Before & After: Brand Glow-Ups That Make Us Proud
- Laura Kuhn
- May 28
- 13 min read
Updated: Jun 2
Before & After: Brand Glow-Ups That Make Us Proud—Because nothing says "level up" like a brand with confidence and killer style.
At Midnight Boheme, we live for the transformation—the moment when a business sheds its “just okay” visuals and steps into its full, magnetic, totally-on-brand identity. It's more than a new logo or a trendy color palette. It's a shift. A brand glow-up isn't about following design fads—it's about becoming the clearest, boldest version of who you already are.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at a few of our favorite before-and-afters—no filters, no fluff, just strategic design that changes the game.
Destrehan Plantation
Logo Redesign 2022
Before (Left Side of Image): The original Destrehan Plantation logo features a full-color, front-facing architectural rendering of the plantation house, enclosed in a thin green oval frame. The serif typeface used for "Destrehan Plantation" is delicate, traditional, and understated, matching the symmetrical precision of the illustration. While historically accurate and detailed, the design feels more technical than emotional—closer to a diagram than a brand. Its light lines and soft color palette lack impact, especially at smaller scales or on signage.
After (Right Side of Image): The redesigned logo takes a bold step forward, transforming the visual identity from archival to iconic. The new version uses a monochromatic, engraved-style illustration of the house nestled within lush trees, giving the logo a sense of place, texture, and timelessness. The typography is dramatically elevated with a tall, confident serif font for “DESTREHAN,” paired with a complementary block style for “PLANTATION.” The oval frame is thicker and more dynamic, echoing the new brand’s historical weight and visual authority. The green background enhances legibility and gives the entire identity a grounded, heritage-inspired tone.
Design Evolution Summary:
Illustration: From flat digital rendering to rich, hand-drawn engraving-style artwork
Typography: From light, traditional serif to bold, historically resonant typefaces
Color Scheme: From soft and pale to strong, earthy, and heritage-rich
Composition: From delicate and literal to striking and symbolic
Readability: Significantly improved for print, merchandise, and signage
Overall Impression: The refreshed Destrehan Plantation logo shifts from polite formality to bold storytelling. It balances historical reverence with modern branding standards, creating a visual identity that honors the past while asserting a strong presence in the present. A thoughtful evolution for a landmark with deep roots.
Wet Work
Logo Redesign 2020
Before (Left Side of Image): The original Wet Work logo features a clean, minimal design. A stylized red water droplet composed of vertical negative space lines sits above the text “WET WORK,” set in a modern sans-serif font with geometric, slightly rounded edges. The tagline, “Always on the Cutting Edge,” adds a clever nod to innovation, but the light gray font and overall design feel flat. The layout is functional and professional, but it leans toward tech startup rather than aquatic design powerhouse.
After (Right Side of Image): The new logo takes everything up a level—dramatically. The droplet icon remains but is transformed into a dimensional, metallic red emblem with shadows and highlights, giving it strength, depth, and presence. The typography has been overhauled with a bold, futuristic industrial typeface rendered in a brushed chrome finish that screams precision and craftsmanship.
The tagline has been replaced with a more elegant and specific descriptor: “Aquatics Artistry”, clearly aligning the brand with its creative, high-end niche. The dark textured background further enhances the visual drama, making the logo pop and communicate serious, premium quality.
Design Evolution Summary:
Logo Icon: Same core droplet concept, now with metallic texture, lighting, and visual depth
Typography: Upgraded from minimal sans-serif to custom 3D metallic text—strong, sleek, and confident
Color Scheme: From clean black/red/white to a richer, more tactile palette with chrome and textured black
Tagline: Refined from a clever phrase to a definitive brand positioning statement (“Aquatics Artistry”)
Tone: From understated and modern to bold, high-tech, and luxury-industrial
Overall Impression: The refreshed Wet Work brand identity makes a powerful visual statement. It evolves from a general design aesthetic to a bold, unmistakable brand with industry authority. From the droplet to the typography, every element now reflects precision, craftsmanship, and impact—perfectly suited to a company redefining water features with style and innovation.
Sweet Olive Soap Works
Logo Redesign 2017
Before (Left Side of Image): The original Sweet Olive Soap Works logo presents a soft, delicate identity. The layout features graceful script-inspired swashes framing the brand name, giving it a feminine, handmade feel. “Sweet Olive” is set in a blue serif font with subtle drop shadows, while “Soap Works” and “New Orleans” are rendered in smaller, lighter typefaces beneath a curved baseline. The palette of sky blue and light gray evokes cleanliness and simplicity but lacks strong visual contrast. Overall, it’s pleasant and charming—yet a bit understated and traditional.
