Winter 2013

Nautical and Nice By Becky Tyre

Nautical trends emerge reinvented with a fresh approach every few years. Display props are readily available and with a few simple guidelines, inspiring nautical displays are simple to create and maintain.

Staying Afloat

Life preservers are lightweight and easy to suspend, and especially effective when used in window displays. You can spray-paint them or use various colors of electrical and duct tapes available at most craft and home improvement stores. Ropes add a nautical touch and provide a means of attaching products and accessories to the props.

Coastal Concepts

Textures and natural elements are ideal for a coastal display. Metal and glass accents add a subtle shine and a neutral color palette is best displayed on a dark display table or background. Arranging products into home decor vignettes helps customers visualize the products in their own home.

Maritime Merchandising

Props for coastal and nautical displays are readily available and many gift and home decor lines offer them in the showrooms at the gift shows. Watch for anchors, buoys, paddles, ropes, sails, signal flags and maps. Even in years when the nautical trend is not evident in gift offerings, you will find many of these props work well for patriotic and summer holidays as well.

Making a Splash

Yellow is the perfect color to add a burst of visual interest to a nautical display. Common in maritime signal flags, yellow adds warmth to traditional red, white and blue marine themes. A few strategically placed solids help “anchor” a busy display, creating a tidy balance that allows for mixing of patterns in the merchandise.

Becky Tyre

Becky Tyre is the senior trends editor for GIFT SHOP Magazine and the owner of the Retail Details blog.