🪴Sprout Home: Built to Bloom

Migrating to Shopify Online Store 2.0

Client Overview

Forged from a desire to combine a love of nature with a love of artful design, sprout home opened its doors in the west town neighborhood of chicago in 2003.
Since then, the original garden store has expanded to include its floral store across the street. At SPROUT HOME, our roster of talented gardeners, floral designers, and imaginative minds aim to provide spaces that invite people to learn, create and get inspired.

Project Scope

Migrating to Shopify Online Store 2.0

Upgrade sprouthome.com to leverage OS 2.0 features, focusing: on enhancing flexibility, scalability, and customer experience.

Sprout Home has always prioritized intentional design choices that enrich the customer journey. With Shopify's OS 2.0 introducing sections everywhere, we aligned the platform's capabilities with Sprout Home's vision. 🌿

Key improvements include:

Streamlined navigation: implemented dropdown menus featuring curated collections for intuitive browsing.
Flexible sections and templates: developed adaptable layouts to support galleries and service pages, providing Sprout Home with greater control over content presentation.

Behind the scenes, we optimized metafields, collections, and code structure to modernize site functionality while maintaining the familiar front-end experience. The result is a more efficient, scalable site that enhances both customer experience and ease of management.

“Working with Ask Kenna was like having a team of mind readers.”

~Sprout Home 🌿✨

Key Focus Areas

Sections Everywhere

Transition to modular design by shifting from rigid, hard-coded templates to flexible sections across all page types.
Empowerment through customization - enabled the Sprout Home team to manage and customize product pages, collections, and content pages without developer intervention.
Consistency with reusable sections to streamline page builds and maintain design consistency.

Metafields Optimization

Implemented custom metafields for products, collections, and pages to enable dynamic content management.
Minimized reliance on third-party apps for storing extra product details, improving performance and data consistency.
Utilized metafields for SEO elements, filters, care instructions, and other key information.

Embedded Apps & Tech Stack Simplification

Replaced older script-heavy apps with OS 2.0 embedded apps for cleaner, native integration.
Eliminated redundant tools by leveraging new Shopify-native features, reducing reliance on third-party apps.
Lowered monthly app costs and minimized potential conflicts by consolidating functionality within the Shopify ecosystem.
Boosted performance and reliability by reducing external scripts that previously slowed down the site.

Search & Discovery

Implemented Shopify’s Search & Discovery app to improve filtering, sorting, and merchandising options.
Enhanced on-site search functionality with custom product filters and dynamic product recommendations.
Provided a better user experience, leading to more intuitive navigation and higher conversion potential.

The Redesign with Sections Everywhere

One of the most anticipated updates in Shopify Online Store 2.0 was the introduction of Sections Everywhere, and for good reason. This upgrade marked a major shift in how Shopify stores are built and maintained. It gave both developers and merchants the ability to create modular, customizable layouts across the entire storefront without needing to hard-code templates.

For this project, embracing Sections Everywhere was a game-changer. It not only simplified the development process but also empowered the client to take greater control of their own content. In fact, they were able to independently build out custom galleries and landing pages using the new tools, reducing turnaround time and streamlining workflows.

Key Features:

Drag-and-drop customization
Merchants can easily rearrange content within the Shopify Theme Editor; no code required.
Available across all pages
Sections are no longer limited to the homepage. They can now be added to products, collections, pages, and more.
Reusable blocks
Instead of hardcoding custom layouts, merchants can build flexible pages with pre-built sections.
Reduced developer dependency
Updating promotional pages and new content can now be handled directly by the client team, reducing reliance on developers.
Faster time to launch
With a modular design system in place, the team can quickly create and iterate on landing pages and campaign experiences.

Galleries & Landing Pages

Built by the Sprout Home team, powered by Sections Everywhere and their creativity.

Dynamic Content with Metafields

Another major upgrade in this project was the strategic use of Shopify metafields to power flexible, dynamic content across the site. Instead of relying on hardcoded templates or third-party apps, Sprout Home now manages structured data directly in the Shopify admin - keeping everything clean, scalable, and easy to maintain.

Key Improvements:

Custom metafields for products, variants, collections, and pages
Enabled precise control over how and where content appears. Whether it’s a banner on a collection page or a care instruction on a product.
Reduced reliance on apps
Many previously app-managed fields (like badges, tabs, or custom details) were replaced with native metafields. As a result improving site performance and streamlining data consistency.
Metafields for SEO and merchandising
Used to control SEO elements, custom labels, care sheets, and other important product-specific information (all manageable by the Sprout Home team post-launch).
Search and Filters
More on this is the Search & Discovery section.

Metafields gave Sprout Home a flexible content structure built for scale. Combined with Sections Everywhere, they now have the freedom to build, edit, and personalize their storefront without needing to call in a developer for every change.

This video showcases several metafields in use.

Filters - more details in the Search & Discovery section.
Tabs - under the product image on the left, you'll notice tabs that dynamically appear based on the product you are currently on.
This product was chosen as an example because under the care tab it has the appropriate page linked as a metafield for care instructions, as well as a url linked to a downloadable pdf version of the care sheet.
Add a vessel is utilizing collection metafields to show curated collections of pots (or vases) that have been picked out to go with products by the Sprout team.

