Staging Pays for Itself!

Adding a bit of decor can "class up" furniture and get it to sell faster and often at a higher price.   Learning to "class up" furniture is a skill that can make a huge difference to your bottom line.

 If you sell decor and smalls in your booth along with furniture, make sure your smalls are nice and make your furniture (and your booth) look good.   Even if you only sell furniture, it is worth having a few beautiful accessories (even if they are NFS) - enough to stage the furniture, but not so much that you bury it.  A set of white dishes, a couple of nice lamps, some pretty wall decor...  It doesn't take much to make a real difference.

Here are three amazing examples from The BoneYard (one of the stores I promote).  These are all from the same vendor.  She sells buffet after buffet after buffet, at prices that earn her a decent profit.  These same buffets might have trouble selling for half the asking price in the booth of someone less talented.  This vendor knows how to show customers just how amazing a piece can be.  She convinces them of the value by staging them so well they would be right at home in the best of magazines.  I'm telling you, I don't even NEED a buffet and she she makes me want to buy every new one she brings in.   

PS - I have been using examples from stores I promote in some of my posts.  I really didn't intend to do that very often.  This page is NOT part of my promoting.  There's nothing in it for me when I mention the stores. Heck, there's nothing in it for me when I do any of this.  :-D   BUT, when there are perfect examples right here on my computer, how can I not use them?  These photos were already labeled because that's how I featured them on the store page.  I thought about removing the labels and prices for this post, but the fact is, that seemed like a lot of trouble.  I hope readers will take my examples in the spirit they are intended.  Also, I really need to talk to this vendor to be sure she doesn't mind my showing off her talent.

Hmmm... I think I just thought of a spot in my house where I could use a buffet.  :-D

Budget Friendly Decor - 

The vendor in the booth above has nice accessories, but not every accessory has to be pricey.  If you are just changing over to the "classy staging" idea, it may take you a little time to build up a great collection of accessories.  You don't have to spend a fortune right off the bat.   You can use inexpensive items, too, to make an impact.  Just be very thoughtful about staging. 

Not every vendor reading this page will be in a mall that can sell things at these prices, therefore, it will be harder to justify putting much money into accessories.  There are all sorts of budget friendly decorating ideas. Pinterest is a gold mine of ideas.  Some things you use can even come right out of your backyard.

Your accessories can be really nice without costing you a fortune if you shop wisely.  Yard sales in nice neighborhoods can be a gold mine for lamps and decor.  I can't tell you how many seriously nice lamps I've gotten in the past for $5 or $10.  Many of the lamps in my home came from yard sales.  Shades, too.  I always watched for nice shades.  Not every great lamp you find will have a good shade with it.  I found many absolutely perfect (sometimes still wrapped in plastic) shades at yard sales. I'm talking about the really nice well made, lined shades.  Some were stunning.  Don't be afraid to spend a bit more than you might normally when buying an awesome piece of decor.  It will sell eventually and you'll get your money back and until it does, it will help you sell your furniture.

Some decor is practically free.  Some things you use can even come right out of your backyard - pinecones, branches, plant cuttings...   Brandi, a Vintage Show Off reader, sent me a message a couple of days ago with some low budget decor ideas.  She attached photos, too, so I thought I'd share them with you.  I split her note into sections to insert her photos.  From Brandi -

I had been really discouraged with my booth because I don't have a high budget like I would like for decor, but I recently decided to use some low budget methods that have worked really well for me that I thought I would share with fellow booth owners. I used book pages as a table runner... 

& 3d flowers,...

also used a mason jar as a vase, & a coffee sack as a table runner.

... I just want to help everyone out who has a low budget like me.

Help! My Hutch Won't Sell!

As I browsed my Facebook newsfeed, I came across this hutch on Today is My Someday.  The hutch owner is frustrated because it won't sell.  She asked for advice on what to do.She doesn't want to repaint the whole thing or do anything that require more time than it would be worth.  She got a number of suggestions.  Many said to get rid of the stripes.  I agree. I kept thinking about it.  I got so caught up in all the possibilities that I was inspired to do a quick post (even though I should be going to bed!)

Help!
My Hutch Won't Sell!

