Opening words
The reason I wanted to make this Lavli Living Room case study now, after 10 years, is that it is still relevant.
It was an early prototype of what we now call experiential wellbeing and emotional retail – before these categories and trends existed.
I created the Lavli Living Room concept from the heart, trusting my vision and intuition. I genuinely wanted to create a unique and meaningful place / platform that brings more joy to women's everyday lives and celebrates lovely brands and people behind them.
Unfortunately the concept store was short-lived because of a lack of resources and timing. I was too early with this experiential and multi-layered concept, and I just couldn't make it profitable fast enough with the resources I had at the time.
However, during its short but very active existence, Lavli Living Room proved that when aesthetics, multi-sensory experience, engaging program, and emotional intention are aligned, a commercial space can become something meaningful.
Even now, ten years later, I meet people who remember Lavli Living Room and still miss the place. That tells something about the emotional imprint it left.
Experiential wellbeing design and emotional retail are trending now – which I think is a great thing, finally – but for me, it has always been a ’built-in’ way of thinking and working. Just the tools change over time, as developing technology provides more possibilities.
–Asta Laurila, Lavli Oy
Overview
Lavli living room concept store (2016-2017) was an early embodiment of what today is called Experiential Wellbeing Design.
Lavli living room was a 250m² wellbeing concept store and social hub in the heart of Helsinki. The space was built as a multi-layered ecosystem where shopping, training, inspiration and human connection merged seamlessly. It demonstrated that when aesthetics, storytelling and human-centered design align, a physical space can become a meaningful emotional destination.
Lavli living room was developed with two core intentions:
- To increase happiness and wellbeing through environment, beauty, connection and meaningful experiences.
- To support a community of entrepreneurs by offering them visibility, a marketplace and a supportive ecosystem.
Lavli Living Room serves as a foundational case study in:
- Experiential wellbeing design
- Community-driven retail
- Multi-layered hybrid business models
- Organic visibility through emotional engagement
Core Concept & Purpose
As retail became increasingly transactional and digital, the core question was: How can a physical space become a destination, not just a store?
The ambition was to create:
- A place people intentionally visit and stay in
- A retail model built on emotional experience
- A platform supporting other entrepreneurs
- A hybrid B2C–B2B revenue ecosystem
The concept united:
- concept retail (Lorna Jane activewear, wellness & lifestyle)
- boutique training classes
- workshops and talks
- wellness and corporate events
- art exhibitions
- tea bar & lounge
- rentable spaces for private and business use
- a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products and services
The intention was to elevate wellbeing retail beyond transactional shopping and create an experiential, aesthetically rich lifestyle environment with inspirational services / events that impact on people's wellbeing. A holistic approach – not only wellness and training but also fashion, beauty and fun party products, like high heels walking and sparkling yoga.
Creative Direction, Branding & Spatial Design
The concept, brand and store design were developed to express a specific lifestyle and curated taste. The design language emphasized visual storytelling, beauty, sensory details and emotional connection.
Key design principles:
- Lifestyle-first retail: products curated through a wellbeing lens
- Experience layers: art, flowers, textures, scents, music and small surprises
- Storytelling: exploring active living, introducing instructors and entrepreneurs and the stories behind the brands
- Hybrid spatial zoning: retail + studio + lounge + art alley
- Platform logic: enabling different functions within the space
The aesthetic environment became an incentive to visit in itself, driving high voluntary visibility and social sharing.
Customer Experience & Marketing
The primary marketing strategy was customer experience and emotional impact, creating authentic delight rather than paid promotion.
Experience pillars included:
- Interior as “eye candy” — highly visual, curated and photo-friendly
- Warm and personal customer service that invited conversation
- Multisensory design: flowers, tea, music, art, tactile materials
- Surprises and small gestures to create emotional uplift
- High quality boutique training with top instructors and small groups
- Community program (talks, workshops, pop-ups)
The central location (Helsinki CBD) made the concept accessible and increased organic traffic. The store attracted magazines, bloggers, influencers and photographers for shoots due to its visual character. The result was strong word-of-mouth and non-paid social media visibility, which drove awareness and customer flow.
Business Services & Revenue Stream Strategy
Lavli Living Room was designed to generate value through multiple revenue channels. This multi-layered model positioned Lavli Living Room as both a destination and a platform.
B2C
- retail sales (wellness, activewear & lifestyle products)
- boutique training & classes
- public workshops and wellness events
- art sales
B2B
- corporate wellness services
- space rental for corporate functions / PR events
- curated brand partnerships
- photo & media shoots
- tailored events
Entrepreneur Platform
- marketplace for products & services
- event hosting collaborations
- visibility & community access
Impact & Guestbook Testimonials
Customers frequently stayed longer than planned — talking, exploring the store or simply relaxing and taking a break from shopping day — transforming the store into a social living room beside 'just' retail space.
One of the most powerful indicators of concept's success was the store’s guestbook, where customers wrote their spontaneous reflections and greetings. It's a hard copy proof of successful concept that touched people’s emotions and made an actual impact.
The guestbook greetings show that Lavli Living Room was experienced not only for the products sold but for how it made people feel: emotional shift, sense of belonging, and impact of the aesthetics and atmosphere.
Visitors wrote about:
– feeling inspired
– finding courage to start something new
– experiencing calm in the middle of the city
– meeting like-minded people
– feeling seen and supported
– leaving with more energy than when they arrived
Some wrote that it felt like “a second home.” And some even ranked it the best place in Helsinki. The place was loved by visitors around the world, no matter if it was Sweden, India, US, Germany or France.
"Ruotsista asti tiedusteltiin Lavli living roomista, kun koskaan aiemmin ei ollut näin suurta pr-tilaisuuden näkyvyyttä somessa" - PR-tilaisuus, Ellos
"Halusin tuoda ystäväni tänne ihastumaan ja samalla itsekin unelmoimaan teekupin kera. Aivan ihana, että tällainen paikka on olemassa. Mieli rauhoittuu ja omat unelmat selkiytyy. Tälläisesta paikasta itsekin haaveilen – joku päivä se on toivottavasti totta myös Tampereella" -Zara
"Asta ihana, kiitos tästäkin illasta ja aivan upeasta vuodesta Lavlin kanssa. Kehon ja mielen huoltoa samassa paketissa: silkkaa luksusta!" -Annette
People who made it happen with me
- Graphic Designer Eve Eschner
- Architect Anni Lahti
- Artist Reetta Hiltunen
- Paper Art Studio Mio Gallery
- Interior Designer Anne Munkki
- Carpenter Jari Karppinen
- and many more + all the lovely instructors and speakers and guests