From the Field: The Heartland’s ‘Accidental Inspiration’

The Midwest. The Heartland. A likely place to find dairy cows and endless rows of corn; and a rather unlikely place to discover visual merchandising inspiration. In the unexpected venues of Columbus, Ohio, where I’m based, inspiration can hit suddenly and unexpectedly, and the more one is exposed to it, the more obvious it becomes.

What the Heartland’s mom-and-pop retailers are currently coming up with can lead to amazing DIY visual merchandising ideas: “Accidental inspiration” is how I describe the experience of stumbling upon these small jewel-like ideas that seem to come out of left field.

Here’s what I mean:

On a recent visit to The Short North of Columbus, a few retailers became the object of this discovery: DIY techniques are fully underway, from bust forms entirely clad in broaches to yarn wrapping endlessly around a fixture to display jewelry, retailers are creatively repurposing what they have on hand to showcase the product they want to sell. Empty thread spools anchor necklaces and add dimension against a mirrored backdrop at Dames Bond, while delicate handmade pins are displayed on cross-stitch hoops at Wholly Craft. In short, these craft-inspired visuals reflect the homemade personality of the brands.

“Mansome” is the handsome influence I’ve uncovered throughout props, products and design aesthetics in many stores: Ladders, oil cans, whiskey bottles and nail heads on display at Brigade exemplify this trend. And although I’ve seen the same in New York at Aether and J.Crew Liquor store for a while now, I’ve noticed a slight difference in Midwest adaptations.

At Aesthetic, a punching bag is centered over a dining table flanked by two form-mimicking light fixtures. This shop also has a barbershop-meets-residential feel by way of gold guns and antlers as decor, boxy chandeliers and rugby plaids – it’s as masculine, or “mansome,” as it gets.

Another accidental inspiration? Farm animals – whether spotted on murals in downtown Columbus, or the framed squirrels in cutesy clothes at Wholly Craft. (These iconic, clever props speak to the localization trend.) Other props such as doll heads at Aesthetic were displayed like fine artifacts on a beautiful piece of furniture.

Actually, the overall design of these stores does not inspire me. It’s the details that catch my eye, the comfortable environments I enter and the unexpected, quirky items I cannot seem to ignore. Embracing the stereotype of homemade apple pie and crochet, or the feeling of being the middle sister between New York and Los Angeles, and celebrating the accidental creativity is how inspiration hits.

Faith Bartrug of FBD Studios (Columbus, Ohio) has more than a decade of experience in transforming national brands. Her background includes brand strategy, environmental design and visual merchandising and she has been able to “practice what she preaches” with leading design firms and clients such as Neiman Marcus, JCPenney and Mark Pi’s. Visit faithbartrugdesign.com.