Inspiration: It started with a 'lamp'

A candle holder...designed as a lamp...a shade made of wax on a wooden base....SUPER CUTE and the inspiration behind the LeilaBel Anne show table and product photos.  When I saw this 'lamp' at Value Village, I had to get it!  I was INSPIRED.  The cogs in my brain got oiled and the ideas kept coming.  If a cartoonist could capture me in that moment, thought bubbles would be bursting from my head.


The self convos lasted for awhile - How can I use this?  This thing is too cute!  It's made of wax?!?!?  Is this vintage or retro?  Is there a difference between vintage and retro?  I should look that up.  I like the colours.  What else do I own that could match this?  I need to raid my house...I need to raid my parents' house.  When is the next auction?  And on and on...

Over the past few months, I have collected vintage??? style fabrics and trinkets that compliment my candle holder - similar colours and similar time period.  This STRENGTHENS THE BRAND because of CONSISTENCY.  Do you think it makes sense to use an antique wooden desk with rusted hardware in photos, but use white fabrics, clear acrylic accents and silver metal displays for a show table?  Ummm...no.

While mixing styles from different periods can be successful, I chose the easier road of sticking to one.  I'll say my theme is 1970s?  Meh...whatever.  *Major eye roll  The stuff in my photo above looks like they belong in the same house during the same period.  That's what matters to me.

As noted earlier, my inspiration came from a candle holder.  Maybe you want to design your product 'environment' based on what inspires you.  Keep it simple: favourite colour.  Most weddings are guided by colours.  Or take a more difficult route: spend more and think more.  If you're inspired to recreate scenes from Alice in Wonderland while also having room for your products on a 5-foot table, then you need to be more creative with your space and be more selective of your props.  You may even need to buy a lot of things to execute your design ideas.  This can definitely be done (I actually think it's a pretty awesome idea after typing it out), but I don't want to bother with something more complicated unless I really need to.

No matter what inspires you, go HARDCORE.  If you don't think something works, then your customers won't either...remove it.

More Photos: Don't believe my lamp is a candle holder made of wax?  See below.  BAM!