There are endless possibilities when it comes to decorating a boutique, and making your store more visually appealing comes with many benefits. From more engaged shoppers to better brand recognition and increased sales, taking the time to make your boutique something special will pay dividends for your business. And, making your shop stand out doesn’t have to break the bank. Continue reading to get inspired with our 15 boutique decor ideas.
1. Try a Monochromatic Color Scheme
Monochromatic color schemes make spaces feel bigger and add cohesion. (Source: Veranda)
One boutique design idea that you can try is a monochromatic or single-color design scheme. As you can see in the image above, a monochromatic design can be sleek, and it emphasizes your products by cutting out additional textures and colors.
As you are selecting a color for a monochrome store, there are a few things to consider. First, where lighter colors can make a space feel bigger, darker ones will make a space seem cozier and more confined.
Second, be sure the color you choose speaks to your brand image. For example, in the store above, the primary brand color is dark green, which makes sense for the store. Additionally, the depth and richness of the green color evoke the high-end, luxurious feel the brand seeks to create.
2. Add Mirrors to Create the Illusion of More Space
Mirrors create the illusion of more space and provide utility to shoppers. (Source: Veranda)
Another design element that you can add to your boutique for both visual interest and shopper utility are mirrors. Mirrors not only make spaces look bigger by reflecting light and the space around them, but they are also a great tool for shoppers, especially if you sell apparel or other fashion items. Or, as is the case in the image above, you can also use mirrors to break up a space and add an eye-catching and memorable design element to your store.
3. Utilize Your Ceiling
Draw the eye and create height with a ceiling display. (Source: Architectural Digest)
One of the most common things that boutique owners have to work around in their design is space limitations. A ceiling display is one design idea that doesn’t take up any usable space.
Hanging fun items from your ceiling—think interesting light fixtures, dangling products, or an art display—not only creates visual interest and a fun design element. It also draws shoppers to specific zones of your store, offering you a great opportunity to guide shopper engagement.
Remember, however, that your ceiling is not a shoppable space, so as much as possible, ensure that whatever you install overhead is not something that you are trying to sell.
4. Add Seating for Comfort (and Companions)
Seating creates a homey feel and gives shoppers and their companions a place to rest their legs and stay awhile. (Source: Pinterest)
A design element that I would argue every store should have is a seating option. Whether this be a chair, couch, or entire lounging area, seating is key for design and creating a pleasant shopping experience. Seating invites people to spend time in your store and, as I have seen countless times, provides a place for shopping companions to sit so they aren’t rushing the shopper.
Seating creates a better experience for both the shopper and the companion, makes them stay longer, and, in turn, gives you more opportunities to drive sales.
5. Mix in Greenery to Spark Life
Greenery adds life to any space and is an inexpensive way to add decorative flare. (Source: The Architect’s Diary)
Indoor plants are inexpensive, add a ton of visual impact, and create both a sense of liveliness and coziness in a space. For boutiques that are on a budget, take a trip to your local garden center—you can buy plants for your store for under $200.
As you can see in the image above, plants can really fill and add flare to a space, and their low cost makes them an ideal boutique design idea if you don’t want to break the bank.
6. Install a Mural
Murals are space efficient and can add so much dimension and brand presence to a space. (Source: DHgate)
Another boutique design idea that takes up no space is a wall mural. There are many wall murals online for a variety of price points, and some of them are peel-and-stick, meaning you can install and remove them yourself without damaging your walls—ideal for renters.
Amazon, Alibaba, Anthropologie, and Etsy are great places to look. Additionally, you can hire an artist to paint a mural if you have a little extra budget and time. Tracking down mural artists can be tricky, but a few places to look are Instagram, Craigslist, and local art shows and events.
One benefit of a custom mural is that you can incorporate your store name, logo, and/or social media. It also serves as a recognizable photo op for social media.
7. Work With a Local Artist to Create an Art Installation
Working with a local artist is a great way to create local appeal, support your community, and make your space unique. (Source: Mallory Anita Lawson)
Another way that you can incorporate art into your boutique is by working with a local artist to add an installation to your store. This boutique decor idea adds something truly unique to your store and is a great way to create local appeal and support your community. The best places to find local artists are Instagram—using hashtags that include your location + the artist—or local art shows and events.
8. Use Funky Lighting
Fun lighting adds a design element, draws shoppers’ attention, and illuminates products. (Source: Branded Girls)
Store lighting doesn’t have to be confined to just pot lights and track lighting—it can actually act as both a source of illumination as well as design—the light itself just has to be interesting.
