Windows into
our world

Windows into our world

Images: Selfridges Windows team.
Words: Thea Bichard

Instead of dusting off the jigsaw puzzles and baking endless batches of banana bread (just us?), our Windows team are channelling the creativity usually reserved for designing our world-famous store windows into building joyful displays in their own homes. Here, we take a peek behind the curtains and hear about their creations…

Images: Selfridges Windows team. Words: Thea Bichard

Instead of dusting off the jigsaw puzzles and baking endless batches of banana bread (just us?), our Windows team are channelling the creativity usually reserved for designing our world-famous store windows into building joyful displays in their own homes. Here, we take a peek behind the curtains and hear about their creations…

‘Read a rainbow’
by Morag Hickmott, Senior Lead – Windows

The inspiration:
“I’ve seen so many families in my area putting paintings or collages of rainbows up in their front windows as a way of spreading hope and joy during this time. Without any paints at home, I had to work with what I have: my books are arranged in a rainbow on my shelves, so the idea started from there.”

The process:
“I used chopping boards to build height on top of the stool. When you’re working on something creative at home, everyday objects can take on a new meaning or purpose.”

Morag’s tips for creating a positivity-fuelled display:
“Look around your home at what you have and how it could be made into something else. Use as many colours as you can – bright colours can lift your mood.”

What might the neighbours think?
“I’m hoping it makes the neighbours smile.”

‘A balancing act’
by Louise Moran, Styling Manager

Louise’s window display in three words:
“Minimal, abstract, rustic.”

The inspiration:
“My window is based on a series of still-life displays of homeware products that you may see on your dining table – whether it’s a beautiful fruit bowl or a set-up for a special candlelit dinner. I’ve tried to create this in an abstract way, to show how we can balance our everyday objects into an aesthetically pleasing display.”

The process:
“I’ve tried to focus on raw elements, like ceramics and cork, while also trying to display objects tonally [linked] to each other.”

Louise’s creativity tips:
“1. Subject matter: choose the right object to focus on and feel confident displaying it.
2. Materiality: think about textures and juxtapositions.
3. Colour: choose a colour theme, whether it’s tonal or all bold and bright.”

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‘WFH: A Chair Series’
by Emily Outhwaite, Production Manager

Inspired by a previous window display we did for the Selfridges creative campaign ‘Radical Luxury’, I used my office chair as the form to style the fashion around.

Emily Outhwaite, Production Manager

The theme:
“It is all about animating the chair and giving it a personality, using collected objects from around my home.”

Emily’s window display in three words:
“Humorous, light-hearted, serendipitous.”

The inspiration:
“Inspired by a previous window display we did for the Selfridges creative campaign ‘Radical Luxury’, I used my office chair as the form to style the fashion around. I love the work of Photographer Bela Borsodi; his work was definitely in my mind when putting this composition together.”

Emily’s window-dressing tips:
“Humour is always a winner. Tonal dressing always looks great.”

What the neighbours think:
“No comments but definitely some curious looks, and I am sure the neighbours think I’m a little bonkers, taking so many pictures of the front of my house!”

‘Mornings on lockdown’
by Amyisla McCombie, Senior Designer

Amyisla’s window display in three words:
“Playful, risky, sculptural.”

The inspiration:
“The one thing I have had time to do since being on lockdown is to have elaborate breakfasts. I have a lot of kitchenware from Selfridges, so I thought it would be a fun way to bring it all together. I also wanted to create a fun window to keep the happy vibes up.”

Anything unusual to see here?
“Not really, apart from using real eggs. I did smash one on the floor – I was being a bit hopeful with my balancing techniques.”

Any (at-a-distance) comments from the neighbours?
“No, as I had to take my display down yesterday (we were running out of eggs).”

Amyisla’s top tip for a smile-inducing window display:
“Get out all the objects and materials you have – even a washing-up sponge can create fun textures.”

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‘80s neon horror’
by Tom O’Donnell, Production Assistant

I’m a big believer in the five-second rule with window displays: you should be able to grab the viewer’s attention in five seconds, then they will stop and look closer at the details.

Tom O’Donnell, Production Assistant

Tom’s window display in three words:
“Camp, dark, vaporwave.”

The inspiration:
“‘In Fabric’, which is a horror comedy film about a killer vintage dress, blended with vaporwave themes inspired by albums such as Macintosh Plus’s ‘Floral Shoppe’.”

The process:
“My bedroom is very inspired by ’80s New Wave and Miami Art Deco, so I could pull pieces from what I had at home. I used spare tulle from our [Selfridges] Christmas window and some washing line, combined with my hue lights, my pot plant from my room and my ’80s pink prom dress.”

Tom’s window-dressing tips:
“Always add a statement or something unconventional – perhaps even controversial. I’m a big believer in the five-second rule with window displays: you should be able to grab the viewer’s attention in five seconds, then they will stop and look closer at the details.”

The reviews from Tom’s neighbours:
“‘Your room looks haunted’ and ‘it reminds me of the film ‘Suspiria’.”

Feeling inspired?

To brighten up your neighbours’ day, take part in our #KindnessChallenge on Instagram. For day 7, we challenge you to create something to put up in your own window.