This is one of my favorite images from Siena, Italy.  Along the street illustrated in yesterday’s blog, this rather striking image is a model for a number of inspiring, yet uncommon storefront principles:

1. As blog regular Silus Grok commented yesterday, pointing light down saves energy…

2. Not only that, by using task lighting (subject specific) instead of general lighting, only the most appealing features are highlighted - in this case the merchandise, the window and the entryway.

3. The wares of the store extend outside of the shopfront, sort of like laying a trail of Reese’s Pieces to lure someone inside.  It also gives the passerby a much better and immediate idea of what the store sells.

4. The true charm is that all the merchandise here is unique to that store.  That’s probably one of the most overlooked reasons why this scene is unique enough to be worth painting.