STYLE WISE, By Colleen Heather Rogan: Finding Retailworks and "I LOVE That Display!", Pink Tool Belts, and White Chocolate Cupcakes

Fortunately an education in fine arts, inherited skills of critique and observation and years of working in Manhattan’s fashion and magazine worlds have offered up an opportunity to explore my creative expression while also learning the powerful seduction inherent in all manner of style and design. Indeed, my career path has brought plenty of visual merchandising, photo styling and showroom design experiences as well as years of writing both national and local shopping features. That’s why it just seems to make a certain kind of sense to me that here I am singing the praises of entrepreneur Lyn Falk and her company Retailworks.

I first learned of Lyn’s unique talent as a retail designer when I wrote about Olive a really terrific home and fashion store promoting fine organic living, for my Savvy Shop feature in Milwaukee Magazine. One step inside the well-designed retail space and I felt immediately embraced by its aesthetically soothing palette and overall design. Better yet, the combination of well-displayed merchandise, artful fixtures and intrinsically cohesive layout made the store a breeze to shop.  Learning more about the full scope of creative services Lyn’s company has to offer has made me an even more enthusiastic fan. Frankly, Retailworks is one of the best resources in the city for any store, restaurant, salon or other business seeking expert design consultation, effective branding, professional architectural or interior design services as well as custom fixtures, furnishings and lighting and sales producing window and store displays.  Whatever the need, Lyn and her talented crew can be counted on to achieve it and always with tremendous style. Why they even manage to look stylish doing it! Just take note of the hot pink tool belts (available at Safetygirl.com) that designers Holley and Emily were wearing when I tracked them down at Kesslers Diamonds as they were busy dressing up the store for the holidays as part of Lyn’s, "I Love That Display!" division. Want a hint to how well Retailworks clients are treated? The team showed up with a tray of signature cupcakes custom made by the Milwaukee Cupcake Company to pass around. Yeah that’s right, I said cupcakes. Oh, and if you’re wondering who’s responsible for the cool contemporary overall design this fine jewelry store? Well no surprise, Retailworks, of course.