* Effective January 1, 2024, I am officially retired! * My blog remains accessible online to share my decades of experience with readers who find inspiration, ideas, tips, tricks, and resources here in the many blog posts I've written since 2000. Thank you all for your support & encouragement, and don't forget to have fun with disPLAY!!!

Where Ideas Come From....



Everyone asks me "Where do you get ideas for displays?"...
Usually, the product itself offers a great starting point. Sometimes, however, I am not particularly 'inspired'.
Not that the product is to blame.... for instance, in the photos above, you see a collection of colorful ceramic ware. It's great stuff - SO great, in fact, that it is in stock every season at Columbia Winery. It's a mainstay of the shop, and new colors rotate in a few times a year. Some seasons, I'll separate colors and pair them with other ceramics & cross-merchandise with more products.


When combined as they are above, I can create several different looks/themes: one we did in the shop this summer was a 'Fiesta!' theme, tied into the wine club summer party event. Lots of tissue paper flowers and some sangria mixes brought south-of-the-border flavor to the display. For fall, we needed to do something fresh - and when I saw the cover of the new Wine Spectator magazine, I knew how I wanted to update the display. By rotating in some new colors, switching out the fixtures, using harvest baskets as props, and incorporating food products along with the ceramics & wine, the display has a completely different feel than it did earlier in summer.

A pine hutch and harvest table, another low pine table, and a rolling butcher block island create a 'kitchen' feel. Colorful children's chairs and wood bowls help add levels of interest and continue the color scheme of primaries. Beautiful Vietri ceramics in the shapes of vegetables are a standout focal point at the front of the display - as is the Wine Spectator magazine in a harvest basket. Finished off with linens, food products, aprons, and of course wine, the basic bright ceramics become gourmet fare. We actually have a few hanging herb racks ordered that did not arrive from the vendor in time for me to use them - but when they come in, I'll add them above the display with some fake herb bundles tied to them.

It's easy to come up with a theme....just look around, and get cookin'!

All photos copyright 2006 DWK, courtesy of Columbia Winery

No comments:

Post a Comment