A designer children's clothes seller is showing online retail does not have to be done in drab warehouses to be successful.

Theatre-goers around the world recognise the iconic poster for the hit West End musical Mamma Mia.

It should not be a surprise, then, that the artist who designed it works in an elaborately decorated space.

What is a revelation is that George Harriman-Smith shares his creative musings with more than 320 staff at Childrensalon, the £80 million turnover luxury children's clothing retailer based in Tunbridge Wells.

Mr Harriman-Smith is chief creative officer for the company and married to its chief executive Michele, the daughter of the company's founder Sybil, who launched boutique shop The Children's Salon in the town in 1952.

Today, the predominantly online retailer has stock spread over eight warehouses and is run from a refurbished headquarters, which was completed in April last year.

Staff look at spreadsheets on their screens while surrounded by murals of palm trees and lizards.

What appears to be an ornate hallway lined with chandeliers is actually a cleverly designed wall, which makes the office seem both bigger and grander.

"We have a very creative team so we wanted our workspace to reflect that," said people team director Denise Hamilton.

"Our chief creative officer George is the genius behind our colourful and quirky office décor where Versailles-inspired illustrations, Rococo and Baroque prints cover our hallways and spaces."

Turn around from the walls and tables are laid out with hundreds of pairs of shoes as buyers assess the latest fashion collections.

Each staircase at the office shows a different artistic scene but Mrs Hamilton is clear on her favourite part of the building.

"Our kitchen and lunch room is the most beautiful area in our head office with its luxurious wallpaper, dark wooden tables and velvet chairs," she said.

"We really want our team to enjoy their breaks and feel comfortable."

Nearly every member of staff has their picture on the wall. When new starters join the business, they are invited to submit a photograph - including a baby photo - and a paragraph of text sharing a little bit about themselves.

Every new member of the team is invited to appear on the Welcome to the Family section of the company's weekly internal newsletter, a Meet the Team section of the Childrensalon website and on the wall in the headquarters.

Staff numbers are set to rise soon after the company held its third in-house jobs fair in March.

Mrs Hamilton said: "We are passionate about people - our team are our family and we are really proud of that. We are committed to make everyone feel welcome from day one."