Projektityyny. A mobile-first store launch for a Nordic-inspired textiles brand
Shopify theme customisation. A premium theme that looks bespoke.
Shopify theme customisation means taking a premium theme and redesigning it around your brand, products and customers, so it stops looking like the demo store. I design the key page templates, like the header and product page, in Figma, and the rest straight into the theme. Theme customisations start from £5,000 + VAT and take six to ten weeks from start to a live store. Thameen London, a fragrance house stocked in Harrods, runs on one.
- From £5,000 + VAT
- Six to ten weeks
- 20+ years of brand and ecommerce experience
What a theme customisation includes
- A theme recommendation with the reasons, before you buy anything.
- The key page templates and sections, like the header and footer, homepage and product page, designed in Figma, and then the rest styled straight into the theme.
- Product cards, navigation, header and footer redesigned around your brand.
- A short, clear brief for any custom sections the theme can't do.
- Optional help with the content upload, so it goes live looking as designed.
- A live store, checked on real devices.
Who a theme customisation is right for
- You're a start-up, and you want real sales data before a bigger investment.
- You need to launch or relaunch quickly.
- Your range fits a clear, standard navigation.
- You want to see how far a good theme goes before committing to bespoke.
Theme customisations I've designed
View all theme customisation work
Thameen London. Off headless, onto a premium theme the team runs themselves
Beauty · March 2026
"A journey that feels both effortless for the customer and truly reflective of Thameen's luxury positioning." Nour Abdel-Motaal
Wide Fit Shoes. A theme rebuild running both the UK and US stores
Fashion · August 2024
Product cards show width and colours before the click.
Dr Lipp. 38% higher conversion rate after a re-theme
Beauty · May 2024
May 2024 to February 2025 vs the previous period. Shopify Analytics.
Honest Shopify advice. When a theme customisation isn't the right call
Most brands can go a long way on a good theme. Thameen London runs on one now, with a bespoke build to revisit once they have more data and content, and the brand decisions, photography and content will carry straight over. These are the signs you've reached the end of a theme, when your products start to feel like square pegs in round holes.
Your range has outgrown the theme's navigation.
Navigation is where themes fall down first. If customers need several routes into a big range, the store needs designing around your products.
Your product needs a buying journey no theme has.
Configurators, quizzes and build-a-box flows don't come in a theme. They need designing from the product up.
The store looks right, but doesn't sell enough.
A fresh look won't fix a journey that loses people. Find where they leave and fix that first.
You're moving from another platform.
A move to Shopify changes what you need, so start there.
You're not sure what's holding the store back.
A theme customisation changes how a store looks, not always how it works. A UX review first shows which of the two you need.
You're launching your first store.
Start with Shopify's AI store builder or a free theme, and come back when sales show what it needs.
Shopify theme customisation process. How a project runs
Understand
A 30-minute call, a tailored quote, a UX review where it helps, and a theme shortlist with reasons before anything is bought.
Design
The key templates designed in Figma and the rest styled in the theme, with a weekly call and two rounds of feedback.
Launch
Where the theme runs out, I brief the developer on custom sections. Every screen checked on real devices.
Measure and improve
I check conversion rate and average order value at one, three and seven days after launch.
Thameen London on their theme customisation. A theme, but not the theme.
“Most importantly, he completely transformed the way the brand comes to life digitally. The new UX elevated the website into a much more modern, intuitive and premium experience, creating a journey that feels both effortless for the customer and truly reflective of Thameen's luxury positioning.”
Theme customisation price. How much does a Shopify theme customisation cost?
Prices checked September 2026. Every project is quoted individually once the brief is defined.
The final price is dependent on how many templates change and how many custom sections need to be designed. The theme licence is a one-off cost paid once the theme has been selected.
| Theme customisations | |
|---|---|
| Starting price | From £5,000 + VAT |
| Design time | Six to ten weeks |
| Build time | Included in the six to ten weeks |
| What you get | Key templates designed in Figma, the rest straight into the theme, delivered as a live store |
| Who builds it | For any custom sections, Cartmasters or Tom Blanchard, the Shopify developers who've built all 13 of my launches since 2023. Or your own team or agency |
Shopify theme vs bespoke. Which suits your store?
| Theme customisations (you're here) | Bespoke store design | |
|---|---|---|
| How it’s designed | A premium theme redesigned: the key templates, like the header and product page, in Figma, and the rest straight into the theme | Every template and the entire purchase journey designed bespoke to your brand, products and users |
| How it fits your products | Your products fitted to a theme made for thousands of stores | Every element shaped around your brand and products |
| Navigation | What the theme supports, plus custom sections | Designed bespoke around your range |
| Best for | Launching a new store or if you are moving quickly | Brands with the analytics data to make decisions and fine-tune each part of the store to their products |
| Example |  |  |
Get a quote | Bespoke store design |
Bespoke store design starts from £10,000 + VAT, with six to eight weeks of design and about the same again for the build.
Shopify theme customisation FAQs. Before you get in touch.
Can I start with the AI store builder and customise it later?
Yes. Plenty of brands start on a generated or free theme and bring in a designer once sales show what it can't do. Your products, content and orders carry over, because it's all still Shopify.
What is Shopify theme customisation?
Shopify theme customisation is taking a premium pre-built theme and redesigning it through its settings, custom CSS and new sections, so it fits your brand and products and converts better than the default. Done well, it looks nothing like the theme it started as.
Can a premium theme look unique?
Yes, if the work goes into what customers look at most: product cards, navigation, typography and spacing. Most stores on the same theme look alike because they keep the demo's defaults.
Can I move from a theme to bespoke later?
Yes. Many brands start on a theme and move to bespoke once their sales data shows what the theme can't do. The brand decisions, photography and content carry over.
How long does Shopify theme customisation take?
Six to ten weeks, depending on how many templates change and how much custom development the design needs. Client content is the usual holdup, so it helps to start it early.
Which Shopify theme should you choose?
I don't have a set theme to recommend. I pick whatever suits the brand and products best, or work with the one a client is already on. Thameen London runs on Sleek, and Wide Fit Shoes on Impulse.
Most premium themes are fine. Some can't hold many editorial blocks, though, which holds a store back when the brand needs a lot of storytelling. That's why I look at it project by project. For Thameen, I shortlisted two themes and we chose together.
Start a Shopify theme customisation. Tell me which theme you're on.
I reply within two working days.