After (Right Side of Image): The refreshed logo takes the same foundational brand message and dials it all the way up. Set against a bold turquoise background, the new design explodes with handcrafted elegance and Southern charm. The typography is completely reimagined—“Sweet Olive” now uses large, swirling vintage-inspired lettering with refined curls and strong vertical rhythm. “Soap Works” is wrapped dramatically inside a flowing ribbon banner that adds dimension, movement, and a boutique flair. The drop shadows and tight layout give it depth and visibility—perfect for packaging, signage, and social media.
Gone are the dainty swirls—replaced by bolder, more intentional illustrative elements that maintain the handmade essence while improving legibility and impact.
Design Evolution Summary:
Typography: From delicate and reserved to bold, sculpted, and stylized
Layout: From horizontal and airy to stacked, dynamic, and centerpiece-ready
Color Scheme: From soft pastel tones to confident turquoise and white contrast
Illustration: Flourishes evolve from decorative swirls to integrated ribbon banner design
Tone: From gentle and artisanal to confident, expressive, and boutique-luxe
Overall Impression: The new Sweet Olive Soap Works logo elevates the brand from charming cottage industry to heritage-rich artisan label. It commands attention while still feeling warm and handcrafted—an ideal evolution for a business that’s growing into a stronger market presence without losing its New Orleans soul. A brand refresh that feels as invigorating as a citrus soap on a summer day. 🧼✨
Cooney Cone Sno-Balls
Logo Redesign 2021
Before (Left Side of Image): The original Cooney Cone logo, printed in a single white ink on a red background, is a nostalgic throwback—featuring a cheerful cartoon raccoon sitting with a snowball in paw and surrounded by whimsical flower shapes. While undeniably charming and full of character, the design feels dated with a flat, monochromatic aesthetic and hand-drawn elements that lack polish and clarity at smaller sizes. The typography is a straightforward serif, functional but not expressive, and the phrase “SNOW BALLS” is presented in a traditional, no-frills layout.
After (Right Side of Image): The updated logo delivers a vibrant and professional glow-up. The raccoon mascot has been refined into a lively, clean-lined character with expressive features and bolder outlines—now joyfully holding two colorful rainbow sno-balls that immediately communicate product and playfulness. The typography has been fully reimagined: “Cooney Cone” arches above in a bold, playful typeface, while “Sno-balls” is styled in a dynamic, script-style font with frosty highlights and water-inspired swirls, adding movement and texture. The inclusion of the business’s address (“3209 Bayou Road · St. Bernard”) provides helpful context, grounding the brand in its local roots.
Design Evolution Summary:
Color: From single-color to full-color vibrancy.
Illustration: From hand-drawn to polished and digital-ready.
Typography: From generic to personality-driven and brand-specific.
Functionality: More scalable, versatile, and ready for signage, merchandise, and social media.
Overall Impression: The redesign brings the Cooney Cone Sno-balls brand into the modern era while keeping the fun, approachable spirit of the original. It’s a perfect example of how a thoughtful refresh can preserve legacy while boosting professionalism, recognition, and appeal. A true NOLA glow-up!
Quintin's Natural Ice Cream & Sorbet
Logo Redesign 2023
Before (Left Side of Image): The original Quintin’s Natural logo carries a charming, handmade vibe. The illustration of a flower-crowned girl in a pink dress eating ice cream adds a personal, nostalgic touch—sweet and whimsical. The brand name is spelled out using stylized blue letters on cream-colored tiles, reminiscent of hand-painted New Orleans street signs. However, the layout feels loose and unstructured, with the text floating beneath the illustration and “Ice Cream & Sorbet” in a flat, generic purple font. While the identity is friendly, it lacks cohesion and polish—more neighborhood shop than established brand.
After (Right Side of Image): The updated logo keeps the heart of the original—retaining the iconic girl illustration and tile motif—but elevates every element with professional design. Now set within a circular badge-style layout, the brand has structure, presence, and a sense of heritage. The girl illustration is refined, more detailed and expressive, and now partially framed by a white arc reading “Made Fresh in New Orleans.”
The tile typography is rendered with sharper contrast and a more dimensional, tile-like effect, evoking a sense of durability and New Orleans culture. “Ice Cream & Sorbet” is integrated below in elegant serifed type, with “Since 1998” grounding the design and giving it a legacy feel. The overall color palette is more cohesive, with cool blues and whites that communicate freshness and trust.
Design Evolution Summary:
Illustration: More polished and expressive while preserving the original character
Typography: Tile motif refined for clarity and impact; subtext upgraded to elegant serif
Layout: From loosely stacked to structured and badge-style—better for branding, signage, and packaging
Color Scheme: From soft pastels and disconnected hues to a fresh, cohesive blue-and-white palette
Tone: From sweet and homegrown to established, artisanal, and trusted
Overall Impression: The redesigned Quintin’s Natural logo is a perfect blend of tradition and transformation. It keeps the heartwarming charm of the original but repackages it in a way that’s clean, cohesive, and built for broad brand recognition. From neighborhood favorite to professional standout—this rebrand is the cherry on top. 🍨
Preservation Tile Co.
