I have been in research mode for some time now looking ahead to the coming festive season’s displays and activations. These are my interpretation of the trends I have seen through the lens of someone who has been in the visual merchandising industry for almost 30 years. There are twists on classic Christmas themes and current event trends moving into festive mode.

In celebration of Plastic Free July, we were invited by the team at City of Perth to create an engaging cabinet display at the City of Perth Library. The brief was to inspire and educate the community on simple, sustainable swaps, to show how small changes can lead to a big impact - and make it visually compelling.

Ok so this blog might just be an excuse to reminiscence about my Greek holiday but here goes!

It’s only been 4 weeks since my return but I am still dreaming of the picturesque lane ways, historical sites, food, cats and relaxing on the beach. The trip was an epic girls trip to Athens, Milos, Paros and Naxos for my friends Fiftieth birthday and we had a blast.

Your store layout is not a "set and forget" strategy. Being strategic with your store layout can influence how customers move through your space, what they engage with, and ultimately what (and how much) they purchase. 

For this Lunar New Year festive season, our clients were loving the new drapery trend! It was of course all about red, so luxurious velvets, colour blocked red florals and accents of gold were the order of the day for the activation backdrops we created for them.

January social media has been all about 2025 trends, particularly in weddings and events. One of the favourite parts of my job is to research these trends and see how they can and will be reflected in the visual merchandising and brand activation space. There is a great deal of inspiration that comes from both interiors and the wedding and event spheres, sparking ideas for brand experiences, activations, backdrops and commercial events.

This month I had the pleasure of hosting a number of Seasonal Table Styling Workshops for Karrinyup. In this blog I am sharing some of the key tips and trends that I covered.

Drapery is huge right now and looks set to take over from bows in 2025.

The draping of fabric over furniture, plinths or as a backdrop works with a range of concept styles and designs. The increase in more theatrical and perfectly imperfect draped concepts with crushed calico and taffetas are a testament to this.

When it comes to maximizing the festive season, a clear and defined Christmas Visual Strategy is essential. This is your guide for how your store visually represents your brand to your customers. A well-executed strategy not only reinforces your brand identity but also captures the festive spirit to attract customers and boost sales.

As I’ve been looking forward to this coming Christmas season and getting inspired by current Christmas Visual Merchandising trends, I can’t help but reflect on some of our past Christmas display highlights. This brought me back to our most viewed and popular Pinterest post from over a decade ago.

It’s that time of year again and that means Christmas is just around the corner. It’s when it can feel like there is plenty of time to organise that Christmas window display or activation but in fact it is almost too late…don’t worry I said almost! In this blog I will go through some key strategies to ensure that you and your team are on track for a successful Festive season.

In the world of visual merchandising, certain terms capture the essence of what we do and why we love it. I use these words on the daily having picked up many over my years of visual merchandising.

These concepts help us create engaging and impactful displays that draw customers in and enhance their shopping experience. Here are my five favourite visual merchandising terms that every professional should know.

Anyone who knows me, will know that I love colour. I wear bright colours, love a bright red lipstick and am passionate about using strong colour theory principles in design.

I recently went to Mauritius for my 50th birthday and while I of course loved the resort life, scenery, cocktails and food, it was again the colour that was a stand out. An example of this was the Mauritian flower bowls that would get changed every few days where we were staying at Paradise Cove Hotel.

Over the 28 years I have been in the visual merchandising industry I have had the opportunity to learn what makes a store stand out so here are my top 10 visual merchandising tips to help you maintain a vibrant and inviting store environment.

Vacant tenancies in shopping areas can negatively impact the overall perception of a retail environment. However, with creative approaches, these spaces can be activated to enhance the area, attract foot traffic, and provide marketing opportunities.

There's nothing quite like a change of scenery, wandering the streets of a city that isn't your own and seeing things with fresh eyes. Recently, I went on a 5-day trip to Melbourne to celebrate my partner's birthday and catch up with friends and family. Despite the current challenges faced by businesses, the city had exceptional examples of visual merchandising and design at every turn.

One thing I can always tell when I enter a store is if the business conducts regular floorwalk checklists. What is a floorwalk you may ask? A floorwalk is just what it sounds like, walking the floor of your store (with a notepad in hand!) Starting at the front of your store and critiquing, assessing and listing actions for any areas of success, improvement and future plans.

It was in March 2011 that I left my position as State Visual Merchandising Manager WA at Freedom to start my next chapter, founding Design Merchants.

It can be overwhelming when deciding what to put in your window display or how to brief a visual merchandiser/designer. Window displays can be pivotal in attracting customers and conveying your brand's essence. Here are 5 of my favourite window display formats.

As a Visual Merchandiser (VM) myself, I've had the privilege of working with, hiring, and training hundreds of Visual Merchandisers over my 28 years in the industry. One thing I know is that they are a special breed of talented creatives.