The book Open Your Eyes by Alexandra Stoddard, has some great tips for using shapes and colors to improve your home decorating. But just think about the possibilities of using her tips to improve your booth display or in creating your next product.
The main idea is to open your eyes to the forms, lights, colors, and patterns you see all around you. She suggests nature as place to start. Ms. Stoddard writes, "Because everything in nature is changing, observing nature makes us more spon-taneous as well as more imaginative,." Take a look at the forms in nature, for example, the shape of trees, shrubs, flowers, and seashells. Which forms do you like? Take a walk in the woods and observe the natural forms of tree branches, vines, and leaves. Can you use those forms in designing your crafts or displays?
The very same advice can help with your choice of form and colors. Form plays with your use of color. Ms. Stoddard writes, "The red of apples is intensified when they are combined with limes in a green bowl. Red tomatoes served on a round green dish with relief work that looks like a leaf are visually exciting because red and green are complimentary colors. If you add mozzarella cheese, the white pops out like a ray of sun."
Ms. Stoddard also explains the use of light color vs. dark color. White colors enlarge objects and dark colors do the opposite. If you paint the walls of a small room white, you will see the room expand but if you paint it a dark color the room will diminish and feel cozy and enclosed.
Try this tip for your display shelf. Ms. Stoddard says, " A dark object on a white shelf has a strong presence. In a small space, use the same hue in a variety of different shades so that the objects do not stand out and take up too much visual space." Consider how your products show up in contrast to your table covers, shelves or display walls. Remember the whole point of the display is to "show-off" the items you are selling. It may be the time for you to create changes with colors and forms to create sparks of interest for your customers, which could translate into more sales for you!
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