Color and You—a Combination for Success!
Choose colors wisely for your shop because they can make or break your business!
By Judith M. Graves
As you know, a rainbow of colors exist: pastels, jewel tones, earthy deep colors, naturals and other cleverly named hues. When you have a clear slate (an empty room in a shop) and the freedom to put your color stamp on the walls and props, what do you choose to do? The choice may make the difference of sales or not! Your choice of colors does make a statement, and you can make or break your shop by the colors you choose. These are just a few of my own observations and ideas, but certainly not any rules. Here are some of my thoughts on colors and how they can affect your shoppers.
Red
Red says I am here, I am important, and I need your attention! Painting a wall red, however, would not allow your products to say the same. The wall could overpower the objects and be the focal point of the area. Red is a great accent color to make the “pop” in a room or shop. The color is so rich and it makes a strong statement. I like reds in small doses that will make you smile when you see them, like the deep red on a rooster, or in a chef’s apron, or a red pillow on a white bed. It is a great color, but perhaps not the best for a wall in a shop where you are looking to place your products for sale.
Blue
Blues are moody. You can have certain blues that make you think of the seaside, or blues that go with patriotic items, or blues that conjure up the sky. Only a very pale blue is for the wall that sells everything. Stay away from aqua for walls, as it is a color that doesn’t show off product to their best ability. Deep blues set apart an area to be its own department. It could be a corner that will be the backdrop for your boats, ocean or USA products, and it could be the perfect setting to put a sailboat of saleable items in and around it. A medium-blue wall is perhaps a nice color for clothing or handbags, or vacation items. It is a color that makes one feel contented. High ceilings could use a medium blue to quiet the size and make a sky idea. Blue is not a color to use with food items for sale. We don’t eat anything blue!
Green
Greens are earthy. There are greens that make a room feel like it is outside, and greens that never should be on a backdrop. A celery green will make children’s items, such as stuffed animals, dolls and toys, show off great. It is also a green that will make us think of sherbet and summer days. Deep greens are nice for small areas like wainscoting around a room or small points of interest like in a chair for product, or a food room on the corners or around a menu board of what is for sale. The medium greens make a nice backdrop for any earthy shop that makes us feel like going green, (and who doesn’t?). I think greens are a good choice for a shop color. If it is a small shop, you will want a pale minty green; if it is a large shop, be bold and do the top and bottom of the walls in shades of green that match. It makes everyone think earth and life. It ain’t easy being green!
Yellow & Orange
Yellows and oranges are summery colors. They make you think of ice cream and popsicles. It just feels nice! Sunny and bright, and the two colors go so well together. I like this combination in a room that needs to be light and airy. Not cozy colors necessarily, but comfortable colors that put a spring in the step. There are many shades of yellow from the very pale to the golds. I would stick to the pale yellows and the burnt oranges as a combination. This is a comfortable combination; however, this combo can get old fast and isn’t always a classic combination that can stay around forever. It would need updating in 6 months to a year, to look a shop looking fresh. Easy enough to do!
Purple
Purples (even the lavenders) are not a color that a shop looks best in. Perhaps in the dressing rooms or restroom, a light lavender would be mood setting and comfortable. It’s hard to place objects against this color and have them pop at all. Maybe a Victorian corner could use this color.
Black & Brown
Blacks and browns are harsh. Certain shades of the browns, like a tan or a deep brown, can fit into certain areas of any shop. Especially if it is a shop that caters to men, or is a sport shop, or one that carries cameras and fishing equipment. For jewelry and fine items, it would not be a color to show them off at their best. Black is best in small spots. Zebra stripes or polka dots on white on a frame or around a mirror on a tan wall adds interest and is earthy and fun. Again, this would have to change, as it wouldn’t be classic.
Naturals & White
Naturals and whites are always safe colors to go with. They can be on a wall and you can drape color all over them and have them show off. I prefer an off-white to the brilliant whites that can make a glare with lighting. A natural off-white is the perfect color to open up a space to make it full, and a natural background for any shop items. This is the safest color to use by far, and allows you to place color in vignettes that will show off what you sell in the best light. It is a backdrop that makes little or no statement, so you need to set up the statements in the products you sell and the props you use. Place a large mirror on a wall and put curtains on the sides like a window. This could be a great summer setting if you use red-and-white gingham curtains. Sell all your summer fun items nearby on a white picnic table or lawn chairs. Maybe change out the curtains for the seasons? What fun this would be to arrange your “new” lines for each season. Looks like a room anyone could have?
Color is an important part of our lives; it is something that makes or breaks the setting up of any shop or booth. You need to stand back and look at it with a fresh eye and pretend you are seeing it for the first time. You will know if it is PERFECT, or only OK. Color and you—what a combination for success. Choose wisely and, above all, feel comfortable with your choice. Stand back and know it is a keeper.