Go mostly solid. All red or all black. Since the hutch is mostly red, that would be the fastest fix.  Use a lighter color on the hutch back (all of the back - no stripes).   If going with all red, you could add another layer of brown wax to give a bit more richness to the color. That takes very little time and not much wax. It could look something like this -

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Since removing the stripes seems likely, go with a different color altogether for the back.  It won't be that much more trouble.  A light neutral would be best, but this hutch sure looks nice and that background looks something like a robin's egg blue.   These are tricky colors to sell, since it would go with fewer decors, but it might have enough wow factor to woo somebody over!

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When you add the decor, be very, very deliberate.  Don't just put things on it that you'd like to sell.  Add things that will sell the hutch.  You don't want to give this away.  This is your big ticket item.

As seen on Pinterest (with no link to original source)

Try all white or all cream dishes.   Or a striking floral or fruit or transferware.   If you don't have great things to use, BORROW them.   Sometimes, you can find another vendor who has the perfect item in their booth.  It will make your piece look fab and it will help sell their item as well.

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How you decorate your furniture makes a HUGE, HUGE difference.   When you are out picking, always watch for smalls that will make furniture look great and will also be good to sell.  A great dish collection is wonderful for helping to sell hutches or tables.

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Finally, when you take the hutch back in, take off your sale sign.  INCREASE the price.  You now have a fabulous piece that will sell.  You have invested time and money.  Don't sell yourself short.  Hutches are seldom super fast sellers, but when they do sell, it should be worth your while.  Sometimes things with a higher price get a little MORE respect and notice as long as they are decorated in a way that shows how great it can look.  Seriously.

Tips for a Narrow Booth - Break Up the Long Walls

When you have a long, narrow booth, the booth can feel like a bowling alley.  Bowling alley booths still get customers in, but they may breeze through pretty quickly or they may just glance from the aisle, believing they can see everything without entering the booth.  There are things you can do to make the booth feel wider, break up the long walls, and create more interest.  You can get customers in your booth and keep them there longer by using a few tricks.

This post came about when Megan asked for suggestions for the bookshelves in her booth.  You can read the post with tips for her bookshelves HERE.  You can read the post where I talked about what to do on her short, back wall HERE.  This is the 3rd and last post in this series. It focuses on the long walls and wraps up with a few ideas specifically for Megan.   A photo of Megan's booth is at the bottom of this post.


GROUPINGS ON A LONG WALL
To widen a narrow booth and take the emphasis off the length, create several display groupings (vignettes) on the long wall.   Try not to create one long display on either of the long walls - that adds to the bowling alley feel.

Long pieces of furniture, such as a sofa or long table, are better on the short wall, if they will fit.  Placing long furniture on the long wall will make the booth seem longer, which means, hello, bowling alley.

ANGLES and  DIAGONAL LINES

If possible, try putting some of your furniture slightly away from the wall on an angle, rather than aligning it all with the wall.  Instead of a long straight walkway, the path will zig-zag a bit, urging customers to slow down and look this way and that.

The photo below shows a long walkway with furniture in groupings n a diagonal.  If all the pieces were arranged side by side in two long parallel rows, the result wouldn't be near as interesting. The groupings placed diagonally truly invites one to stop at each display and browse.  I'd LOVE to browse in this store!

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This example doesn't angle all that much, but with the different furniture depths, it still creates a slight zigzag path which reduces the bowling alley effect.  If a booth or walkway through a booth is very narrow, sometimes you just can't angle so much.

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This is a nice angled grouping.  It would nice as one of the vignettes on a long wall.  An arrangement like this would be pretty and welcoming towards the front of a booth.

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VERTICAL LINES
On the short wall, the emphasis was on creating displays with horizontal lines.  For the long walls, you want just the opposite - lots of vertical lines.  If groupings and items on the long walls emphasize vertical lines and height, the booth will feel wider.  Not everything needs to be vertical - we don't want a line of tall soldiers side by side.  But each grouping needs to have some tall elements or height.

Look for items that are tall and skinny or that are displayed vertically.  This grouping feels very vertical!

Link points to blog no longer in service.

Ladders are a bit versatile.  You can emphasize the horizontal (if the rungs are prominent) or the vertical when the rungs are put to use like in the example below.

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Dress forms are also quite versatile.  The one below reads tall and thin and would be great on a long wall. If you put a wide tiered petticoat or tutu on her, she would have enough horizontal lines to work nicely on the short wall.

