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The Facts of Light
Good lighting brightens everything in your shop - including your revenues.
February 2003
By Marc
Lallanilla
Some retailers insist their products look fine under any old light. They are known as auto
parts stores.
But lighting that works for lug nuts and air filters won't necessarily help sell floral
arrangements, where vibrant color and three-dimensional depth are so vital. Like everything else in your retail environment,
your lighting should be designed to do three simple things: attract customers, complete sales and reinforce your store's image.
Understand the Accent Accent lighting that highlights key display areas or
seasonal wall graphics is an easy and inexpensive way to make your store a more interesting place to work and to shop. Halogen
lamps are especially good for accent lighting, as they really punch up the colors of your merchandise.
Keep Your Cool Flowers, as all florists know, need a cool environment for
longevity. Be aware that some types of light fixtures can heat a surface several feet away. You might also get ideas by looking
at how fruits and veggies are lighted at an upscale, boutique grocer (not the corner Quickie-Pickie).
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| (ST Media Group) |
Form Is Function Lighting fixtures
are not only necessary, they can also be quite beautiful. To light up your sales desk, why not add some beautiful pendant
lights suspended from the ceiling? And light fixtures that are included in a merchandise display, like a small tabletop lamp,
will draw attention to the entire product mix.
What's Watt?
A watt is not measure the light output of a lamp. A watt measures the amount of energy consumed by the lamp. Light output
is measured in lumens. Lumens per watt, or LPW, measures how efficient a lamp is. For energy-saving purposes, most lamps now
list their LPW right on the package.
Balancing Act Lighting designers sometimes speak of balancing the lighting
in a space between overall or ambient lighting, accent lighting, and wall wash lighting. Use a variety of types of lighting
- halogen track lighting here, high-quality fluorescents there - to add interest and dimension to your store.
For more, see Flowers& Magazine
Retirees Create Alternative Communities
More Elderly Americans Are Drawn to Communities That Reflect
Their Particular Interests
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By MARC LALLANILLA
Oct. 26, 2005 — Like a growing number of retirees, Creigh and Shirley Snyder were not enthralled
with the prospect of spending their golden years in a Florida retirement community.
"We had been to Florida every year for 10 years," said Creigh, 77, a retired sales rep from York, Pa.
"And we decided that we definitely didn't want to live there," added Shirley, 76.
Two years ago, Creigh and Shirley moved to The Village at Penn State, a retirement community affiliated with
Pennsylvania State University, where they found a wide range of activities as well as state-of-the-art health care facilities.
Residents of The Village can enroll in classes at Penn State without paying any additional fees or tuition.
The Snyders are part of a growing wave of retirees who are moving to communities that offer alternatives to
shuffleboard and golf. From developments with a spiritual focus to resorts catering to gays and lesbians, the range of options
for today's retirees is wider than ever.
"Going to golf courses every day isn't an option for everyone," said Jill Lillie, director of community relations
for The Village. She hastened to add, however, "We do have access to Penn State's two golf courses at a reduced rate."
Who Needs Palm Trees?
As baby boomers face retirement, they bring with them the individuality that has defined their generation
— and they're looking for that same individuality in their retirement communities.
"There's no question that the older, traditional versions of retirement have changed, and living arrangements
are part of that," said Elinor Ginzler, director of livable communities for the AARP.
"The trend is diversification — that's what's driving the market these days," said Ginzler. "We all
know the boomers will buy into that completely and they will design it themselves."
So are the palm-studded golf communities of Boca Raton and Scottsdale emptying out? Not anytime soon, notes
Ginzler. "People will still be moving to Sun City," she said.
But sunny weather is no longer the main criterion driving retirees to move. "Climate is not the most important
factor for everyone. People want to live in a community that's significant to them. All of these [communities] are their own
unique niches and none of them dominate over the others."
