Soft Surroundings storefront with the Sale cling and 'my time. my place. my self.' on the window

Soft Surroundings

One consistent experience in 45+ new stores

Client
Soft Surroundings
Role
Retail Visual Designer
Years
2014–2018
Scope
Store layouts, fixtures, windows, visual standards

Soft Surroundings successfully opened 45+ stores that embodied the brand in just four years. I created the visual standards, layouts and fixtures with my team and partners that made it possible.

  1. Every new store opened on brand, with 45+ locations built from a consistent set of standards. I crafted the layouts and fixtures in plan and 3D, collaborating with architects and manufacturers to ensure each store met the chain’s visual and operational requirements.

  2. Soft Surroundings’ beauty area displays stayed full and easy to refresh thanks to the beauty pedestals I designed. The family of pedestals in three heights included adjustable shelving behind for back stock and a framed magnetic graphic on the front panel that changed out easily. This solution ensured that displays stayed fully stocked without frequent trips to the stockroom, enhancing the customer experience.

  3. The Lip Lab table kept displays full and easy to refresh in all new Soft Surroundings stores. 3D development and prototype testing on site ensured six back-to-back displays fit while maintaining a clean, on-brand look.

  4. Soft Surroundings opened 45+ new stores on brand, thanks to the visual standards and training documents I created. These documents ensured consistency across every fixture type, detailing how much each wall should hold, how to dress windows and mannequins, and exactly where and how signing should be placed.

    Drag across the wall to compare the high- and low-capacity standards.

  5. Sale signing standards for every fixture type, seasonal window graphics sized to each storefront, and sale clings and front signs that changed out on schedule. I also brought in digital collaboration tools so store teams and headquarters worked from the same plan.

  6. 45+ new stores opened on brand, built consistently across the chain.

    • Designed layouts and fixtures with architects and manufacturers.
    • Wrote visual standards and training documents used chain-wide.
    • Created fixtures like the beauty pedestals and Lip Lab table for easy refresh.
Soft Surroundings storefront with the sale cling and front sign
Storefront, with the sale cling and front sign
Store interior with a pergola, a tufted settee and a cream knit throw
Visualization: pergola and lounge, from the planning model
Planning model of the left interior entry with a pergola
Left interior entry, from the planning model
Overhead 3D plan of the Short Pump store layout
Short Pump store, overhead plan
Overhead view of a circular planted meditation space
Manager meeting meditation space

The three beauty pedestals at the entrance to the beauty area, with cream built-ins behind
At the entrance to the beauty area, rebuilt in 3D
The three beauty pedestals in three heights, three-quarter view
The pedestal family, rebuilt in 3D
Original SketchUp render of the pedestals from the front
The original SketchUp design, front
Original SketchUp render of the pedestals from the back, showing the stock shelving
Back, with adjustable stock shelving

Design model of the Lip Lab table with its product displays and a figure for scaleThe Lip Lab table visualized in a store beauty area

The Lip Lab table: design model and visualization

Standards page: a high-capacity merchandise wallStandards page: a low-capacity merchandise wall

Wall capacity standards, high and low

Sale signing standard for a full-store view
Sale signing across the store
Sale signing standard on a four-way fixture
Sale signing on a four-way
Storefront with the sale cling and front sign
Visualization: the sale cling and front-sign standard on a storefront

A Soft Surroundings beauty area: cream built-in shelving with product, and the three beauty pedestals at the entrance

The beauty area, rebuilt in 3D

Take the pedestals apart

The pedestals rebuilt in 3D from the original design. Turn them around, then explode them to see how each one goes together.

Front view of the three beauty pedestals
Loading 3D model…Drag to turn · scroll to zoom
Rebuilt in 3D from the original SketchUp designExplode to see how each pedestal goes together

More work

Contact

Dayton, OhioLinkedIn ↗