by Rosie Schulz | Dec 13, 2019 | Visual Merchandising |
The metamorphosis of a sheltering tree escape The Queensland Children’s Hospital Kidzone in South Brisbane was re-imagined this November as The Prop House and VM+ (Visual Merchandising Plus) team took on the task to redesign the space where children and families come to play, rest, learn, read and create. With a design based around the concept of metamorphosis, the room was transformed by bespoke wall graphics, tailored flooring and a ‘sheltering tree’ standing 5mH with a secret cubby where the stars constantly twinkle, caterpillars hide among the hanging leaf canopy and panels of interactive play line the tree truck. The palette represents the colours of Queensland distilled from bright tropical tones to emerald and apple greens, lavender, violet and sky blue. The theme of ‘Metamorphosis’ is evident in the space, as giant butterflies populate the high ceilings and colourful caterpillars line the branches of the sheltering tree. In nature, metamorphosis is a process of transformation, from one physical form to another, to reach a state of ultimate potential. A concept which hopes to inspire the essential goal of recovery, healing and beautiful transformative change. “Sincere thanks for the incredible job you did transforming the new Kidzone space at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. The design, ‘Metamorphosis’, perfectly captures the treatment journey of the children and families in our care, creating a magical forest in which they can safely play and enjoy much-welcomed distraction. You took a blank slate and made it resonate with life and fun. The fact you accomplished all that in a few short weeks, within a complex major hospital, is testament to the professionalism of your team. One of our core...
by Rosie Schulz | Oct 18, 2019 | Visual Merchandising |
Kitsch; adjective. Noun. art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way. Neon Nostalgia is the phrase we are using this Christmas to capture the main trends we will be seeing throughout the merry season. With the lead up to 2020, neon lights have been retrieved from the 50’s and here for another chance to illuminate celebrations throughout the world with luminescent logos. We also ditch the Hygge trend this year and embrace our Australian lineage. Texture and colour are in focus and from the kitsch to the koala, we’re here to show you all the fun and fantastic trends this Christmas. Silent Night, Neon Lights Santa’s throne covered in fairy lights, naughty and nice lists in blazing text, juxtaposed palm trees with baubles and Christmas trees made entirely of lights. There is nothing subtle or silent about this trend. Bring in the year 2020 with radiating trails of light. Inspired by the neon jungle trend, this Christmas, blend tropical greenery with shiny baubles for a euphoric festive occasion. Energy will be buzzing with hyper-saturated colours juxtaposed on raw brick backdrops. This trend will be a mix of unexpected characters next to the bold tones found in the iconic neon glow. When you think you’ve reached your illumination maximum… add a few more. A Very Vintage Christmas A very favourite trend here in the office; a very vintage Christmas is inspired by the retro tones of the 50’s and the nostalgia of delicate ornaments and colours only found in vintage stores....
by Rosie Schulz | Jul 26, 2019 | Trends, Visual Merchandising |
SPRING VISUAL MERCHANDISING “Spring is nature’s way of saying, Let’s Party” – Robin Williams Market Fresh Spring is just around the corner! When the weather warms up it’s a wonderful time to head to the markets for some Saturday morning sunshine and coffee. With a constant swell of small businesses joining the marketers on the weekend, the styling of your stall is something that can bring in crowds and repeat buyers or deter them to the next seller. No matter what your product is, there are always ways to best present your items. You want your produce such as lemons or flowers to look full, but some product it is best if you limit the amount on show. Vintage or handmade items such as earrings or bespoke clothing, appear more limited and unique if only a few are on show as people are more prone to be drawn to one off items. Use props such as bunting, market carts, flowers, vases and linen as a chic foundation to support your product. With an aesthetic backdrop, your product can pop and sell itself easier. Our ‘go to’ prop: Market carts – available in various colours Simple Spring As the days start to become longer, its the perfect time of year to refresh your styling. Without the inspiration of full peony blooms and bright seasonal flowers yet in season, this source of inspiration draws from the end of winter foliage of branches and grasses. Use feature vases and baskets to present your items in simplistic styling. Layer with heights such as books and depth with prints and different sized vessels. The trick...
