Abstract:
A product display for selling household fixtures includes a display base, at least one wall provided adjacent the base, and a room mockup provided on said display base adjacent said at least one wall. The room mockup includes various display elements representing the household fixtures, and at least one of the display elements included has a set of alternate design features associated therewith. A selection pallet can be provided adjacent the room mockup. The selection pallet includes samples of alternate design features for the display elements.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention is related to a product display for household fixtures and a method of merchandising, the display including a room mockup having various display elements representing the household fixtures included thereon. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Typically, household fixtures are sold in home improvement warehouses using full size models. The full size models simulate, for example, the appearance of bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms, or wet bars to display the various household fixtures being sold. However, such full size models require relatively large amounts of retail space. Furthermore, alternate design features, such as choices for materials, colors, finishes, ornamentation, patterns, and textures, for the household fixtures are not readily displayed. Usually, the household fixtures included in a particular full size model are coordinated or aesthetically matched with one another. As such, to display household fixtures with alternate design features, it may be necessary to build other coordinated or aesthetically matched full size models. 
         [0003]    As such, there is need for displaying various household fixtures in a relatively compact space while simultaneously displaying various alternate design features for the household fixtures. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present invention contemplates a product display provided to sell household fixtures including a display base, at least one wall provided adjacent the display base, and a room mockup provided on the display base adjacent the at least one wall, where the room mockup includes display elements representing the household fixtures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the product display according to the present invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the product display depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 2  depicting a selection pallet. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    The product display according to the present invention is generally indicated by the numeral  10  in the accompanying drawings. As discussed below, the product display  10  can be included in a retail setting to aid a consumer in selecting the configuration of household fixtures. The household fixtures can, for example, include cabinets including uppers, lowers, and cabinet hardware, countertops, crown molding, and flooring. 
         [0009]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the product display  10  includes three (3) room mockups generally indicated by the numerals  12 ,  14 , and  16 . The room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  include various display elements representing household fixtures that illustrate the available choices a consumer has when selecting the configuration of household fixtures to be installed in the consumer&#39;s home. As such, the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  serve as compact representations of, for example, bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms, or wet bars, and illustrate the choices of design features (e.g., materials, colors, finishes, ornamentation, patterns, and textures) for the display elements available for selection by the consumer. 
         [0010]    The product display  10  includes a platform  18  and an L-shaped wall  20 . The platform  18  includes a platform floor  22  and a riser  23  supporting the platform floor  22 , and the L-shaped wall  20  includes a first portion  24  and a second portion  25 . The platform  18  and the L-shaped wall  20  are constructed with enough structural rigidity to allow the product display  10  to be moved. As such, the product display  10  can be, as necessary, shipped to and repositioned in a retail setting without the need for significant onsite assembly. 
         [0011]    The platform  18  and the L-shaped wall  20  define a display area  26  in which the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  are disposed. For example, each of the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  are positioned on the platform floor  22  adjacent the first wall portion  24 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  can be canted at identical angles with respect to the first wall portion  24 . 
         [0012]    The room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  are framed by backboard walls  30 ,  32 , and  34 , respectively. The backboard walls  30 ,  32 , and  34  serve as a backdrop for the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16 , respectively, and can be adorned with indicia and/or pictorials to enhance the visual appearance of the product display  10 . As shown best in  FIG. 1 , the backboard walls  30 ,  32 , and  34  can have concave shapes allowing the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  to be partially nested therein. 
         [0013]    A cornice  36  can be provided adjacent the top of the product display  10 . As shown best in  FIG. 1 , the cornice  36  extends from adjacent a vertical edge  38  of the first portion  24  to adjacent a vertical edge  39  of the second portion  25  of the L-shaped wall  20 . The cornice  36  serves to partially frame the display area  26 , and, like the backboard walls  30 ,  32 , and  34 , can be adorned with indicia and/or pictorials to enhance the visual appearance of the product display  10 . 
         [0014]    The cornice  36  can be used in concealing lighting fixtures (not shown) used to spotlight the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16 . The lighting fixtures, like the above-discussed indicia and pictorials, can enhance the visual appearance of the product display  10 . The cornice  36  can also be used in supporting the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16 . For example, horizontal support rods  27  extend from the cornice  36  to the L-shaped wall  20 . Furthermore, vertical support rods  28  extend from each of the room mockups  12 , 14 , and  16  to the horizontal support rods  27 . The horizontal support rods  27  and the vertical support rods  28  can be used to support the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  on the product display  10 . 
