During a quick jaunt to Chicago to scope out the retail goings-on, my colleague Bess and I visited House of Hoops by Foot Locker on State Street. Both of us have seen photos of the concept or have been to other locations, but it was Chicago’s House of Hoops that blew us away. The store was thoughtfully designed from top to bottom. The energy was undeniable from the second you walked in, with bright colors, glowing graphics and product presentation, and a soundtrack I would rush to download from iTunes. In a word, this store had serious swag. [Read More]

Recently, I was shopping at West Elm and came across these great typographical paper weights. I, of course, couldn’t resist and purchased the ‘M’ version. At checkout, the cashier informed me that the same designer who created the style behind the series of paperweights also designed a series of wall graphics, that can be seen immediately upon entering the store.

Okay–now my interest was peaked. I had to find out more about this designer. [Read More]

We all love to sample things—from perfumes, taste testing at the grocery store to wine tastings. Retail and manufacturer brands have caught on and discovered that sampling helps expose customers to new products and they are more likely to purchase if they try before they buy. Understanding that approach, and in an effort to help cut through the clutter and find products that really work, young entrepreneurs Hayley Barna and Katia Beauchamp (who met at Harvard Business School) co-founded the beauty sampling program, Birchbox. How it works—subscriptions can be purchased for as little as three months for $30 or as long as a year for $110. Each month, a box is delivered to your doorstep featuring five new beauty and lifestyle products. [Read More]

As I watched the steel beams put in place this week to push the new 1 World Trade Center up and above the venerable 71-year old Empire State Building, I felt something inside. Inspiration had found me once again. This iconic and hallowed site in Lower Manhattan, referred to as “ground zero” for the past eleven years, was like a phoenix rising into the sky. [Read More]

At the Builders’ Show in February, Sherwin-Williams launched the new interactive paint tool, Chip It! The first-of-its-kind, web-based app allows users to select any online image and instantly identify the Sherwin-Williams paint colors that correspond to the hues contained within the picture. [Read More]