As someone who spends a ridiculous amount of time analyzing letterforms (my partner has caught me photographing store signage more times than I care to admit), I’m fascinated by how different industries approach typography. Today, I’m turning my obsessive eye toward home improvement companies, where typography often needs to balance professionalism with approachability, technical expertise with customer-friendly warmth.
Let’s examine five companies that have made interesting typographic choices in an industry not typically celebrated for design innovation.
1. BPM Heating & Cooling: Unexpected Sophistication in Local HVAC
When examining local service providers like BPM Heating & Cooling, which services HVAC in Frederick MD, I’m often pleasantly surprised by thoughtful typography that defies the “slap a generic sans-serif on it” approach.
BPM uses a modified version of Proxima Nova for their logo, with custom spacing that creates a distinctly professional yet approachable feel. For their website and printed materials, they’ve paired this with Merriweather for body text – an excellent choice that provides readability at smaller sizes while maintaining the technical authority necessary for an HVAC company.
What’s remarkable is how this typographic system works across contexts: from vehicle wraps to technical documentation to digital interfaces. The slight weight contrast between “BPM” and “Heating & Cooling” in their lockup creates a visual hierarchy that guides the eye while emphasizing their full-service capabilities.
It’s a masterclass in how regional service providers can use typography to elevate their brand beyond the expected.
2. Lowe’s: Evolution of a Retail Giant
Lowe’s 2021 typographic refresh deserves attention for how it maintained brand recognition while creating a more cohesive system. Their shift to a custom typeface (“Lowe’s Sans”) created specifically for their diverse communication needs shows a sophisticated understanding of typography’s role in retail.
What impresses me most is how this custom font family handles the transition between in-store signage (where it needs to work at large scale with significant viewing distances) and digital platforms (where legibility on mobile devices is crucial). The typeface features slightly condensed proportions that maximize space efficiency in product catalogs without sacrificing readability.
The slightly increased x-height compared to their previous system also improves accessibility – a thoughtful consideration for a brand serving both professionals and DIYers across age demographics.
3. Sherwin-Williams: Color Authority Through Typography
For a company whose product is color, Sherwin-Williams demonstrates remarkable restraint in their typography. Their primary typeface, a modified Helvetica Neue, provides a neutral vessel that allows their color offerings to take center stage.
What’s interesting is how they use weight variations to create distinct personalities across their various product lines. Their premium “Emerald” collection uses Helvetica Neue Light with increased letter-spacing, creating an airy, sophisticated feel, while their contractor-focused “ProMar” series uses Helvetica Neue Bold with tighter spacing, signaling durability and efficiency.
This systematic approach proves that even with a seemingly “safe” typeface choice, thoughtful application can create rich brand expressions.
4. The Home Depot: Vernacular Typography as Brand Asset
The Home Depot’s typographic system is fascinating because it embraces the vernacular quality of their original hand-drawn logo and extends that character throughout their communication.
Their primary typeface (a customized version of Impact) maintains the bold, slightly compressed quality of their iconic wordmark while offering more flexibility. What’s notable is how they don’t fight against the “working-class” associations of their typography but rather embrace it as part of their authentic brand voice.
Their secondary typeface for body copy (a humanist sans-serif) creates an interesting tension with the more industrial headline font, much like how their stores balance professional-grade tools with consumer-friendly shopping experiences.
5. Restoration Hardware: Typography as Luxury Signifier
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Restoration Hardware (now RH) uses typography as a primary vehicle to signal their transition from a mid-market retailer to a luxury design brand.
Their shift to a custom serif typeface with distinct classical proportions and high contrast between thick and thin strokes immediately positions them adjacent to luxury fashion brands rather than traditional home improvement retailers.
The generous white space surrounding their typography, along with refined letter-spacing in all-caps settings, creates a sense of exclusivity and restraint that justifies their premium pricing. Their typographic system demonstrates how letterforms can reposition an entire brand within a competitive landscape.
The Character of Home Improvement
What fascinates me about these examples is how typography helps these brands navigate complex identity challenges. Home improvement companies must simultaneously project technical competence, creativity, approachability, and trustworthiness—attributes that might seem contradictory.
Smart typographic systems, like the ones highlighted above, resolve these tensions through thoughtful selection and application. Whether it’s a regional provider like BPM Heating & Cooling finding distinction in a crowded HVAC market or a national retailer like Lowe’s creating coherence across thousands of touchpoints, typography is doing important brand work.
Next time you’re driving through Frederick, MD, or wandering the aisles of your local home improvement store, take a moment to consider how the letterforms you see are shaping your perception of these brands. Typography is never neutral—it’s always telling a story about who a company is and who they believe their customers to be.
What home improvement brands do you think have particularly effective typography? Share your examples in the comments below!