Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Customizing SmartShelves
I recently had the privilege of helping a client custom design shelving around a fireplace, using our signature SmartShelves. We selected the espresso finish and created a tiered look with the tallest shelves standing at 9' and reinforced with brackets. My client loved the versatility of our product - from selecting various depths to being able to creating an elongated, elegant look such as this one. We also chose an entertainment console to match as well as a 4' bookshelf.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Smart Fixtures for Trade Shows - it's that time again
Smart Fixtures are the perfect solution for your trade show display. I feel that these photos speak for themselves. Not only are the products highlighted well, each display is unique and enhances the look of the merchandise and the overall brand of the company.
Contact me at kliwanpo@smartfixtures.com to receive your complimentary, custom design today.
Contact me at kliwanpo@smartfixtures.com to receive your complimentary, custom design today.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Creative Suite Custom Package featuring Steelcase
With a multitude of options and selections to choose from, you can easily customize any space with home office furniture by Steelcase. With stylish curves and workspace galore, this custom home office package flows with creativity and comfort. Designed and customized using some of my favorite items, this custom home office package includes:- Uno Chair, designed by Charles Perry
Become one with this great chair, featuring hammock-style support for your entire body. Other amenities include swivel mechanism, pneumatic height and standard carpet casters. - Groupwork Desk with Screen Slatwall, by Turnstone from Steelcase
- Tour Pile File, by Turnstone from Steelcase
Can't decide on piling up or filing in? Then the Tour Pile File is perfect for your changing needs.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Salon Redesign
This project is currently in progress. I'm adding new fixtures - a 12' wall and a 10' window display, quoting these right now to include lower storage, a newly furnished waiting area and café tables for the processing area. The budget has not yet been established (which is normally the first step) and this is the first design so I expect some changes.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Smart Fixtures are Perfect for Yarn Stores
Smart Fixtures can give you the look of built-ins or custom carpentry at a more affordable price. We offer an array of finishes to match your décor, tool-free assembly, versatile designs and a lifetime warranty. This photograph features Annie & Company's beautiful shop. Perfect for organizing your skeins, Annie & Co. is one of the largest retailers in New York!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Psychology of Color at Retail
By Patricia Beks From http://www.retailcustomerexperience.com
The one major psychological influence that all retailers can — and do — make use of is color. Color can be everything to a successful store, if the palettes work well across the whole shop and complement other elements such as product displays and lighting. The point, according to retail designers, isn't about creating the most beautiful shop, but one that has coherence.
Color is central to coherence because we react instinctively to it. Red means "stop" and green means "go." Our brains are hot-wired to respond to color and, for modern retailers, the trick to using color is to understand both its physiological and psychological influences.
Color psychology perhaps explains why people are allegedly more relaxed in a green room and why weightlifters perform better in blue gyms. It's certainly the reason why some paint manufacturers now have color cards setting out the therapeutic aspects of each color, and why some cosmetic companies have introduced "color therapy" ranges.
To make things more complicated, the success of a retail store isn't so much influenced by the chosen color scheme but by how their target customers react to it. Is the store aimed at teenagers? Thirty-somethings? Senior citizens? The success of the store depends on how the customer reacts to both the products on display and the sales environment. Younger people like the energy of bold colors; older people prefer more subtle palettes. Get those colors wrong, and a retailer will find that their customers simply won't relate to the brand.
Color association also extends into food retailing. For example, most fast-food restaurants are decorated in vivid reds and oranges. These are colors that encourage us to eat quickly and leave — exactly what the fast-food operator wants us to do. Luxurious brands, on the other hand, favor softer colors that appear more sophisticated. In classier restaurants, those are the colors that encourage us to linger — and to order another drink, another coffee.
Some retailers are now using carpeting to influence patterns of travel around a store — particularly from the crucial zone just inside the shop entrance, often referred to as the compression or transition zone — the place where customers first orientate themselves with what's inside. Here, carpeting is being used to subtly direct shoppers deeper into the store or, by using different colors and patterns, create subconscious walkways that shoppers will tend to follow.
By recognizing how color influences us, retailers are better able to induce feelings of warmth, intimacy or serenity — or, by using more vibrant palettes, to excite or stimulate. It's about understanding target markets, the product lines to appeal to them and the kind of brand the retailer wants to convey. Lastly, it's about conveying that brand though color and design.
The one major psychological influence that all retailers can — and do — make use of is color. Color can be everything to a successful store, if the palettes work well across the whole shop and complement other elements such as product displays and lighting. The point, according to retail designers, isn't about creating the most beautiful shop, but one that has coherence.
Color is central to coherence because we react instinctively to it. Red means "stop" and green means "go." Our brains are hot-wired to respond to color and, for modern retailers, the trick to using color is to understand both its physiological and psychological influences.
Color psychology perhaps explains why people are allegedly more relaxed in a green room and why weightlifters perform better in blue gyms. It's certainly the reason why some paint manufacturers now have color cards setting out the therapeutic aspects of each color, and why some cosmetic companies have introduced "color therapy" ranges.
To make things more complicated, the success of a retail store isn't so much influenced by the chosen color scheme but by how their target customers react to it. Is the store aimed at teenagers? Thirty-somethings? Senior citizens? The success of the store depends on how the customer reacts to both the products on display and the sales environment. Younger people like the energy of bold colors; older people prefer more subtle palettes. Get those colors wrong, and a retailer will find that their customers simply won't relate to the brand.
Color association also extends into food retailing. For example, most fast-food restaurants are decorated in vivid reds and oranges. These are colors that encourage us to eat quickly and leave — exactly what the fast-food operator wants us to do. Luxurious brands, on the other hand, favor softer colors that appear more sophisticated. In classier restaurants, those are the colors that encourage us to linger — and to order another drink, another coffee.
Some retailers are now using carpeting to influence patterns of travel around a store — particularly from the crucial zone just inside the shop entrance, often referred to as the compression or transition zone — the place where customers first orientate themselves with what's inside. Here, carpeting is being used to subtly direct shoppers deeper into the store or, by using different colors and patterns, create subconscious walkways that shoppers will tend to follow.
By recognizing how color influences us, retailers are better able to induce feelings of warmth, intimacy or serenity — or, by using more vibrant palettes, to excite or stimulate. It's about understanding target markets, the product lines to appeal to them and the kind of brand the retailer wants to convey. Lastly, it's about conveying that brand though color and design.
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