Happy early Valentine's Day everyone. We won't be around Sunday to share this, so I wanted to go ahead post it early.  Last week we had the pleasure of talking with Tony Turner from Anthony & Company. Tony does staging professionally and his work is just amazing. I've included some photos at the bottom of the post. I would love to spend the day with him to see his design magic in action. His Facebook page for his booth is Feathernesters. If you get a chance drop by and say hello. Tony specializes in graphic design, visual merchandising, event decorating, interior design, and home staging.  




1. How long have your been a Stager? I have been a stager since 1990. I have had booths in at least 15 antiques and crafts malls, and owned a retail home decor and gift store and Tea Room for 20 years.

2. Do you do this full time? Yes, I do.

3. How did you get into the business? I was asked to stage a model home that a home builder was selling. I agreed to warm up several of the empty rooms with furniture, home decor, floral arrangements and art.  Later I worked as a stager doing store window displays, and interior displays of merchandise.

4. Do you have any formal training? Yes. I studied design and visual merchandising and have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Arts and Design.

5. How do you get business? Mostly by word of mouth.

6. Do you think staging is just a trend or here to stay? Oh, staging is most definitely here to stay! It's been around for hundreds of years and will always be very important to aid in sales.

7. What do you enjoy most about it? I enjoy bringing merchandise to life! 

8. What do you enjoy least about it? As merchandise sells, you must constantly rearrange and re-stage.

9. How have you built your business? I now stage for many small shops and businesses, for antique vendor booths, and for my own booths.

10. Why do you think it's important to stage a booth? Well displayed merchandise always sells well. Well designed and well displayed vignettes set your antiques booth apart from others, not to mention speed up sales.

11. What is the biggest mistake a dealer makes with their booth? They have too many styles and kinds of merchandise in their booth that is unrelated. They often have tables of mismatched inventory that doesn't tell a story. 

12. How often do you recommend a dealer staging their booth? Twice a month. Major changes seasonally, four times a year.

13. Does a Stager charge by the hour or booth? Normally by the hour, with a three hour minimum.

14. What are some of your main tools when it comes to staging? Create a staging/display kit including screws and nails, screwdrivers, hammer, staple gun and staples, strong tape and clear fishing line. 

15. Which season is your favorite to stage? Most definitely Christmas!

16. Would you rather a client convey their vision to you or would you rather stage a booth with all your own ideas? I listen to their ideas and goals, and then like to use my ideas and skills. 

17. What advice do you have for someone wanting to get into this business? Have confidence and charge what you are worth. Take lots of pictures of your work.

18. What are some simple tips you could offer dealers that struggle with design? Go with your gut. Don't be afraid to use magazines, books, and sites like Pinterest for inspiration. Collect lots of display materials such as fabric, crates, boxes, dress forms, etc to aid in display.

1. Having Too Much Clutter in Your Booth
If your booth looks more like an exploded garage chances are customers will pass right on by. I'm not saying everyone will pass you up, but it will discourage some folks. I can attest to this one personally. I was in a big antique mall in AL and overheard two ladies walking in front of me. They avoided several booths because of clutter. 

2. The Walkway into Your Booth is Not Clear
I definitely steer clear of these booths. If it is hard to navigate my way into a booth then I'm going to keep going. The last thing I want to do is play twister and end up breaking something. Try to be mindful of those in wheelchairs also. 

3. The Booth is Not Well Lit
Lighting is so important. You want to make sure your customers can see all your merchandise. If a booth is not well lit it is going to hurt your sales and  it could possibly be harmful for your customers if they trip and fall. If you have lamps in your booth you are going to get noticed. Lamps feel homey and they are warm and inviting. This can be tough because not all booths have power outlets. Try to work with management if you are having issues. 

4. The Booth Looks Like a Museum
Some booths have lots of breakables. Some of those breakables are sitting within reach of little hands. Be mindful that customers may have their children while shopping. I was junkin with a friend of mine and she had her child with her. She would avoid these booths because she didn't want to risk something getting broken. 

5. Missing Price Tags
You want to make sure you have all your items priced. I can't count the times I have picked up an item that I was really interested in and there would be no price tag. Some people will go and ask, but we as dealers should make it easy for our customers. 

6. The Booth is Not Clean
You want your booth to be neat and clean. Also make sure your items are clean as well. Make sure to dust on a regular basis. Make sure you clean your merchandise before your take it into the store. Remove all price tags or crayon written price tags from where you purchased it. 

7. The Booth is Stale and Never Changes
Try to fluff your booth at least once a week and move things around once a month. If customers see your booth looks the same as it did two or three months ago they will think you haven't added anything new. More than likely they will keep walking. I know I do. 

Architectural salvage is no longer for the scrap pile. Salvage shops are becoming increasingly popular due to HGTV's hit shows like Fixer Upper and Rehab Addict. Nicole Curtis of Rehab Addict, may use salvage in the traditional way, while Joanna Gaines has shown us using these items in a non traditional way can make great wall art or statement pieces in our homes.

I scoured the web looking for upcycled salvage and let me tell you folks are so creative these days. I love how people are thinking outside the lines and coming up with all these fun ways to use salvage as display ideas. Thee ideas are great not just for your home, but using them in your booth or even as wedding decor etc. I think a lot of us like to feel a connection to the past and what a great way to honor the past. Here are a few images I found.

Why are we so enamoured with dress forms? There is just something so romantic and feminine about them. Maybe it reminds us of playing dress up. Just take a look on Pinterest because there are all kinds on there. You will find lots of inspiration for every taste. I think they add a little something extra to that guest bedroom or craft room. They especially look amazing in an antique booth. You can dress them up for the seasons. There are so many ways to create different looks. I have some seen everything from simple to very elaborate. So earlier this year I tried my hand at making a couple of them. I picked up two pinnable jersey dress forms at Stamps Store Fixtures. This is what they originally look like straight out the box.

The first one just didn't seem finished enough for me so I ended up painting a faux corset by adding white stripes and embellishing it with silver glitter. I kept the tulle skirt, but I just lowered it further down. Now it looks complete.





Both of these dress forms were so much to make but so labor intensive. You can find these dress forms online, ebay or any store fixture company. If you have made one we would love for you to share your images. Feel free to send them to boothcrush@gmail.com