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Don't have anything tall?  Create your own tall display by stacking!  This would be a wonderful display to put towards to front of a narrow booth - over to the side, angled just a bit to welcome customers.  This isn't a booth photo, but I get my inspiration from all over!

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A mantel has a very strong horizontal line at the top, but with a bit of work, it can be arranged in a vignette to read as vertical. The one in the photo below uses a door to help with that.  Also, a mantel is not very deep, so it will help keep the booth open. 

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MIRRORS
Mirrors on a long wall can give the illusion the booth is wider than it is.  A large mirror or a grouping of smaller mirrors can add a big impact. Be careful about what the mirror will be reflecting.  It's best to reflect something very pretty.  If a mirror reflects a cluttery (or less attractive) part of your booth, then rethink the location.  

RUGS
There are several options for floor treatments that are helpful in a long narrow booth.   A rug with horizontal stripes or a horizontal weave would be nice.  A round rug would also work nicely.  The  round shape would help make the room less rectangular and break up the abundance of straight lines.

One or two area rugs placed on a diagonal would be great.  If you only have one area rug, using it near the center of the booth will bring the focus into the center of the booth and de-emphasize the length.

This rug in the photo below is at an angle.  A rug at an angle is more interesting and inviting than the typical parallel to the walls placement.  The angled door in the corner and the round table are also nice in this booth.

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HOW DO THESE TIPS APPLY TO MEGAN'S BOOTH?

Here's a look at Megan's booth -

I have a few suggestions for Megan using mostly what she has.

Megan's 3 bookcases are functional but used all in a row on the long wall emphasizes the length of the booth.  She needs those bookshelves, but maybe she could just use two of  them on left and create a welcoming vignette at a slight angle in the front.  Doing that will help the booth feel more open.

One possible opening vignette (to go where the first bookcase is now) could involve her typewriter.  It could be set on top of something - a chair, a small desk or table, crates...   A piece of paper could be rolled thru with enough sticking out to have a message.  The message does NOT need to be created using the typewriter.  I recommend printing out something from a computer in nice big letters.

The third bookcase could be moved to the right side and worked in as it's own vignette.

At least one of the bookcases could have one shelf removed, around eye level) to create a taller display area.  This idea was described in the first post.

Megan's bookshelves are already backed with a neutral paper or fabric.  She could keep that backing or reback them for a bit more zing - whatever Megan feels will capture the style she wants for her booth.  This was also described in the first post

Megan has mirror on back wall.  It's not so big that it's crucial, but generally speaking, mirrors will be better on the long walls.

The map might make a nice focal point on the short wall - hung as high as possible.  It's bright and cheery and wide. It would beckon customers into the booth.  The globes should be in the back as well.  Hopefully soon, Megan will bring in a kitchen table or to sell.  That would look good under the map and the globes could sit on top. The suitcases could be worked into the vignette, which, by the way, now has a TRAVEL THEME.  One suitcase could be open on top and something travel-ish could be displayed inside.

 A trunk or coffee table would work under the map as well.  

Until Megan comes across a table or trunk, she might be able to use a folding table or wood over two small sawhorses.  If the temporary table doesn't look so nice, it could be covered with burlap or a short tablecloth or draped with maps.  A temporary table does not have to look tacky!

As Megan gets more furniture for her booth, a few angled vignettes on the long wall where the map is would get customers to zig zag a bit through the booth and they would browse a bit more.  Since the booth is very narrow, Megan can't angle too much.  The walkway needs to feel open and comfortable.  A confining or cluttered walkway feels uncomfortable and sometimes hazardous and that will keep many customers out of a booth.

Whew!  That's all the tips I can think of for now.

By the way, even though I had many tips for Megan, I do not want to give the impression that I think her booth is wrong.  The look of a booth is in a constant state of change.  Vendors don't always have time to create the perfect look.  I know very well that sometimes vendors are doing good just to drop something off and work it in.  Also, when a vendor is first getting started in a booth (or has just sold a bunch of inventory) creating a good look can be tricky.  Added to that, sometimes what seems great during the planning stage, turns out less than great in reality.   I threw out LOTS of tips.  Megan can browse through them and try out any that seem right for her.  She may not want to move those bookcases.  That's fine - really!  Maybe she'll remove a shelf from them here and there for a few interesting vignettes.  I hope some of my ideas will work her her - and for anyone else who  has a narrow booth!

