Dallas-based Tuesday Morning, the chain of discount stores, is stepping up its game with a pretty new prototype design, introduced at a new store in Plano and at its store in Preston Center.

The Plano store, located at US Highway 75 and Parker Road, represents the company's latest prototype, with new fixtures, flooring, improved lighting, and a redesigned store layout. They're also expanding their inventory of upscale and brand-name home goods.

The Preston Center branch got a makeover with new fixtures, flooring, and improved lighting; the sales floor was nearly doubled.

Tuesday Morning specializes in discounted, unique, and famous-maker home accessories, linens, housewares, seasonal goods, and gifts. There are sheets, towels, lamps, bathroom caddies, rugs, kitchen scissors, wicker baskets, dog collars, and kids' games.

Improving the interior is one of the company's priorities, says president Melissa Phillips. Since January, Tuesday Morning has opened eight new locations and relocated or expanded an additional 34 stores.

"The most profound change we did was to institute a more inviting color palette that's more conducive to home furnishings," Phillips says. "The history of our company is that we were a warehouse pop-up, and so most of our stores have a warehouse feel. But we're updating our look."

That includes polished concrete floors and more contemporary store fixtures, which are not only an aesthetic improvement but also functional, in that it's easier for customers to see and find what they want.

Tuesday Morning currently operates more than 750 stores in 41 states. The first opened in 1974, just as the discount store trend was taking off, with emerging stores such as Marshall's, TJ Maxx, and Ross. Tuesday Morning sells brand-name home goods, not seconds or irregulars, at a discount price.

Back in the early days, the name meant something: Tuesday Morning was when it was open. The chain had a real seasonality, with shipments coming in waves so large that the stores would close down for a few days prior to a big sales event, and closures in January and July to tally inventory. A few years ago, they switched their model and are now open every day.

"Customers shop us frequently, because every time you go in store, there's something different," Phillips says. "We don't re-buy the same items. We'll always have sheets, but you might find different brands and constructions. A lot of what we do is deal-driven. It's based on inventory that is discontinued or opportunistic, something we found for a good price."