There is additional functionality on the product page that you may have noticed:

When a vessel is selected, the price dynamically changes in the Add to Cart Button
If a vessel is added, an additional checkbox option displays below the vessel section if the product can be potted by the staff on the customer's behalf.
The potting fee is also reflected in the Add to Cart Button

Simplifying the Tech Stack

Upgrading to Online Store 2.0 allowed us to streamline the tech stack and improve app integration across the storefront. Legacy apps that relied on third-party scripts or workarounds were replaced with modern, embedded alternatives. In some cases, apps were no longer necessary because their functionality was built directly into the theme. In others, the Ask Kenna team customized the theme to replicate app features, reducing costs and improving performance.

Technical Improvements:

Replaced older script-heavy apps with embedded versions for cleaner, more stable integration.
Reduced app bloat by removing redundant or legacy tools.
Improved page speed and reduced potential conflicts from third-party scripts

Business Wins:

Lowered recurring app costs, saving Sprout Home ~$9,000/year.
Simplified app management for the internal team.
Freed up staff time previously spent managing app-based workarounds.

The result? A smarter, more stable storefront and a team that’s better equipped to grow the business.

We won't be naming the names of apps that were replaced in this section.

Most of these apps were essential to the Sprout Home team's daily work with Shopify, and tied to storefront functionality that just would not have been possible in 2021 with out them!

Shopify was late to the metafield game and apps that could help with dynamic content were vital to Sprout Home's needs.

Most of what we replaced is on the backend. A lot of dynamic content was migrated to Shopify's (newish) native metafields/metaobjects, search functionality, and merchandising.

You've seen some metafields in action above; This video highlights a special feature in the Prestige theme called Variant Image Sets that was tweaked further to include a collection page only image.

In addition, a custom carousel was added. At Ask Kenna we are all in on Accessibility, carousels aren't always the most user friendly. Our developer ensured this one is.

The delay for the slideshow to start is intentional, not a load time issue. Once the page loads the carousel has a delayed start to avoid sudden page load shits. The transitions are also gently on purpose. My personal favourite part is the zoom. It's subtle and you may not notice it because I didn't record my cursor. Try it for yourself.

The variant images rotate on a set interval. When you click to make a image larger, the carousel pauses in the background. This means that when you close the image you wanted a closer look at, you are exactly where you were in the rotation before you opened it.

The carousel also pauses on hover.

Search & Discovery Enhancements

Improving how customers find and explore products was a key part of this project. By implementing Shopify’s Search & Discovery app, we upgraded the store’s filtering, sorting, and product recommendation experience making it easier for customers to navigate, discover, and convert.

Key Improvements:

Smarter filtering & sorting
Utilizing metafields and metaobjects we added custom product filters on collection pages allowing customers to narrow down results based on what matters most to them.
Dynamic product recommendations
Enabled context-aware suggestions that surface relevant products across the site, helping customers discover more (and purchase more).
Streamlined navigation
With more intuitive filters and search functionality, browsing became faster and more focused, reducing friction and improving the overall customer journey.
Only when it’s helpful
To improve the user experience even further, the Ask Kenna dev team customized collection and search templates to dynamically show or hide filters from Shopify’s Search & Discovery app. This tailored customization ensures the filters appear only when they’re helpful, and stay out of the way when they’re not.

These updates made it easier for customers to find the right products faster especially on mobile, where streamlined navigation matters most. The result? Higher engagement, better product discovery, and more confident shopping decisions.

Filters that know when to show up!

Shopify’s Search & Discovery app does a good job of only displaying filters that are relevant to the current product set, but we took it further.

Using metafields and metaobjects, we fine-tuned filtering logic to give Sprout Home a much more nuanced, intuitive experience. This level of control meant our team needed the ability to decide when filters should appear, and more when they shouldn’t.

One example: we created a metaobject for Color Family to surface both the primary color of a product and any complementary tones. This gives customers helpful visual cues while they browse or build a look.

We also adjusted filter behavior based on context:

collection pages, out-of-stock items are hidden automatically.
search results pages, all items appear (including sold-out ones) because some customers are collectors or plant lovers looking for something specific.

In those moments, we display only the most helpful filters: In Stock, On Sale, & Shipping Available toggles, Color Family, and Collection.

It’s a small detail, but one that supports a smoother, more thoughtful shopping journey.

The Ask Kenna team had the ability to rationalize our theme upgrade holistically thus saving time; they also provided detailed solutions exceeding our expectations. Working with Ask Kenna was like having a team of mind readers! They understood our vision from the get-go, offered innovations solutions, and went above and beyond even anticipating roadblocks before they arose. We are thrilled with the results!

~Sprout Home

The Outcome

This wasn’t just a refresh, it was a strategic rebuild. The upgraded store is faster, easier to maintain, and built for long-term growth with fewer apps, less friction, and more control in the hands of the Sprout Home team. 🌱

We cut costs, streamlined tools, and gave them the confidence to manage content and merchandising without relying on dev time. We included a training doc with video walkthroughs giving the team a resource they could learn from now, and reference later.

The goal? Less like Jenga, more like Lego - a modular storefront, carefully rebuilt with pieces that actually fit.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t wobble once.

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