by Rosie Schulz | Jun 19, 2019 | Trends, Visual Merchandising, Visual Presentation, Window dressing |
The world of retail is big and crowded. How does one stand out from the rest, develop lasting relationships with customers, sell their product and create a beautiful space all at the same time? From a creative perspective, we’ve put together our five top tips for retail success. 1. Create an experience in your shopping centre through memorable activations. Design interactions Allow visitors to play with and experience a product. From pop-up activations and champagne bars, to school holiday workshops and personal styling sessions, there are many ways to interact with your customers to create an engaging space with a point of difference. Energize your precinct Engage and evoke emotions and creating relationships. School holiday activations and workshops invite families to extend their stay in the centre as well as create repeat trips to your shopping precinct. Design a late night shopping experience with a glamorous pop-up bar for friends to catch up at, or lay down some vibrant green artificial turf for a secret garden themed space with pallet furniture and tepee tents. With zones brought to life, customers will be inclined to increase their dwell time. Unexpected areas such as workshop pop-ups with greenery and colour strike interest and evoke emotion of wanting to be included in the activation. Disrupt, adapt, react and innovate. (WGSN) Activate stagnant zones by encouraging involvement and inviting interaction with customers. Encourage retailers to become involved in activating a space by instructing a demo therefore leading to sales. Inspire people to photograph and share your space onto social media for advertising and publicity. Add some signage with a hashtag and watch it...
by Rosie Schulz | Mar 27, 2019 | Custom Design, Shopping Centre, Visual Merchandising, Window dressing |
“Sometimes the most inspiring person you’ve ever known is the first person you’ve ever met” Spoil mum this month in your shopping centre with a Personal Shopping Experience, Pop-up Champagne Bar or a deluxe Gift Wrapping Station. We also have endless ideas on how to dress your windows for Mother’s Day and celebrate in style. Champagne for Mum Create a late night shopping experience for the mothers out there with a glamorous pop-up champagne bar. Make it glow with hanging disco balls over head as they reflect the petals of a cherry blossom tree. Add some extra luxury with velvet furniture for mum to relax on as the family spends time hunting for the perfect gift. Keep it classy with marquee letters to catch the attention of passersby, LOVE or MUM are the perfect words to express admiration. Pink Power Decorate and design your windows for Mother’s Day with pretty pink flowers and love hearts. By choosing a colour, there are many ways to show love for all of the mums around us. Fill your windows with strawberry tones and use repetition to encourage present purchases. By filling your store windows with pink motifs, it is a reminder to shoppers that the occasion is coming up, your store front will stay in their mind and remind them to come back or go straight in as they know they will find a gift in-store. Luxury Pods A personal shopping experience or styling lounge is the perfect way to treat mum to a little luxury experience. If you don’t want to commit to a complete styling experience, create ‘luxury pods’...
by Rosie Schulz | Feb 19, 2019 | Children's Play Space, Custom Design, Shopping Centre, Trends, Visual Merchandising, Window dressing |
“Follow the Easter bunny… He has the chocolate” There are many ways to celebrate Easter. This year we’ve decided on four looks for various Easter activations and displays that you can bring into your shopping centre or store front display this year. Invite the Easter bunny into town with chocolate eggs and pastel bunting as children hunt for eggs in a bright garden party theme or create a sanctuary with a neutral look featuring DIY activities. Bright as a Bunny Vibrant green artificial turf, a life size fig tree, market carts filled with flowers and pastel seating for tired shoppers. The ultimate Easter activation! If your centre is thinking of promoting a school holiday activity area this year, look no further than VM+ to create a whimsical experience for both children and parents. From little moss bunnies to giant sunflowers, activation spaces can be created to ensure your promotion is the focus and time spent in-store is increased. With white picket fencing and kid friendly pallet furniture, our kids school holiday activations are memorable and unique. View our activation gallery on Facebook here. Carousel Capture Get your hashtags ready and the Instagram filter prepped. Photo backdrops are the perfect way to share that your centre is current on social media platforms. With Easter around the corner, backdrop displays encourage shoppers to linger, take a snap with friends and share their location on social media. By avoiding the classic Easter motifs, target the next generation with beautiful visuals and your customers are more likely to share their experience. We love the paper fan blooms, cherry blossom trees and our white...
