Greetings!
[Downtown Directors - please share with your retailers, restaurant and small business owners.] |
lumens, color rendering index, Kelvin temperature, foot-candles, photo metrics
You have a beautiful space. The color palette you chose during the design phase was perfect. The fixtures are well coordinated,  the signs look cool, and the displays are well done. The music is well defined and the aroma, just right. But it lacks something. It's dull. The ambience isn't there. The products don't "pop". The color on the walls looks different. What's the problem? The wrong lighting.
You can spend a fortune on a great design but until it's illuminated properly, it will fall short when it comes to delivering at the cash register.
A good overview of proper lighting could fill a year's worth of newsletters, but that's not practical so we'll give you some things to consider before you design your next space, or re-light your existing space: Read more...
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Product Profile: Make a statement! Mural Wall Coverings
Photos, logos, drawings, scans - just about any image you can imagine or create can be made into a wall covering. It's a great way to make a dramatic statement. Instead of just framing a photo or poster, you can now have an image enlarged and printed onto wall covering to cover an entire wall. And these mural-like wall coverings are showing up on places other than walls...they're being specified on soffits, on the fronts of counters, and even on the ceiling! It can be printed on a variety of stock, ie: vinyl, canvas, grass cloth, recycled and PVC free materials, crocodile texture, Mylar, clear materials (like Plexiglas), adhesive-backed, static cling, and banner material. You can even order flocked designs! Prices start at $6.50 per square foot.
 
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Product Profile: Cork Flooring - we fell in love all over again
We can't help but be excited about the latest style of cork flooring that came across our drawing boards. Introduced to us this month by Andy Pace of the Green Design Center, this cool-looking flooring is a series of circular cork pieces (the cork coins  can be stained) and attached to a mesh backing. Available in 1'x2' sheets it's installed like ceramic mosaic tiles so you can choose whatever color grout you desire. The circles (coins) are available in two sizes, AND it's suitable for use in wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. We're specifying it for our client, Olive - Fine Organic Living, who is expanding this year to offer more healthy, eco-friendly home products. We'll provide a photo post-installation in a future newsletter.
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Retailworks service: Color Consult
We don't believe in white walls. OK, there is always an exception to the rule, but generally, we don't allow our
clients to live with white walls. We almost always  recommend color. There is a plethora of research on how color affects our emotional and physical bodies, and thus affects consumer behavior. Call about a color consult with our color aficionado, Kim White. Don't make a mistake and pick the wrong color, or put the wrong color on the wrong wall. Color is powerful. Before you buy the paint, call Retailworks.
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Client Spotlight - Cultural Symbols of Love
Check out our recent art installation at the South 76th Street Kesslers Diamond store in Milwaukee, WI. Retailworks' designer, Holley Bakich, research 12 symbols of love, depicting cultures around the world. Our client chose 6 of the 12 symbols for his South 76th St store. Teaming up with Racine, WI metalworker, Benno Rothschild, Ms. Bakich created a collection of 16-framed pieces including framed art glass and buffed sheet metal. All of the pieces can be reproduced and are available for sale, including the other 6 symbols not shown in this installation. It's educational and inspirational! Watch our upcoming blog on the making of the art installation.
  
  
"Never underestimate the power of a well-designed environment." Lyn Falk
Want more? Click here to read archived e-newsletters.
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Who Knew?
It's obvious to say that the more times your customers see your business name during their visit to your business, the more they will remember it. It's called subliminal learning. But did you know that the more your customers see your logo during their visit, the more credibility they give to your business? So how many times does your customer see your logo? Here are just a few of the places it should be seen:
in the parking lot, on the storefront (high for drive-by traffic and eye level or below for pedestrian traffic), at all service counters, in dressing rooms, in restrooms, on takeaways (brochures, flyers), on communication boards, on flat screens (even if a video is playing), on promotional signs, and on bags. So, are you "logo-fied"?
 
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Client Spotlight - Before and After: Downtown Waupun, WI
This month we presented design ideas for 16 renovated storefronts to the Waupun Community Development Authority (CDA). The project was brought to us via our partner Redevelopment Resources. Below are photos of a few of the buildings we addressed, along with drawings illustrating our recommendations. Our intentions were to restore each building as much as possible to its original historic style. Our designs addressed: color, texture, lighting, signage, architectural detailing, doors, windows, and awnings. In addition to the recommendations, we provided estimates for the renovations. The CDA plans to work with business and building owners to implement the new designs. Quality of facade design = quality of community = quality of life!
Click Here to see all the before and after storefront renovation ideas.
 Before
After
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