Unit 3: Colour, lighting and fixtures
Visual Merchandising notes · PTU syllabus (BSTD 405-20)
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Unit summary
Colour, light and fixtures create the mood of a store. This unit covers physical and psychological reactions to colour, colour mixing and schemes, primary and secondary lighting, coloured and filtered lights, mannequins and dimensional forms, and types of fixtures.
After this unit you can
- Use colour psychology and colour schemes in displays
- Plan primary and secondary lighting
- Select mannequins and forms
- Choose fixtures for merchandise
PTU syllabus topics
- Physical and psychological reactions to colour
- colour mixing and colour schemes
- primary/secondary lighting and coloured/filtered lights
- mannequins and dimensional forms
- fixture types
Primary (ambient)
General store light
Secondary (accent)
Spotlights on displays
Coloured and filtered light
Mood and theme
Rule
Accent about 3x brighter than ambient
Topic 1
Colour in visual merchandising
Red
Exciting, urgent, warm
Sale signage, festive themes
Orange and yellow
Cheerful, energetic, attention-grabbing
Summer and kids' displays
Blue
Calm, trustworthy, cool
Menswear, denim
Green
Fresh, natural
Sustainable and organic ranges
Black
Luxury, sophistication
Premium brands
White
Clean, minimal
Bridal, summer, modern stores
Pastels
Soft, gentle
Spring, babywear
- Physical effects: warm colours appear to advance and make spaces feel smaller; cool colours recede and enlarge space.
- Monochromatic
- Tints and shades of one hue
- Analogous
- Neighbouring hues
- Complementary
- Opposite hues for contrast
- Split complementary
- A hue with two neighbours of its complement
- Triadic
- Three evenly spaced hues
- Neutral
- Whites, greys, beiges with accents
- Colour mixing: additive (light — red, green, blue) for lighting; subtractive (pigments — red, yellow, blue, or CMY) for paints and props.
Topic 2
Lighting
Primary (general, ambient) lighting
Overall illumination
Ceiling fluorescent or LED panels
Secondary (accent) lighting
Highlights merchandise and displays
Spotlights, track lights, lit shelves
Coloured and filtered lights
Create mood and theme
Gels, coloured LEDs for festive windows
Decorative lighting
Adds style
Chandeliers, pendants
- Guidelines: accent light about three times brighter than ambient; colour temperature warm (2,700–3,000 K) for luxury and cosy feel, cool (4,000 K) for bright modern stores; good colour rendering (CRI above 90) for apparel; avoid glare and heat.
Topic 3
Mannequins and dimensional forms
- Realistic mannequins
- Life-like features and make-up
- Abstract and semi-abstract
- Stylised, featureless — modern brands
- Headless and torso forms
- Focus on garments
- Dress forms and busts
- Tops, jackets, jewellery
- Shoe and hat forms, hands and legs
- Accessories, hosiery
- Styling tips: group in odd numbers, vary poses and heights, dress completely with accessories, keep clean and well-fitted.
Topic 4
Fixtures
Rounders (round racks)
Circular hanging rail
Sale and bulk items
Four-way (quad) racks
Four arms with face-outs
Coordinated groups
T-stands and two-way racks
Two arms
Featured items
Wall systems (slatwall, gridwall)
Shelves, hooks and rails on walls
Most categories
Tables and nesting tables
Folded stacks
Denim, T-shirts
Shelving and cubes
Folded and boxed goods
Knitwear, accessories
Gondolas
Double-sided shelving
Accessories
Key terms
- Accent lighting
- Light focused on merchandise
- Colour temperature
- Warmth or coolness of light in kelvin
- Complementary colours
- Opposite hues on the colour wheel
- Abstract mannequin
- Stylised figure without realistic features
- Four-way rack
- Fixture with four display arms
Quick revision
- Colour meanings; advancing and receding colours; schemes; additive vs subtractive.
- Primary vs secondary lighting; coloured light; 3:1 ratio; colour temperature; CRI.
- Mannequin types; styling tips.
- Rounders, four-ways, T-stands, wall systems, tables, shelving, gondolas.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Which colour suggests luxury?
- Q2.What is a monochromatic scheme?
- Q3.Distinguish primary and secondary lighting.
- Q4.What colour temperature suits a luxury store?
- Q5.Why group mannequins in odd numbers?
- Q6.What is a rounder used for?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the role of colour in visual merchandising.
- Q2.Explain lighting in retail stores.
- Q3.Describe mannequins and fixtures used in visual merchandising.
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