Logo-shaped paper clips, branded bubble wrap or pylons, innovative cake decorating – there are so many ways the little things create fabulous design and memorable retail. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I rounded up some inspiring images devoted to one of my favourite topics: “retail details”. I strongly believe it is mindful, creative details that turn good stores or brands into great ones. If you fancy, take a look at my post here.

(photographs via kledzik, i am baker, design you trust, jay mug, september industry and veronique)

Cash desks, sales counters or receptions desks are sometimes overlooked as retail elements bursting with magnificent design potential. I think this area is the soul of a store or studio. It’s where guests are welcomed, a customer turns that sought-after item into their cherished possession and where lasting impressions are formed. In my latest post for Rena Tom’s site, I focused on the design possibilities of cash desks and the functionality considerations that should be kept in mind. It was a hunt but I think I tracked down some inspiring images for your next retail or reception desk creation! To read my post, please take a look here.

(photographs via made by girl, brent comber, arch daily, reception desk world, xnet and decor hacks)

Animals are longtime fixtures of the design world and seem limitless in their ability to inspire home objects, fashion and so much more. Specific animals move in and out of the spotlight and some become the focus of massive trends. Case in point, owls who are critter rockstars at this point! In my latest post for Rena Tom’s site, I focused on animal trends and who could take the throne from owls as the next “it” creature. My money is on foxes but there are many other contenders. Foxes, giraffes, whales, llamas and even snails – will any of these animals reach owl-level popularity? To read my post, please take a look here.

(images via lucky pony, bongo design, madewell, j.crew, rue mag and anthropologie)

We all know how ubiquitous neon, colour blocking and big florals have been lately. In fact, remixed and modernized 1980′s design don’t seem to be slowing down in any product category. In my post this week for Rena Tom’s site, I focused on four 80′s/90′s trends that are gaining steam and visibility: marble, brass, metallic colour and oxblood. I was inspired by an episode of The Golden Girls, an 1980′s classic full of design begging to be re-imagined and tranformed. Will these four trends become formidable in modern design/retail much like neon hues have? We will have to wait and see. On a side note,  I am loving how well oxblood mixes with different colours from cornflower blue to vivid magenta to soft pastels! If you fancy a read plump with images, take a look at my post here.

(photographs via neapolitan, mjolk, samma, apartment therapy, designworklife, american prom, opening ceremony, euro style lighting and kleidersachen)

Dreaming of designing retail spaces is often on my mind and my Pinterest boards probably showcase that (obsessive) mindframe. This week, for my bi-monthly post on Rena Tom’s website, I thought I would round-up a few retail images that have caught my eye lately. Signage with metallic details, a neon paper airplane launch invite or a pet shop entrance just for dogs – retail details are never short on inspiration. To have your fill of retail and design eye candy, read the post here. Back to shop owning day daydreams…

(this is collate, here design, tokketok, interior design, design work life, the design files and elana schlenker)

I think The Queen and I share an affection for bright colours which is why I love this colour chart created by Vogue Magazine. Charting her hue and pattern choices in every outfit worn over the last year, Vogue discovered that Her Majesty’s favourite fashion colour is overwhelmingly blue (worn 29 per cent of the time) with floral patterns, green, cream, pink and purple next in popularity. At the bottom of the list is beige with only a 1 per cent showing wardrobe-wise. With that colour fact in mind, I think the Queen and I could totally hang out. (click on the image to zoom in on the chart)

(image via daily mail)

Pop-up shops, also called temporary stores or flash retail, have grown in popularity and awareness over the last few years. The definition is just as it sounds – a shop that appears suddenly and disappears with similar drama after a relatively short amount of time. Often there is a special collection or limited edition item element as well. Whether in a rented space, a splashy freestanding structure, only online or curated by tastemaking blogs, there are no limits to the innovative ideas flash retail can create. I particularly love that creativity is almost always a vital characteristic of pop-up shops. From big installations (check out that gorgeous net of cardboard boxes above) to bold storefronts to sleek branding, temporary stores seem to form a sublime marriage of retail and creativity. If you interested, I wrote an image-filled article for Rena Tom’s site on pop-up shops which you can read here. Back to dreaming about opening a shop that pops…

(photographs via the fancy, dezeen, hannah dollery creative, decor8, dezeen, we heart and web urbanist)

I love seeing the colour trends that emerge annually and considering how bursting with colour 2012 has been thus far, there has been no shortage of inspiration. One of my favourite popular trends has been the sorbet (or sherbet) colour family. Somewhere between soft, traditional pastels and trendy, in-your-face neons is the sorbet family. What I love about the palette is how clear, clean and cool-toned the colours are. While pastels can have noticeable yellow undertones or a vintage element to them, sorbet hues manage to be airy but still saturated. Marrying a vibrancy similar to neons with a softness similar to pastels, there is so much juicy life to sorbet hues. Mint, watermelon, lilac, peach, lemon, melon, coral, powder blue – sorbets are just plain fresh and optimistic. I wrote a post on the sorbet family for Rena Tom’s site where I pondered the palette across retail, branding, products, fashion and other colour groups. Take a look here if you are interested!

(images via creature comforts , ruby pr, tartelette, rick metz, net a la mode , hollywood life, rusted revolution , blonde got blues, take a look, irving & co, mochi things, studio alto and linda & harriett)

While I do have a blog focused to colour, I still love white for its power, purity and ability to make colour look dazzling. I have been particularly enamoured with the recent trends devoted to exploring white in both classic and modern ways. White on White, Embellished, Textured, Dips of Metallics, Pops of Colour, Perforated – there has been no shortage of stunning new techniques and ideas devoted to white. I wrote a post on Rena Tom’s site on this topic so please take a look here if you are interested.

