The dragon represents prosperity, good luck and good fortune. Australia Fair To coincide with the lantern chandeliers, the team at VM+ coordinated the display cases at Australia Fair to represent the colours of Chinese New Year. Australia Fair The cheery blossom tree pays homage to the famous Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees in Hong Kong. It is believed that if you tie your wish to an orange and throw it into the tree and it stays there, your wish will come true. VM+ installed a 4mH cherry blossom tree into the Brisbane International Terminal to represent the history of the wishing tree for Chinese New Year in the airport. The color red denotes good luck, fortune, happiness and abundance. By using red envelopes in this tradition, patrons can write their wish, hang it in the branches and move forward into their new year. Brisbane Airport – International Terminal Photo opportunities were in high demand, with the season bringing in travelers and crowds. A circular photo ring and a traditional dragon costume were installed for creative ways that guests could capture their time in the various locations. Harbour Town...
