Inspiration Magazine

Design Stars – Winners of the 2015 gia Product Design Awards

2015 gia Product Design Awards - Discover Design, the premier design destination at the International Home + Housewares Show, offers a collection of companies showcasing the latest designs found in housewares. Exhibitors are based on recommendations from and approval by the retail and design community. At the 2015 Show, exhibitors in Discover Design were in contention for…

Find Your Style

Selecting a color palette and design for decorating can be difficult when finding a style that reflects your life. Consumers are bombarded with different ideas, so it can be hard to settle down to find one’s own style. Here are several simple suggestions you can share with your customers to get them started on their own design style and color palette. Use these tips to…

Chicago Retail Gem

In a character-filled, old, sunny warehouse in Lincoln Park on the north side of Chicago, there’s a business that is edgy, worldly, and well… positively chic. “ Jayson Home has a warm, sensual, textured feel,” says Creative Director Caroline Scheeler. “It's the kind of store that friends meet up at, and hang out, while they’re shopping. While our store, our brand, is ever…

A PICTURE WORTH A FEW HUNDRED WORDS: Ladders & Step Ladders

Ladders in retail displays... Step right up! That is what ladders are for. Not only do they make it possible for you to access something that may be out of reach, they also allow you to go from one level to the next with assurance of new views at each level. Think about it for a moment! How many different types of ladders do you already have in your store? You may have the…

Global Retail Stars of 2015

The IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) is the brainchild of the International Housewares Association, and having launched in 2000, it is now in its 15th year. The annual awards are considered the Oscars® of the retail world, attracting entries from across the globe. This year, 25 national 2015 gia winners from 24 countries were chosen to represent their countries in Chicago,…

Introducing the 2015 gia Global Honorees

In Chicago last March, five stores from around the world were voted as the most innovative, outstanding retailers on the planet and mentioned as 2015 gia Global Honorees. We check out what makes them so unique and outstanding. The top five stores declared gia Global Honorees in 2015 were: Koskela from Australia, Presentes Rodriquez from Brazil, Hudson’s Bay from Canada,…

Inspiring the Industry – Rick Bayless

To most Americans, especially if they have a penchant for Mexican food, Rick Bayless needs no introduction. Most people know Bayless from winning the title of Bravo's Top Chef Master with his authentic Mexican cuisine offerings when he was up against French and Italian master chefs. He also has a hugely popular TV series called Mexico: One Plate at a Time, and is the author of…

Chicago – Inspiration by Culture

From the bottom of the sea to the tops of the stars, Chicago culture has it all on display. The Downtown Museum Campus is home to three great attractions: the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. For art lovers, the Art Institute of Chicago offers masterpieces from ancient to ultra-modern, and the various other cultural institutions…

Influential Housewares Trends

Changing technologies, product materials, functionality, consumer lifestyles and fashion have all played roles in determining the trends that have left an impression on housewares products. HomeWorld Business took a look to the past for newsworthy housewares trends that have affected product development across a wide spectrum. Of the 25 trends that they had identified, 10 are…