Logo Redesign 2020
Before (Left Side of Image): The original Preservation Tile Co. logo leans into a gritty, vintage aesthetic. Rendered in black-and-white, the word “PRESERVATION” is set in a distressed Western-style font, with a rough texture that nods to age and hand-worn surfaces. “Tile Co.” is enclosed in a simple oval shape beneath, evoking the look of a stamp or label. While the design has character, it lacks refinement and feels more utilitarian than inspired—suggesting durability, but not necessarily artistry or craftsmanship.
After (Right Side of Image): The rebranded logo is a vibrant transformation bursting with personality and New Orleans flair. The new design uses a bright yellow background with rich purple typography—an eye-catching, energetic color pairing often associated with creativity and culture. The typography is ornate and custom-styled, with flourishes, curved accents, and a confident sense of movement. “PRESERVATION” arches above, while “TILE CO.” is expanded into its own stylized treatment with elegant scrollwork and a decorative underline that reads “EST. 2010.” The overall feel is elevated, expressive, and culturally resonant—perfectly aligned with a brand that values both tradition and visual artistry.
Design Evolution Summary:
Color: From monochrome to vivid purple and gold for impact and brand identity
Typography: From distressed Western to ornate and custom lettering with artistic flourishes
Layout: From static horizontal to dynamic, layered composition with movement and balance
Tone: From rustic and reserved to celebratory and confident
Style: Upgraded from historical industrial to a modern homage to heritage and craftsmanship
Overall Impression: The new Preservation Tile Co. logo captures the spirit of handcrafted artistry while honoring the cultural vibrancy of New Orleans. It transforms the brand from a local tile provider to a boutique artisan studio with a strong visual identity—bold, beautiful, and built to stand the test of time.
New Orleans Public Belt Railroad
Logo Redesign 2020
Before (Left Side of Image): The original New Orleans Public Belt logo presents a classic, seal-style design centered around a monogram of interlocking letters: "RR" (for Railroad) entwined within a stylized "B," enclosed in a circular badge. The typography is traditional and narrow, forming a ring that spells out “New Orleans Public Belt.” While rich with legacy and railroad symbolism (including track imagery below), the design leans heavily into institutional heritage, offering little in terms of visual clarity or modern brand flexibility. It's detailed, formal, and difficult to reproduce at small sizes—more appropriate for a letterhead than a billboard.
After (Right Side of Image): The redesigned NOPB logo is a dynamic, simplified, and much more marketable brand mark. It features a bold red fleur-de-lis—an iconic symbol of New Orleans—intersected by a stylized blue railway that curves with movement and flow. Beneath it, the acronym NOPB is displayed in modern, thick sans-serif lettering, with “New Orleans Public Belt” spelled out cleanly underneath for clarity. The new design is clean, scalable, and unmistakably rooted in place, blending civic pride with visual momentum and streamlined professionalism.
Design Evolution Summary:
Typography: From formal serif to bold, modern sans-serif for instant readability
Color Palette: From single-color blue to a patriotic red, white, and blue combo (adding local + national symbolism)
Iconography: From historic monogram to a clean fleur-de-lis and rail symbol that clearly communicates purpose
Usability: Now versatile across digital, signage, uniforms, and marketing—no loss of detail at smaller sizes
Tone: From government-seal formality to contemporary civic infrastructure branding
Overall Impression: The new NOPB logo is a masterclass in balancing heritage with modern utility. It honors its roots with familiar regional symbolism but steps confidently into the future with clarity, impact, and broad accessibility. The rebrand transforms NOPB from a legacy institution into a forward-facing brand ready to serve New Orleans' present and future.
Papermaple Studio
Logo Rebranding 2025
Before (Left Side of Image): The original Papermaple Studio logo conveys a soft, creative personality rooted in artistic expression. Set against a watercolor splash in rose pink, the typography is elegant but understated, using a modern serif font with a horizontal line anchoring the two-tier layout. The overall impression is airy and handcrafted, ideal for a design studio or creative artisan business—but it leans heavily into the visual language of general art rather than a specialized craft.
After (Right Side of Image): The rebranded Papermaple Patterns logo signals a strategic elevation in focus and professionalism. The name itself has shifted to reflect a more specific niche—patterns, hinting at fashion, textiles, or surface design. The visual identity adopts a dramatic and refined tone with a deep navy background and a sophisticated dusty rose metallic tone for the text. The standout feature is the letter "M," now integrated into a circular needle-and-thread motif—an iconic, elegant nod to pattern-making and craftsmanship.
Typography is sleeker and more upscale, spaced with precision and intention. The word “PATTERNS” anchors the logo in clean, spaced-out capitals, reinforcing the new specialty and adding an editorial edge.