Consider neon wall signs, like in the image above, chandeliers, string lights, or other funky lighting elements for a bit of fun. Plus, lighting design elements typically don’t take up much space, and while you can spend thousands on a chandelier, there are many affordable options too.
9. Try Unconventional Clothing Racks
Making your rack interesting will increase engagement and add a fun design element to your store. (Source: Branded Girls)
If your boutique sells clothing, you are most likely using racks to showcase your apparel on the sales floor. While racks are great because they allow you to display a lot in a small space, they can be boring and uninspiring for shoppers.
Consider using rounded or other unconventional racks to reap the benefits of organization without making your space boring. The best place to find interesting (or even custom) clothing racks is going to be store supplies centers. Store Supply Warehouse is a great place to start.
10. Color Block Merchandise to Make Shopping Simple
Breaking up products by color creates visual appeal and simplifies the shopping process. (Source: Indie Twenty)
One of the keys to efficient and effective merchandising is to use your products as design elements. A way to do this is by organizing your products by color, like in the image above. Not only does this strategy make your store more organized and shoppable, but it also requires no additional investment—just a little elbow grease to get things moved around and color-coordinated.
11. Limit Merchandise on the Floor to Create a Showroom Feel
Keeping your floor sparse creates a high-end, showroom feel and promotes shopper-associate interactions. (Source: Pinterest)
If you operate a high-end boutique, you can create a feeling of luxury by treating your sales floor like a showroom and only putting out one or a few of each item you sell. This will not only make your store seem airy and serene, but it will also promote more shopper-associate interactions as if a customer is interested in an item, they will have to ask an associate to get it for them.
Beware, however, that this strategy only works if you have low traffic and low inventory. If you are not in a position where associates will be available to retrieve merchandise and work directly with every customer, the lack of available merchandise will actually limit your selling potential, as customers won’t be able to help themselves.
12. Add Branding to Your Fixtures
Adding branding to your store fixtures adds a personal touch that will help reinforce brand recognition. (Source: Pinterest)
To add an extra personal touch to your store, consider adding your branding to fixtures like tables, cash wrap, sidewalk signs, mirrors, and point-of-purchase displays. This strategy will boost brand recognition and turn every element of your store into a design element.
You can easily acquire custom decals from the Etsy marketplace, or you can commission an artist to do the work by hand.
13. Use Tables to Highlight Merchandise
Table displays are a great way to add visual interest and highlight products. (Source: Pinterest)
Another boutique design idea that you might try is using tables to display products. Table displays draw customers in and promote engagement, so they are a great place to feature new or bestselling items. Additionally, tables are a great way to break up your space, guide shopper traffic, and generally create visual interest in your space.
14. Create Focal Points Using Mannequins
Mannequins guide shopper attention, help feature key products, and show how merchandise will look off the hanger. (Source: New Tech Display)
Using mannequins to create focal points is another great boutique design idea that both offers utility and visual interest. In terms of utility, mannequins highlight key products and show customers how they will look off the hanger. Additionally, where you position your mannequins will help guide store traffic and engagement.
As far as design, mannequins are eye-catching and add a fun element to any store, as you can see in the image above.
Mannequins are typically easy to find at store supplies stores, like the Store Supply Warehouse, as well as online marketplaces like Amazon and Alibaba. You can also find them for less on Facebook Marketplace, as many stores that close their doors sell their extra store supplies there.
15. Add Backlighting
Backlighting makes product details easier to see and adds a fun design element to any space. (Source: Closet Solution)
Backlighting is another boutique design idea that you can use to both illuminate your products and create a visual punch. You can add backlighting to clothing racks, like in the picture above, as well as shelf displays, around your cash wrap, and under tables.
While you can get backlighting professionally installed, you can also do it yourself with LED light strips that you can order on Amazon—no electrical knowledge required.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click through the tabs below to get answers to some of your most frequently asked boutique decorating questions.
Adding decor to your boutique will help craft your brand image, create a more engaging and memorable experience for customers, and boost your sales.
The sky is the limit when it comes to how much you can invest in decorating your boutique, but you can keep things affordable by choosing inexpensive materials and doing some DIY projects.
First, you should hone in on your brand image so you know the type of decor to target. From there, you should select a store layout and then choose a couple of boutique decorating ideas to implement within that layout.
Bottom Line
The best boutique design ideas are creative and memorable and add something to your space, whether that be visual appeal, branding, or buying incentive. In the list above, we provided some great boutique decor ideas that you can personalize and add to your store in a way that works for your unique brand.
Use the boutique design ideas we provided as a launching point for adding your own unique flare, and watch your boutique go from a blank space to one that exudes personality and makes your products shine.
