Visual merchandising is the way a shop presents its products to sell them, through its windows, layout, fixtures, displays, signage, lighting and colour. In New Zealand it is also a job: the government’s Tahatū career service counted about 2,900 visual merchandisers at the 2023 Census.…
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08
Oct
Oct
Restaurant interior design is the planning of a restaurant’s layout, kitchen and service routes, seating, lighting, materials and signage so the room suits the menu and works on a full night. The ideas below come from restaurants and food outlets Studio Gascoigne designed in Auckland,…
13
Mar
Mar
Roughly 70% of purchasing decisions happen inside the store, not before customers walk through the door. The physical arrangement of your retail space plays a massive role in what people buy. It also determines how much they spend.I’ve watched this play out firsthand in stores…
09
Feb
Feb
Here’s something surprising: studies show that excessive reverberation in living spaces can reduce cognitive performance by up to 30%. That’s not just annoying background noise. Your brain works harder than it should, every single day.I’ll be honest. I first thought acoustic panels were strictly for…
05
Feb
Feb
Low-VOC paints release fewer volatile organic compounds into the air while they dry, which means less smell and less exposure to chemicals indoors. In New Zealand the simplest way to choose one is to look for an independent ecolabel such as Eco Choice Aotearoa on…
23
Dec
Dec
Here’s something that surprised me: 73% of American companies completely redesigned their workspace partitions between 2023 and 2025. That’s not a gradual shift. That’s a revolution happening right under our noses.I’ve been tracking office workspace design trends since 2019, back when cubicles still dominated most…
17
Oct
Oct
The best office partition ideas for most modern workplaces pair glazed partitions around meeting rooms with acoustic screens or open shelving in the open-plan areas, so each part of the office gets the right mix of light, privacy and quiet. Below are 12 office partition…
17
Oct
Oct
Customers stay 67% longer in coffee shops with the right seating arrangement. I discovered this at a small cafe last spring. The moment I stepped inside, I felt compelled to stay.The furniture wasn’t expensive. The space wasn’t huge. Yet everything flowed perfectly.I saw three appealing…
12
Oct
Oct
The interior design market reached $145.3 billion in 2024. It’s set to hit $222.2 billion by 2032. This growth isn’t just about looks anymore.It’s about hidden chemicals we breathe at home. Learning about volatile organic compounds from wall finishes changed everything. The link between our…
10
Oct
Oct
The best cafe seating layout mixes seat types so every guest finds the right spot. Fixed banquettes along the walls, loose two- and four-seat tables in the middle, and a bar or window counter for people on their own usually outperform a room of identical…