If you have more suggestions for Megan (or anyone with a long narrow booth), feel free to leave a comment!  If you have photos of a narrow booth that has been done well (or your narrow booth that you transformed using any of my tips) - feel free to post them over on the Vintage Show Off Facebook page!  

Make Them Love It!

When you have a piece of furniture to sell, take the time to create a vision.  Be creative.  Show the possibilities.  The main point of a good vignette is to make the customer love (and consider buying) the feature item.

The vanity below is obviously from Miss Mustard Seed, who is a genius when it comes to display.  She made me love this piece, which I might not have without her vision.  I might have appreciated it.  I might have thought it would look good in someone else's house.  She took me beyond my imagination.

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A vanity can be difficult to sell because a vanity is, by nature, not very versatile.  MMS didn't display this as a vanity.  She created a display that makes it clear it can be used in a number of rooms.  Her display leans more towards using it as a desk.  Still, a customer wouldn't rule it out as a vanity.

The lines of the vanity are feminine, but the paint and accessories don't read feminine.  Yet it's not too overpoweringly masculine either.

The style is an early 1900's look, but the way it is displayed, even someone with an industrial style would consider it.

Black can be a harsh color when painting.  But of course, MMS knows a thing or two about paint, so she did this one well.  She distressed, so it's not a dull looking solid black.  She also left the top wood.  The knobs are lighter and fun.

Finally, the accessories she used are fabulous!  The fan, typewriter and binoculars really create a great look. When MMS is showcasing furniture, she puts just enough on it to create a vision.  She doesn't over-do or hide the piece.

This piece is being shown from her home, but if you ever looked at the MMS booth at Lucketts, you'd know that this is probably very similar to how she would have shown this piece there.  She no longer has a booth there - her paint venture is taking up most of her time these days.

By the way, if you have an online following, it never hurts to show your pieces there for a week or two before you put  them in your booth, especially if you have plenty of furniture to sell. Don't feautre it looking all tacky in your garage with tools and junk all around.  Take a little time to create a display.  Let Miss Mustard Seed (and many others) be your inspiration.   You might make a sale from home and avoid commission - or -  you might generate interest so customers will want to go to the store to see it once it's in your booth.

Word of warning - do not try to sell items outside of the store when they are in your booth.  Parking lot deals are a big no-no.  In fact, doing that can get you tossed out of the store.

The One Wall Booth- part 2

Chris sent a photo asking for suggestions for her booth, which consisted of one wall.  She inspired me to write the post about one booth walls.   After reading the suggestions, she reworked her booth and sent the AFTER photo!  Check it out!

Chris said she is still looking for an anchor piece.  I love that she didn't let that stop her from creating her own.  She wasn't satisfied to wait.  Look what she did - she used her tall shelf to create two smaller ones and added a table top.

In the before photo you can see many vertical lines in the booth - many columns.  The shelf is vertical. The shutters - vertical.  The curtains and the slim white shelf - all vertical.  In the after photo, the shelf table broke up the columns to make a more pleasing display.

The only horizontal statement in the booth was the ruffled ribbon, but I'm glad she removed that.    Even though the ribbon was pretty, it made the booth feel even smaller and shorter.  Her new look feels taller and should she ever want to stack anything higher than her wall, it won't feel as if there is a border to stop her.

Interestingly, the booth without the ribbon seems a little brighter.  Notice the white wire wall shelf.  See how much better it shows up?  That could be just a photo quirk, but I'll bet it really is brighter there.

One more feeling I get as I look at the after photo.  Is it just me or does this booth feel easier to browse?  In the before booth I would probably stand further back to look through her items.  In the new booth, I would be more likely to walk up close and pick things up.

All of these changes are subtle, but they truly are important!  Chris, thanks so much for sharing your photos!

The One Wall Booth

What do you do when you have a one wall booth?  You stack the deck!  In other words, create a stacked vignette!

Chris posted a photo of her booth on the Vintage Show Off Facebook page.  It's a 6x6 ft wall space.  She would love suggestions and ideas and included this photo of her booth -

Be sure to check out this post to see how Chris very quickly reworked her booth!

