Decorating And Design Tips For Antique Mall Booths

Paying Attention To "Fronts" And Entry Points in Your Antique Booth Or Shops

I have been studying how antique dealers concentrate on the "fronts" or entry points in their booths or shops.
The first places a visitor sees when visiting your booth are very important in an Antique Mall.

Creating Eye-Catching Displays

Obviously in a multi-group shop you want your goods to stick out and show off well. After all in a larger store, there are so many dealers that if you don't create an eye catching "front' how will you "pull-in" the buyers.

And another reason to pay attention to the front of your booths is to get as much bang for your buck as possible. In other words, when you are leasing booth space, you want every inch to count.

Here are some tips to consider when organizing your displays in an Antique Mall.

1. Create colorful displays for the "front" of your booth.
2. Stay away from brown or dark shelves. Re-paint shelves in lighter colors.
3. Use white or glass shelves for the front of your booth or outside edge.
4. Consider using open shelves that you can peek inside the booth.
5. Don't close your booth in.
6. Use attention getting objects on the entry to your booth., i.e. a quirky object, a humorous display, a good example of what you specialize in.
7. Add signs over your booth or on visible walls to attract folks to come to your booth.
8. Your glass cabinets should have mirrors and lighting.
9. Consider dressing up shelves with shelf edging or paint the edges another color.
10. Keep your displays interesting and not so crowded that you cant make out what is on display.
11. Hang objects on the sides and backs of shelves.
12. Dress forms with clothing and accessories are great attention getters.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.comVisit my website, CDianneZweig.comDianne is a member of:The American Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe Authors Guild, Inc.

Styling Your Kitchen Collectibles for Successful Photographs and Displays

This summer while working on the second edition of my book Hot kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s I spent a lot of time looking for photo contributors. I happily discovered http://www.RetroRevival.etsy.com. Owner Susan takes real care in photographing her charming kitchen collectibles.

Susan, who is a member of http://iantiqueonline.ning.com/ (I am the Editor), has many more of her photos posted on her profile page. For now, I thought I would share some of Susan's lovely photographed kitchen collectibles with you. Using Susan's photos as examples, I hope to help both dealers and collectors learn more about styling and displaying collectibles.

Here are some keys points to assist you when photographing or styling your kitchen treasures.
Select objects of different sizes and shapes to group together. Use vintage linens, hand towels, tablecloths etc. as table coverings or back drops. Be sure the fabric you choose allows the object to stand out and not get lost. Select patterns that have some of the colors in the object you are showcasing. For example in the lemon salt & pepper shakers shown, the floral tablecloth picks up the yellow, but does not compete with the object.
You can stay in the same palette as was done with the coffee cup photos or you can use an opposite color as was done with the flower beverage glass shown. photo. Beverage glasses are hard to photograph so you need to have a solid object, such as the red ball pitcher behind the glass to show off the delicate clear and blue floral glass.

Another very important point which will help your styling in a big way is to stick with the same period of time of items. In other words, use items from the same era. Also use background materials that are compatible with that era. Primary colors work wel together and were 1940's color and early 1950's colors. Pastels dominated the 1950's. If you want to learn more about color palettes for a particular generation, look through old home magazines.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Pia Sjolin Design: Bold and Colorful Designs and Palettes Influenced By Mid-Century Patterns and Sixites Palettes

Wow....meet Pia Sjolin , a designer from Sweden who has just opened a spectacular gallery in The Shops of the Farmington Valley in Canton, CT. Pia, an interior designer as well as textile, glass and mixed media artist is a master colorist as you will shortly see.

Influenced by Mid-Century Design Elements

Her designs and color combination bring together many elements associated with Mid-Century design as well as the bold and unique color combination of the "Mod" years of the sixties. Pia likes to use "leaves" and "geometrics" in her custom designed fabrics. These patterns while quite popular on bark-cloth designs of the 1950's. Her hand crafted glassware is also very much influenced by Mid-Century designs.

Flower Power Generation Palettes
In the sixties, bold flowers dominated apparel and accessories with designers such as Mary Quant leading the "Flower Power" generation.
While Pia's work is certainly influenced by the wild patterns and palettes of earlier generations, her contemporary interpretation of older looks is re-freshing and sophisticated attracting customers who like "Metro-Retro" style.

Urban Chic Paradise

While strolling thorugh Pia's enormous new gallery I wondered what antique and collectibles shop owners might learn from this Urban chic paradise.

First and foremost, I was taken away by the power of color. Look at how many unique
combinations Pia has created. Certainly the next time you are putting together a display in your shop or home, don't be afraid to mix colors together or to experiment with a background color which at first seems out of place. Play with your colors ,objects and textiles. Dare to be bold and whimsical.

Add a Surprise Color

Notice in the photos of Pia's textiles and glassware how she adds a surprise color to her vignettes. For example, in the top photo, dark blue glassware is added to the orange and green palette. In the second photos, a bright sky blue pillow is added to perk up the display. These surprises add interest and attract attention.

Your items for sale or display will "pop" as they say in the trade.

Goodbye Beige and Naturals

Say goodbye to beige, naturals, whites! Pia is here and her designs are spectacular!

P.S. Pia runs art workshops and exhibits monthly at her gallery. Info follows.
Pia Sjolin Design
http://www.piasjolindesign.blogspot.com/
The Shoppes at Farmington Valley860-693-4454
110 Albany Turnpike
Canton, Connecticut


C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Creating Vignettes of “Three” When Displaying Your Antiques and Collectibles

When creating displays in your antique shop or even at home, consider the principle of using "threes" when arranging your treasures. Start this process by imagining that you are looking into the lens of a camera or the window of a picture frame and that you are trying arrange the objects so they fit the "frame" in the best possible way. One way to succeed in getting a nice grouping is to position your pieces so that they form an imaginary triangle or pyramid.

In other words, you are drawing a triangle in your mind and placing the tallest object to form the apex(highest point of you imaginary triangle) and the two smaller objects are placed at the base of your “triangle” in each corner. It’s best to think about varying the shapes of your three objects. You want variety of your shapes.

In the photo above, you see three distinct shapes, a tall cylindrical shaped lamp, a circular shaped plate and an irregular shaped rabbit. When objects are al the same height, or all the same shape, the presentation may be too static. The eye needs to travel around and view objects that are interesting. At the same time, it is important to establish harmony in your displays and when you use the “triangle” principle of design you help to create a balanced and appealing vignette. Photo Courtesy of Antiques on the Farmington, Collinsville, CT

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.