The taming of the shoe
Creating space and order with creative displays
By Susan Pantaleo -- Furniture Today, August 17, 2009
Our brain strives to make order from chaos. So it is no wonder that in this uncertain economy there has been a 65% increase in spending on household storage and organizational products. While major home improvement and design projects are on hold, this is one segment of the market where spending is justified and even necessary. Taming clutter is a nationwide obsession.
Why should furniture retailers and designers leave this trend to the Container Store? Shoppers are out there looking for practical solutions and we can provide the answers by showing them how to capitalize on the storage capabilities of furniture.
The key is furniture that allows easy accessibility while concealing the stored items. The casual shopper will overlook more creative storage potential unless they see it demonstrated. Once a creative solution catches their eye, their internal search engines will get to work and consider the possibilities for their own home.
Increase interest by adding some of these unexpected ideas to your displays:
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An armoire that opens to reveal neatly arranged rows of shoes.
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A dresser with dividers in the drawers to allow safe stacking for dishes.
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Open shelving housing decorative leather or fabric boxes for toys.
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Before-and-after desktops to display solutions to clutter, like wireless charging stations.
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Convertible pieces displayed open and closed for a clear visual of their space-saving capabilities.
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And my favorite: Fit a case piece with closet components to organize everything from delicate jewelry to dirty laundry.
Demonstrate ideas for controlling typical household clutter in order to gently remind shoppers that furniture is there to provide solutions as well as create style. People may not be spending on design in this economy, but they will always buy solutions.
Susan Pantaleo is the founder and president of Concepts in Design, a full-service design firm in Barrington, Ill. Susan can be contacted at susan@concepts-in-design.com. Her blog is located at www.riseanddesign.net.
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