Vertical Space
The first thing that struck me is that Chris has more space than she realizes.  Her space would seem larger if she added height.  The gathered ribbon across the top is like a line saying don't go above this spot.  I would remove the ribbon and begin using more height.

When placing things up high, there are a number of considerations.  Safety is foremost. Think about how easy the item would be to get down and make sure it's not something that is likely to knock out a customer! Customers need to be able to get a pretty good look at any objects put up high without taking them down. The price on things out of easy reach needs to be large and easy to see.

Make-Do Piece
Chris has a wire shelf, which is functional, but not necessarily stylish.  I think of shelves like this as make-do pieces.  When a main display piece sells, if you don't have another waiting to be brought in, you need something to make-do with til you find a replacement.  With the wire shelf look, Chris can still make sales, but with a bit of tweaking and creativity, a very stylish look could be created. People are willing to pay slightly higher prices in a pretty booth.  A prettier look would also cause customers to linger around the display a bit longer, increasing the chance for a sale.

Folding Bakers Racks make wonderful make-do pieces!

When you have a utilitarian make-do shelf,
you can soften the look with fabric.

Everything in most small booths should be for sale - even the anchor piece.  The table or anchor piece could be marked just a tad higher, unless you have back-ups.  Always try to have a backup anchor piece or a make-do piece, otherwise your whole look could end up a messy pile of stuff on the floor.  Think what this booth would look like if the black table sold and there was nothing to put in it's place -

This table doesn't have chairs or shelves stacked on top of the table, which would allow for better viewing of all the smalls, but it's still a pretty vignette.  I found this photo on Pinterest, but the link is an error.  If anyone knows the source, please let me know!  

Anchor Piece

Having a booth that is mostly a wall is pretty much like creating a booth vignette in a rectangular or square booth.  To create a vignette, you start by finding an anchor piece.  In a one-wall booth, the anchor piece isn't necessarily a fabulous, catch-your-eye thing.  It's the largest piece around which everything else will be arranged.

For the anchor piece of this booth, Chris might look for a table or desk or console about 4 ft long - sort of sofa table sized.  She could display things on top of the table and under it.  The piece should be as deep as space permits.  

A table like this would make a great anchor piece for a space where you can't come out very far from the wall.
Photo Taken at Queen of Hearts in Marietta, GA

A hutch or cabinet could also be used as the anchor piece. Bottom doors can be left open or removed and set to the side for more display space.

Photo Taken at Queen of Hearts in Marietta, GA

Photo taken at Rockin' B Antiques in Newnan, GA

Stacking

When possible, mid-sized items could be placed on top of the table - wood shelves, crates, cabinets, hutch tops, chairs - things that would be for sale AND used to create more display space.  Since the table wouldn't take up all the space,there would be room to put something else for sale on the side, adding to your look.  I have lots of examples of stacked vignettes - 

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Source: somewhere on the Chippy Shabby blog.

Source: somewhere on the Sugar Pie Farmhouse blog.

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Source - somewhere  on the Summer Cottage Antiques site.

Source: somewhere on the Restoration House Interiors site

Color

In Chris's current look, she has some blue.  I would work in a bit more blue and make a statement.  She could bring in more color cheaply by stuffing blue tissue paper (or fabric)  in clear jars or in baskets or crates used to hold things you are selling.

Photo taken at Rockin' B Antiques in Newnan, GA

When you come home with treasures for your booth, sort smalls into color groups.  Store them at home in boxes by colors and/or seasons so they are easy to pull.    You'd switch the look for your booth (or vignette) every month or two.  You don't have to stick to just one color in your groupings.  Chris might choose another color to mix in with her blues.   See this post for more on color grouping.

In a one wall booth, the only wall you have is your money wall!  It can be great! You might even out-sell many typical full size booths.

Source - Rockin' B Antiques in Newnan, GA

This is a small one wall booth at Queen of Hearts in Marietta, GA.
This vendor has lots to sell in that tiny space!

I looked back through some of my previous VSO posts and found more vignette photos that would be great ideas for a booth like this, especially on The Money Wall  post.


Update: Feb 18 - Megan now has an anchor piece.  WOW!   Take a look at her booth now -

Click here to see the changes Chris made after reading this post.