I have an upscale furnishings resale store totalling 5000 sq ft. I have learned about flow here and in reality as when customers walk in they immediately want to go to the right, wherein is my delimma. The space was a resturaun for 49 years and the coffee shop area is to the right. It is approximaitely 21 x 13. It has the original counter and stools. The long wall has 3 windows that are 4.5' wide. In this area we have placed 3 vintage kitchen sets and added a shelf to each window to hold the collectible glass and crocks and the like. I look around this room and feel it could be used better. As it is, there is a lot of wasted space and overall not being used to display and merchandise to it's best potential. And even though I am aware of this-I am lost to find a better solution for it. Or the best way to lay it out to enhance the eclectic items in it and draw customers in? That's my biggest challenge. Is anyone able to help me with this? Thank you in advance. Liv2learn.
liv2lrn, I'm a retail designer and would love to help you with your space design!
Email me at debi@thedecodiva.com, and send me a few photos of the area you described in your post. I'll reply with a floorplan sketch and some ideas for you. No charge, I just want to help you out!
(If you are wondering who I am, go to my design blog at http://decodivadebi.blogspot.com. I just spoke at the Denver Gift Show on retail design & visual merchandising.)
hi there, Would you like the good news or the bad news first??? oh, I am so extremely challenged and exhausted...where do i begin.... Here is the short history of my newfound business...
Next month my store and I are being featured in a national magazine where to shop in canada. My store was so beautiful and so was the product i am selling that someone came in off the street and did a story and interviewed me. Now the sad newsdisaster is I had to uproot and move to the other end of the street. I just opened a store november 23,2007. I had to move because the building wasn't up to code and the owners were not willing to invest any money into the building. I did a complete facelift of the space i was renting.I designed the store myself i painted black and white accents and had the boutique black and white paper. lava rocks and glass with a beautiful black and white chaise, candles lit and I served apple ciderr to my customers... very cheap but very pleasing and it resulted in a beautiful smell throughout my store. I am so upset that I had to move after spending so much energy and money making this place look so posh.. when I was just getting started. I was lucky to find a smaller retail space which really needs work. I am 60,000.00 in debt and I just can't give up now. My business is newfound icelandic designs i sell mainly clothing and art on consignment. My tiles are black and white with deep gouges and scratches . my space is about 600 square feet from 1200 feet. how can i make this look appealing without looking like cluttered corner boutique. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated Deanna
The only thing that I can think of is to keep some large items (like furniture) in your store to break up the smaller items. This helps to keep the space from looking cluttered.
Hi, Too bad about the move to a new location, but think of it as a Positive Challenge. A smaller space could mean less rent and utilities to pay!
You could re-create some of the "old design" into the new store. It would be different of course! But even if you only had one or two displays , it would remind you of how excited you were when you first designed it! A new space means new ideas, so think "out-of-the-box". That's what makes Retail so fun, isn't it?
I'm sure your store will be wonderful and the magazine article as well. Keep your chin up and enjoy the ride!