Design Evolution Summary:
Name Change: From general "Studio" to niche "Patterns," signaling business clarity and expertise
Typography: From soft serif to refined, luxury-style type with stylized custom lettering
Color Palette: From white and watercolor pink to deep navy and rose gold tones—sophisticated, high contrast, and fashion-forward
Logo Symbolism: Added symbolic “M” with a needle & thread—strongly tied to the brand’s craft and purpose
Tone Shift: From gentle, artsy boutique to premium, defined, and tailored brand identity
Overall Impression: The Papermaple rebrand is a masterful transition from creative generalist to specialist. It reflects growth in both brand maturity and market positioning—elevating the identity from charming and creative to expert and aspirational. With this new look, Papermaple Patterns is ready to stand out in the world of fashion, textile, or product design with confidence, clarity, and style.
Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents and Associates
Logo Redesign 2025
Before (Left Side of Image): The original VCPORA logo (Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents and Associates) evokes a classic French Quarter charm with its vintage-style scrollwork, shaded engraving effects, and serif typography. Set inside a horizontal rectangle with ornate corners, it resembles an etched architectural plaque—appropriate for an organization dedicated to preservation. However, the stippled texture and heavy shading create visual noise, making the logo less versatile across different applications (especially digital or small-scale usage). The layout is intricate but slightly dated in execution.
After (Right Side of Image): The updated logo retains the essence of the original—heritage, structure, and ornament—but with a far more elegant and usable design. The scrollwork has been simplified into a symmetrical, cleaner flourish, now framing the top and bottom of the bold “VCPORA” block. The serif lettering is preserved but given more breathing room with better spacing and crispness. The dotted texture is gone, replaced by solid lines and smoother contrast, offering a more professional and contemporary feel.
Set against a stately slate-blue background, the redesign improves readability and adds a polished finish suitable for both print and digital mediums. The full organization name remains in a classic serif beneath, but with cleaner hierarchy and improved legibility.
Design Evolution Summary:
Scrollwork: From textured engraving to clean, symmetrical ornamentation
Typography: Serif style maintained but modernized and spaced for clarity
Layout: From dense, horizontal block to refined vertical stacking
Color Scheme: From grayscale to an elegant slate blue and white
Tone: From old-world charm to heritage with clarity, balance, and modern refinement
Overall Impression: The new VCPORA logo is a sophisticated evolution that honors the historic identity of the French Quarter while updating the visual language for today’s audiences. It remains rooted in preservation—but now looks ready to represent the organization with consistency across signage, digital platforms, and community advocacy materials. A thoughtful refresh that feels as enduring as the Quarter itself.
Crescent City Swoon
Logo Redesign 2021
Before (Left Side of Image): The original Crescent City Swoon logo presents a playful and handmade vibe, featuring a large whimsical font for the word “Swoon!” paired with a bright pink crescent moon and traditional serif text for “Crescent City.” While the intention is friendly and accessible, the overall feel leans more casual and inconsistent—the mix of font styles and the placement of elements lacks cohesion. The tagline “Handmade in New Orleans & Soaking in Culture!” is fun, but the script font below the main logo adds clutter and feels more like a caption than a brand element.
After (Right Side of Image): The refreshed logo is a full brand elevation—refined, cohesive, and confidently modern. The script typography for “Swoon” is elegant and expressive, with smooth curves that flow naturally and evoke a sense of luxury and self-care. “Crescent City” sits above in a clean, all-caps hand-drawn font that complements the handcrafted aesthetic without overpowering it. The crescent moon shifts from hot pink to a sophisticated mustard gold, and the entire design now rests against a rich plum background, giving it warmth and a sense of indulgence. The new tagline, “Handmade Bath Bomb Studio,” is concise and clearly defines the business in a way that feels professional and focused.
Design Evolution Summary:
Typography: From mismatched and playful to elegant, modern, and cohesive
Color: From basic black-and-pink to a rich, luxurious palette of plum and gold
Composition: From scattered layout to balanced and harmonious structure
Tone: From quirky and casual to artisan and boutique
Clarity: A sharper tagline that immediately communicates the product and market
Overall Impression: The new Crescent City Swoon branding successfully transitions from a craft-market feel to a boutique bath bomb studio. It’s still handmade at heart—but now polished, professional, and ready for shelves, packaging, and national recognition. A swoon-worthy glow-up, indeed.
🌙 Why These Glow-Ups Matter
Because branding isn’t about being the flashiest—it’s about being the most authentically you. When your visuals align with your voice, your message becomes magnetic. People trust you faster, remember you longer, and connect more deeply.
At Midnight Boheme, we don’t do “cookie-cutter.” We do custom transformations that feel aligned, inspired, and made to last.
Ready for your own glow-up? Let’s turn your brand from “fine” to freakin’ fabulous.