(images via minted condition, september industry, christian bird, de-construct, freedom of creation, design labyrinth, june eleven and nakam)

Look Books are an inspiring cornerstone of design and retail. I wrote a post for Rena Tom’s site about the various forms of look books, components to consider and some inspiring examples to ponder. I think look books have a life beyond their usual users (fashion) as many product lines and professionals can benefit from creating one. Whether as a beautiful printed piece or digital layout, there is no end to the value look books hold for a maker, collection or brand. Oh and they are often just plain awesome nuggets of design and photography! The styling of look books is one of my very favourite facets of design. If it interests you, take a look at the post here.

(photographs via jeff gros, studio brave, foundry studio, ferm living, castle, hem design and roandco)

Watching the Oscars and its red carpet of fashion has to be a high point of February. What colour trends emerged victorious on Hollywood’s biggest night of the year? I would say winter white was the runaway style choice. Other trends focused on various shades of red, blue, green, neutral and gold. I can’t remember an award show with less black! To be honest, I was a tad disappointed with Oscar 2012′s sartorial showing. I guess I just loved the fashion of last year’s show and wasn’t overly enamoured with many of the dresses selected this time around. That being said, I loved Emma Stone’s raspberry-crimson Giambattista Valli, Michele William’s coral-red Louis Vuitton, Penelope Cruz’s blue-grey Armani Privé, Tina Fey’s deep blue Carolina Herrera, Viola Davis’ emerald Vera Wang, Maya Rudolph’s plum Johanna Jonson, Cameron Diaz’s buff Gucci, Octavia Spencer’s white Tadashi Shoji, Meryl Streep’s golden Lanvin and Milla Jovovich’s sparkling Elie Saab. There were plenty of fashionable gents (and a mini-trend of navy tuxedos) but my very favourite was Christopher Plummer’s dapper midnight blue tuxedo complete with black trimming and a handsome Order of Canada pin. Now that’s true style. What was your favourite?

(photographs via harper’s bazaar, elle, the province and instyle)

Pops of colour are a timeless and always enticing cornerstone of style. Many have declared 2012 “the year of colour” as hues from dreamy pastels to saturated tropicals have dominated every avenue of design. Does colour ever really go out of style though? No! From classic strong selling colours to the trendiest short-lived shade, splashes of colour will always be highly coveted and ripe for evolution. I wrote a post for Rena Tom’s site about how these pops can be applied to branding, shops and product design (or perhaps your next chic outfit and interior design project). Take a look here if you are interested in happy-making splashes of hue…

(photographs via km graphique, dingbat press, the dieline, yellows photography, teaching literacy, weekday carnival, best made, tetino-tete and seesaw)

There seems to be two sides to the red and pink debate – those who believe the colours clash and should only be featured together on Valentine’s Day versus those who believe the colours are meant to appear together in brilliant harmony all year long. I am firmly in the second camp but more so when the vibrancies of the hues match (I don’t love soft pastels and bright red together as much although there are plenty of examples of them combining handsomely). Crimson paired with fuschia or perhaps scarlet intertwined with magenta – I love when the boldest shades of red and pink meet. They pair so beautifully in nature so why not fashion, interiors and design? Love the combination with pops of other hues such as camel, emerald, pure white, saffron or royal purple. Oh, the possibilities of a red and pink pairing… What do you think? Do the hues clash or work together?

(photographs via peggy wong, sterling style and jamie beck)

I wrote a post today for Rena Tom’s site about the value art adds to shops and other retail spaces. From a huge Confetti System foil forest at J.Crew to a tiny selection of curated prints in a wee store, art not only adds visual appeal but also creates a community, brings people in the door and makes a shop buzz-worthy. A stationery shop holding a mini-show of paper craft, a clothing store hiring an artist to interpret their new collection in a large installation or a kitchen store throwing a party for a food illustrator – adding a dash of art to retail is beneficial for both the maker and the shop owner. Plus, 1800 colourful shoelaces hanging from a ceiling just looks plain awesome. Take a look at my post here if you are interested!

(images via hip shops, imagine these, simply pix, suppose, flowers by bornay, the design process, the village and confetti system)

Real estate has the adage “location, location, location” and I think retail could live by “presentation, presentation, presentation”. The way items are showcased in a shop or show has a huge impact on how a designer, brand or company is perceived by a customer. I wrote an article on Rena Tom’s website on one specific area of presentation – shelves! From inset shelves in the shape of gems to a wall of recycled cardboard tubes to hold products, shelving is a fantabulous part of retail design and interiors in general. Even if you aren’t looking for retail inspiration, I poked around to find plenty of eye candy that could be applied your next home or office design. Take a peek at the post here.

(images via dezeen, the cool hunter, apartment therapy, casa.com.br, from me to you, dezeen and arch daily)

From updating the traditional open/closed sign to picking a new photo styling look, there are so many elements to retail design that are inspiring and full of possibilities. As it is the New Year, it is the perfect time to update your retail or personal branding and design. Or just ponder some shop and design eye candy! I wrote a post on Rena Tom’s blog on some unique facets of retail design plump with inspiring images so take a look if you are interested. If possible, writing it has made me dream of creating a shop even more…

(images via portland garment factory, stilleben, is creative studio, magpie studio, joanna reutter, september industry, behance, the dieline and iiiinspired)