Project Spotlight: Janie and Jack Store Design Brings Boutique Elegance to Nationwide Retail

Project Overview

Name: Janie and Jack

Location: Nationwide – new builds, remodels, and relocations across the U.S.

Client: Janie and Jack

MBH Role: Design Architect & Architect of Record

Size: 890 – 2,555 SF per location

Project Type: Ground-up, remodel, shop-in-shop, and prototype refinement

Timeline: Ongoing

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Janie and Jack is more than a children’s clothing brand—it’s a design house rooted in story, craft, and memory-making. In partnership with the brand’s store development team, MBH Architects is supporting the rollout of a new era of boutique retail environments. These spaces express the company’s reimagined identity and support its national expansion.

From California to Florida, Texas to New York, MBH’s work spans a wide variety of footprints, conditions, and contexts. We handle new builds in first-generation spaces, strategic relocations, refreshes of existing stores, and all-new entries into untapped markets. Across dozens of locations, MBH provides full architectural services. This includes permitting, consultant coordination, brand-right detailing, and value-driven solutions.

Translating the Janie and Jack Store Design Across the Country

At the heart of every Janie and Jack store is a design narrative centered on elevated memory-making. The environment is meant to feel artisanal, intentional, and family-focused. It’s a boutique-scale space with custom details that mirror the heirloom quality of the brand’s garments.

Design inspiration is drawn from Parisian architecture and vintage shopfronts. This is brought to life through tactile materiality and curated moments. Signature design elements include:

• Herringbone wood flooring in engineered white oak

• Coffered ceilings with crown moldings and rosettes

• Jewel-toned storefront portals in deep blue-grey

• Brass globe lighting, armoire-inspired furnishings, and marble-topped cash wraps

  
  

These elements work together to create a layered and immersive experience. The layout, materials, and merchandising all echo the brand’s manifesto: “We stitch stories together and create memories.”

Layout That Invites Discovery

Store planning begins at the front door—open arms and open doors, whenever possible. Upon entry, guests are welcomed by a low round feature table with seasonal collections and curated looks. From there, the store unfolds intuitively:

• Girls’ apparel is typically displayed to the right.

• Boys’ apparel to the left.

• Newborn and baby lines toward the back.

• Specialty bays and armoires highlight capsule drops and accessories.

• A “concierge” cash wrap serves as both a service hub and elegant anchor.

  
  

Clearances are carefully considered for families with strollers. This ensures smooth flow and welcoming comfort. Display moments, both digital and analog, reinforce the storytelling with seasonally refreshed photography and lifestyle branding. This enhances the emotional impact of the visit.

Balancing Impact with Budget

One of the defining challenges of this national program has been maintaining a high standard of design on a modest per-store budget. MBH collaborated closely with Janie and Jack’s internal team. We analyzed where to invest boldly and where to optimize strategically.

This meant asking tough questions about which elements created the most visual impact. We also considered where substitutions could be made without compromising the experience. The result is a kit-of-parts approach: refined prototypes adapted for different regions, sites, and code requirements. All while maintaining visual consistency and brand integrity.

Sustainability and Stewardship

Janie and Jack is committed to reducing waste in its physical retail footprint. Across remodels and relocations, MBH explored opportunities to retain or repurpose existing infrastructure. We reworked storefronts, salvaged lighting systems, and adapted finishes wherever possible. The use of sustainably sourced engineered wood flooring and low-impact materials further supports the brand’s long-term sustainability goals.

A Collaborative Partnership

With a small but mighty store development team, Janie and Jack relied heavily on MBH for cross-functional support. This included code navigation, structural coordination, material specification, and visual merchandising layouts. Weekly meetings, design presentations, and executive touchpoints ensured a collaborative process and a unified result.

In each project, MBH served as more than just a designer. We were a strategic partner, a design advocate, and a project shepherd. Our role was to help the client scale its vision without losing its soul.

The Future of Retail Design

As we move forward, the landscape of retail continues to evolve. Brands must adapt to changing consumer behaviors and preferences. MBH Architects is committed to leading the way in innovative design solutions that enhance the shopping experience.

By focusing on creating spaces that resonate with customers, we aim to foster loyalty and increase asset value. Our goal is to be the go-to global architecture and design firm, known for creating state-of-the-art spaces.

Interested in how MBH helps retail brands translate their ethos into built environments across the country?

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