For the full story, go to ABC News
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Prefab
Housing Goes Fab
Sleek, Modern Designs Spark an Interest
in Prefabricated Houses
By MARC LALLANILLA
April 25, 2006 — Mention the phrase "prefab house"
at a cocktail party, and you'll likely hear jokes about double-wide trailers and mobile-home parks.
But a new wave of architects, designers and home buyers has slowly changed
the image of prefabricated housing by invigorating it with home designs that are elegant, comfortable and spacious.
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| (Rocio Romero) |
Prefabricated housing has reached the upper echelons of the arts community,
too. Recent exhibits at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Field Museum in Chicago celebrated contemporary prefabricated
housing designs.
And Dwell magazine, the stylish monthly publication that has championed modernist
and prefab design for years, has recently entered into a collaboration with architects and a manufacturer to make the construction
of prefab homes simpler and more affordable.
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| (Michelle Kaufmann Designs) |
From Sears & Roebuck to Sleek and Sexy
The idea of manufacturing a house in a factory and shipping it to a home
site is not new. As early as 1908, companies like Sears, Roebuck and Co. shipped prepackaged kit homes — including lumber,
doorknobs, nails and, yes, the kitchen sink — to more than 100,000 home buyers nationwide.
The Sears program was discontinued in 1940, and in the years following World
War II, prefab construction in the United States consisted of Airstream trailers, geodesic domes and inexpensive, traditional-looking
vacation homes.
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| (David Glomb) |
About the same time, a visionary group of architects, including many immigrants
from war-torn Europe, looked anew at residential design. They worked to introduce modern machine technology and materials
like steel and concrete into home construction. Sleek modernist homes with steel framing and broad expanses of glass began
to appear in cities like Los Angeles and Palm Springs, Calif., and Sarasota, Fla.
Although the modernists of the 1950s and 1960s failed to ignite the general
public's imagination, a new generation of consumers has embraced modernist design in all its retro-hip glory. Popular magazines
like Sunset and Dwell now carry the torch for modernist home design.
For the full story, go to ABC News
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It's Finished
Eight ideas for approaching the
finishes in your shop's interior.
May 2003
By Marc Lallanilla
Designers are using finishes and
materials in unexpected ways: woven metal for window treatments, bamboo poles on ceilings, even leather on floors. But one
needn't resort to unorthodox treatments to design a retail store that will attract customers, encourage sales and enhance
your business' image.
Low Overhead Most dentist offices have cheap white ceiling tile punctuated by cheap fluorescent lights. They can
get away with it because their customers are anesthetized. Florists without ready access to painkillers may want to consider
the hundreds of other ceiling finishes available -- wood, painted drywall, fabric screens, pressed metal, even colored ceiling
tiles. You may be surprised how different your entire space looks under a different ceiling. Otherwise, crank up the laughing
gas.
Up the Wall Faux techniques like marbling, glazing and sponging were popular about 10 to 20 years ago. Done with
a professional, discriminating eye, the results can look good, but too many weekend projects gone awry have given faux wall
finishes a bad reputation. Ditto for applying faux finishes to furnishings, equipment, accessories, lamps, urns, children,
dogs, etc.
Windows of Opportunity The temptation is everywhere - glamour window treatments. High-quality draperies, blinds
or other treatments can make an interior look great. Other kinds of window treatments, however, can make your shop look all
tarted up like a Vegas showgirl. Save the crushed velvet and shiny silk swags for Halloween, unless you're working out of
a 19th-century Victorian building (or you're Scarlett going to visit Rhett Butler).
Floor Me Hard flooring surfaces like wood, concrete and tile are usually inexpensive and come in a bewildering
range of colors and textures. They're also easy to clean, but in areas where water is likely to spill, beware of slipping
hazards. Choose a hard surface with some texture to it to prevent accidents and those pesky lawsuits.
Combination Plate There are times when a combination of finishes works perfectly. Think of fabric wainscoting
on a painted plaster wall, or tile flooring in high-traffic areas with carpeting elsewhere. But remember: keep it simple,
sweetie.
For more, see Flowers& Magazine
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