By Amy Meadows
Fall is my favorite season. It is when I do my “spring cleaning,” make my resolutions for the new year, and more. For retailers, it is your last lap before the fourth quarter lands.
Photo courtesy of MC Design Collaboration
In a perfect world, fall décor and visual merchandising and strategies can segue smoothly into winter/holiday. That is all the more reason to make birch logs the most valuable prop item ever!
When I reflect on the aspects of fall that I find the most enjoyable, I land on texture. Yes, the colors of foliage are splendid. But, for me, the crunching of leaves underfoot and the changing of stems and blooms, along with a bit of crispness in the air, are the sensations that define the season for me.
Is there a way to celebrate fall without dried foliage, gourds, and a color palette of orange and brown? Not that I know about! But we can tinker with the scale of our displays and the ways in which display materials are attached, arranged, or grouped.
Texture
Sometimes, the online algorithm annoys me. Other times, it works as a seamless delivery of ads, products, and vendors I had no knowledge of.
In this particular case, I forgot the original search focus. And then bam — up popped an ad for adhesive bark!
As a set designer, I have created countless “trees” with bark made from creased Kraft paper and glue, followed by sponging and spattering for additional color and texture. But if I’d had access to sheets of adhesive bark, imagine the fun I could have — and the time I could save!
As if by magic, the internet then tempted me with a variety of room dividers. Screens of all shapes and sizes began appearing.
Do I need one? No. Am I going to recommend one to my clients? ABSOLUTELY!
I am hard pressed to think of a more affordable, efficient option for window display backdrops or hiding work areas. And if you exhibit at a trade show or gift fair, it could (in a pinch) become a dressing room — the trick will be securing the base.
Another lovely, seasonal texture statement can be made with gourds: squash, pumpkins, and other treasures from a farmers’ market. They can be orange, brown, white, green, or golden, in different shapes — and rinds.
Photo courtesy of MC Design Collaboration
I especially enjoyed the type of pumpkin Michelle Sherrier of MC Design Collaboration (mcdesigncollaboration.com) chose for a display. While some might have seen it as having a textural flaw, her use of an especially bumpy pumpkin drew me to the merchandise setup even more.
It was not your average pumpkin and therefore, probably not your average product. Or at least that would be the desired subconscious connection sought by visual merchandisers.
Color
Again, we know the standard, recognizable fall color story. No one is going to win prizes for declaring an autumnal reinvention with pastels or bright neon! But even as we acknowledge the tried and true, there are ways to alter the way in which the colors appear to us.
For example, dried or silk foliage … check! But what happens when we remove it from a vase or wreath? I had never really thought about creating a lampshade of sorts until I saw a terrific fixture from Melrose.
The design credit goes to Melrose’s Lead Designer Ken Fetgatter and Design Team Member Cassi Nicholas. Visit melroseintl.com/back-to-the-basics to watch the “Back to the Basics with Ken: Autumn Glow Hanging Branch” video. Reasons to watch the video include seeing the very careful placement and trimming of the stems and berries.
Hanging over your new tablescape or entryway visual, the soft glow from within would bring out the hues and lines particular to the selected branches. I am also imagining that this fixture could be re-accessorized with spring foliage, provided there is adequate translucence in the leaves and flowers.
Go to video>>
And here is another idea. We are used to seeing branches and reeds vertically, but it feels entirely different when those elements are coming toward us! On a dramatic scale!
The use of feathery pampas grass feels more welcoming than rigid branches might. Amanda Wolfson’s (amandawolfson.com) wall is such an example. This feature serves as the perfect entry point — setting the style for the season at hand.
Finally, be strategic regarding your selection of elements if you are tight on time or money for your transition to holiday. Among the materials that easily move from one season to the next are:
- Birch branches and logs.
- Pinecones.
- Bronze and gold.
- Dark red berries
- Evergreen touches.
Photo courtesy of Amanda Wolfson
Anything else, such as leaves, gourds, burlap-like fabrics, rakes, and barrels, needs to go into storage. They will be waiting for you next year! Oh, and one more thing . . . treat yourself to some pumpkin pie NOW before you are completely over everything that has to do with fall!
Have an interesting display to share? Or a question about visual merchandising strategies for your business or your district?
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