Turning retail concepts into at-home charming visuals

Most people find it more satisfying to work in an environment that promotes creativity and productivity and is aesthetically pleasing.

As consumers, it’s gratifying to seek out retailers who have embraced a creative and artistic setting.

And many people want to emulate those creative aesthetics in their homes.

We’re such a visual design community. Think of the boards we create on Pinterest and Houzz, the home magazines we thumb through or the model home tours we seek out.

Design enthusiasts want to see design up close and personal.

I’m always intrigued when a retailer goes above and beyond to display goods. This could be an airy and dreamy display of floating acrylic butterflies hung by invisible fishing line that drops two or three stories within an escalator stairwell. It’s probably a little too much for your stairwell, but think about using this same idea for a kids’ bedroom or playroom – hanging their miniature artwork along the walls like a garland. Or group pendant lights hanging at different lengths in an entry, stairwell or above the dining table.

It’s important to look up when you’re shopping to see how retailers play with scale. You might find an oversized macramé chandelier hovering above a rustic farmhouse table that displays books and artwork, intertwined with succulents and mercury glass urns and vases. This vignette feels spectacular in the retail shop and, on a much smaller scale, is achievable at home by bringing this look to a more intimate living space like table top décor for a piano or entry table.

Chances are you’ve visited at least one large furniture showroom. But it can be difficult to feel the scale of furniture when you’re in a 10,000 sq. ft. showroom, instead of your great room that might be closer to 500 sq. ft.

Still, it’s interesting to see how stores approach furniture layout from vignette to vignette. The formula for a well laid out furniture plan is using all of the important parts and pieces. For example, start with a large sofa or sectional, paired with lounge chairs, love seats or chaise lounges. Side tables, coffee tables and sofa back tables flank the seating. Table lamps, floor lamps, chandeliers and sconces highlight and accentuate the seating plan. And an area rug grounds all of the parts, creating a functional and conversational grouping.

Retailers can teach us many things about design: how to take large-scale design ideas and turn them into more intimate ideas, how to play with scale and different textures and acknowledging the furniture floor plan formula.
So get out there and get to work on making retail concepts work for you.

Jennifer Leischer is the owner of J. Designs Interior Design based in Clayton. Contact her with questions, comments and suggestions at jenna@j-designs.com.