Building from a Part-Time Job to a Creative Journey: A Visual Merchandising Story
In 2013, at age 19, I started working at a boutique in my neighborhood. What began as a simple job revealed a passion for small business retail, where I saw firsthand how local shops build meaningful community connections. My boss saw potential in me as I learned while watching her build displays, and she became my mentor in Visual Merchandising. From them I became dedicated to the art of transforming ordinary merchandise into displays that evoke specific moods and feelings.
The Creative Process
Craft Journal Spread Inspiration.
To make this process more my own, I looked to my current creative practice—Craft Journaling. My approach combines decorative paper, stickers, washi tape, and various other ephemera to create interactive artworks I call Journal Spreads/Journal Collage. This style of journaling lets me communicate both visually and through writing, combining my passions for puzzling, art and crafts, journaling, and visual merchandising into something truly unique.
Referencing the physical piece (pictured right), I then turn to Pinterest to gather additional inspiration, and research the elements already included in the piece to plan the merchandising display. Through this process, I discovered connections between Henri Matisse's vivid colors and organic line work, and Yayoi Kusama's blend of color, flowers, and interplay of graphic and organic shapes. These artistic influences helped to shape my bathroom-themed merchandising concept.
From Inspiration to Display
A cropped section of the First Iteration of Matisse and Kusama’s Bathroom display.
Matisse's "Papiers Découpés" inspired a bathroom theme that combines functionality with artistic flair. The display includes items from essential categories like linens, storage solutions, light fixtures, and décor pieces, blending into an aesthetic that draws from both Matisse and Kusama's artistic styles.
Some elements from the original journal spread (like celestial themes) didn't make it to the final vision, but new elements like sardine tin and lemon bathmat were incorporated for their pop art aesthetic and bright colors. The addition of checked and striped patterns is meant to create a balanced juxtaposition between the organic shapes of the flowers and geometric patterns and polkadots.
The Final Vision
What began as a simple journal spread evolved into a comprehensive bathroom display concept that combines practicality with artistic expression. This process demonstrates that visual merchandising is more than just arranging products - it's an art form that can create magical moments for customers, inspiring them to discover items to make their personal spaces special.
A cropped section of the Final Vision of Matisse and Kusama’s Bathroom display.
The true joy of visual merchandising lies in creating displays that make people stop, smile, and connect with products in meaningful ways. It's about transforming everyday spaces into sources of inspiration and delight, proving that even the most functional rooms can be elevated through thoughtful, artistic presentation.
