My Funny Valentine
Black, white and red adapt Spring holidays to a year-round palette.
By Melissa Haberstroh -- Gifts and Dec, 2/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
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Melissa Haberstroh |
We use dolls such as Santas and elves for focal pieces in holiday displays. With inspiration from their clothing or details, we select accessories and gift items that create a story.
Once the holidays have gone, we find it more difficult to create displays as elaborate as just a couple of months before. Spring’s color palette doesn’t often mix with the décor of our store and the homes of our clientele. With less-than-clear-cut seasons and an absence of snow, we tend to decorate in a year-round color palette which is often dominated by richer Earth and autumnal tones. This rabbit gave us an unusual opportunity to create a Valentine’s Day display without a lot of the typical pink. With the popularity of black and white and damask prints, he presents a strong, memorable presence. While we chose to mix him with red for the Valentine’s Day display, we certainly could have mixed him with lime green or orange for a change of pace.
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I began by perching “Truman” on a pedestal on top of a 48” round table. His position made him a focal point in the room as well as the display and gave him a realistic position. Because he would be seen as customers entered the store, the wall behind him needed to blend with the display. Four stylized metal panels were hung close together, each decorated with a boxwood wreath hung from a ribbon. To link the two, a vase of faux amaryllis stems were tucked just to the right. Two black candle stands were placed at his other leg. Red, layered pillar candles will find a home here while back stock will be placed in a nearby vignette. |
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I prefer to establish the “bones” of my displays first. Thus each place setting is incorporated into the display early. Other details, like these velvet heart boxes, are added to create layers and add to the theme. |
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Serving pieces from the Demdaco dinnerware collection fill in voids on the table and serve, like the platter and bowl, as vessels for gift items in the display. Adding appropriate music selections to a display provides suggestions for related merchandise to the customer |
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Additional serving pieces were used to link the two displays. A cake plate is used as a riser to the boxes of toffee. The wonderful relish server is perfect for presenting the toffee samples. The gold and white stripes in the gourmet packaging break up the bold black and red colors yet complement the overall display. |
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The display provides a lot of visual punch but is still uncluttered in its presentation. Nearby merchandising (bookcase to rear) repeats the colors of the focal display and showcases related merchandise. The two tables are similar to ready-made tiered display tables but offer interest with their different styles and textures. And, these store fixtures are for sale! The days of overstocking a display with merchandise are long gone. By incorporating elements of a focal display like color or theme into nearby merchandising vignettes, you are able to repeat a strong message and maintain a streamlined presentation while presenting a breadth of selections. |
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