         [0015]    As discussed above, each of the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  include various display elements representing various household fixtures. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , each of the room mockups  12 , 14 , and  16  include display elements such as flooring  40 , cabinet bases  42 , lower cabinet doors  44 , cabinet drawer facers  46 , countertops  48 , upper cabinet doors  50 , crown molding  52 , and cabinet hardware such as, for example, handles  54  and knobs  55 . 
         [0016]    Each of the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  include various display elements having various alternate design features to illustrate the choices available to the consumer. The room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  can each have different overall appearances, and include display elements with design features coordinated or aesthetically matched with one another. As discussed above, the various alternate design features include choices of materials, colors, finishes, ornamentation, patterns, and textures. As such, a consumer can select from the various alternate design features for the various display elements to determine the ultimate configuration of the household fixtures to be installed in the consumer&#39;s home. 
         [0017]    For example, the choices of the design features associated with the flooring  40  include various materials, such as for example, woods, laminate, stone, tile, vinyl, and carpet, and the colors, the finishes, the patterns, and the textures associated therewith. The choices of the design features associated with the cabinet bases  42 , the lower cabinet doors  44 , the cabinet facers  46 , the upper cabinet doors  50 , and the crown molding  52  include various materials, such as for example, woods and laminates, and the colors, the finishes, the ornamentation, and the textures associated therewith. Furthermore, the choices of the design features associated with the countertops  48  include various materials, such as for example, composites, laminates, stone, and tile, and the colors, the finishes, the patterns, and the textures associated therewith. Also, the choices of the design features associated with the handles  54  and knobs  55  include various materials, such as for example, metals and woods, and the colors, the finishes, the ornamentation, and the textures associated therewith. 
         [0018]    Various selection pallets  58 ,  60 , and  62  are provided to further supplement the choices for the design features of the display elements included in the product display  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the selection pallets  58 ,  60 , and  62  are provided adjacent the room mockups  12 , 14 , and  16 , respectively, and can be attached to the upper cabinet doors  50  thereof. 
         [0019]    The selection pallets  58 ,  60 , and  62  include various placards attached thereto. For example, as best shown in  FIG. 3 , indicia placards  64  and first, second, and third design placards  66 ,  68 , and  70  can be provided on each of the selection pallets  58 ,  60 , and  62 . The indicia placards  64  can include advertising copy and explanatory materials regarding the selection of various alternate design features for the display elements. Furthermore, the design placards  66 ,  68 , and  70  can include samples providing additional alternate design features of the display elements. 
         [0020]    The indicia placards  64  and the design placards  66 ,  68 , and  70  can be permanently or removably attached to the selection pallets  58 ,  60 , and  62 . For example, if removable, the design placards  66 ,  68 , and  70  can be exchanged with other placards including further additional selections for the design features of the display elements. 
         [0021]    The design placards  66 ,  68 , and  70  can, for example, include samples  72  and  73  depicting additional alternate design features in the form of alternate material selections for the cabinet bases  42 , the lower cabinet doors  44 , the cabinet facers  46 , the upper cabinet doors  50 , and the crown molding  52 . The design placards  66 ,  68 , and  70  can, for example, include samples  74  depicting additional alternate design features in the form of alternate material selections for the countertops  48 . Furthermore, the design placards  66  and  68  can, for example, include alternate handle selections  76  and alternate knob selections  77  for the handles  54  and knobs  55 , respectively. 
         [0022]    Given the various alternate design features for the display elements included in the room mockups  12 ,  14 , and  16  and the selection pallets  58 ,  60 , and  62 , the consumer can conceptualize the appearance of alternate configurations for the household fixtures, and select the design features for the household fixtures that comport with his or her tastes. 
         [0023]    While in accordance with the Patent Statutes, only the best mode and exemplary embodiments have been presented and described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby. Furthermore, this Detailed Description merely describes exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as described is broader than and unlimited by the described embodiments, and the terms used have their full ordinary meaning.