Styling your space at markets and events...

We do lots of events throughout the year and I always make a huge effort to style our stall in a way that reflects our reclaimed furniture brand - expressing what we believe in and our personality as a business. Throughout the events I have continued to find that putting in a little bit more effort really does get you more attention to your stand and on your brand! I don't believe you have to spend a huge amount of money to make this happen and I often see stands which have huge potential if they were given a little more thought and time. In no way am I a superhero stylist - but I thought I would share some of the tips and tricks we use to make our area stand out from the rest...

Height!

Height is a huge element on our stall as we don't have a huge amount of products which give this themselves. Often taking our reclaimed serving boards, reclaimed trays and books Pallet Style - we always feel the need to lift up elements to add interest. We do this using industrial metal or wooden crates, plinths (can be made from scrap wood) log slices or stumps, planks of wood or trays on up-cycled bean tins, vintage ladders and layered scaffold boards. When planning your props be sure to think about your style and brand and what works to show off your products - we opt for an industrial and rustic feel! Materials, textures and density will differ depending on what you're trying to sell. When using a table I tend to give height along the back, as well as some stepped platforms on the floor by the table legs - these work great with our reclaimed rustic garden lanterns. We also regularly use our reclaimed benches to add another layer at the front of the stall.

Table Cloths:

These are usually a pet hate of mine, however this is to do with our brand and what we are trying to create. If I do use a cloth I tend to use hessian or layers of greys. If we are able we take our reclaimed dining tables which we make and hire from our workshop - you can also pick up gorgeous vintage trestle tables on ebay and facebook market place which give the perfect rustic feel if this is what you're going for. If you do use a table cloth, I always think It looks best taken to the floor, rather than at a middle length, if this isn't possible make sure you keep the space under the table nice and clear, avoid excess boxes and packaging which draw the eye and ruin the clean and beautiful look you've achieved above. If using a cloth and you find it hard to access things underneath from the back, invest in some clamps or market clips to clip the cloth to the table.

Added extra's - styling with the seasons:

At Nikkita Palmer Designs I always add little extra's to our set up to give personality and style. We tend to stick with the seasons and style accordingly, this summer I have used wild flowers (picked for free on the roadside) in vintage glass jars and bottles which add height, colour and a summery vibe - especially against the natural rustic wood colour of our products.

In the winter months we add warmth with warm glow thin wire fairy lights, pine cones and rosemary sprigs.

We also add little chalk board signs at various heights for added information and suggestions for people to strike a conversation including other services we offer like our event prop hire collection.

Giving context:

We also use props to suggest a use for our products. We often use a nice linen napkin wrapped with a loose leather offcut, industrial gold cutlery or food and nibbles on grease proof paper on our reclaimed serving boards and trays. Think about how you can collaborate with other small businesses, we often seek out food or preserve stands at markets and swap over some stock for cross marketing. This is also a great way to make contacts and gain appearances on other peoples social media - make sure this works both ways though!

Additional tips:

Take a toolbox or 'box of tricks' as we like to call it at Nikkita P Designs. This includes everything for any situation, spare business cards, scissors, string, twine, clips, pens, cloths etc etc.

Add a mailing list to you stall especially if you have a newsletter - this work brilliantly to spread the word about our Pallet Style workshops and events and gives you a direct contact to those who are genuinely interested in what you are doing.

Use signage - direct people to your social media - I find that people would much rather follow you on social than pick up a business card these days! Encourage them to do it while they're with you to ensure you get the connection in and get them invested in what you're doing.

Make the most of your space and think about it wisely to get the best effect!

Don't be disheartened If you don't sell out - I always say I would rather stand and make conversation with 50 people who take our card, sign up to our mailing list or follow us on social media than spend a huge amount of money on a magazine advert!