What makes our hearts go pitter-pat in multifamily design and beyond
It’s the season of love, and we want to share what we’re loving right now in our work! Multifamily design, and the design world in general, has so much good stuff going on. Here are just a few highlights:
Vibrant, warm color
Let’s start with Pantone’s very Valentine-friendly Color of the Year: Viva Magenta. It’s a luscious, sink-your-teeth-into-it shade reminiscent of raspberries and tropical flowers. Benjamin Moore selected a similarly vibrant coral-pink tone, Raspberry Blush, as its 2023 signature.
In the graphic design world, hot colors are trending…well, hot. Think yellow, red and orange; sunshine and tropical fruit. As 99 Designs highlights, so many of the trending colors this year convey a happy, optimistic vibe (and couldn’t we all use a little more optimism these days?). Some are even over-the-top “ecstatic”:
“Ecstatic colors are bright and bold, which create a confident, fearless impression that gets your attention. Because these colors are joyful and happy, they also give off a youthful and playful energy. In all the doom and gloom in the world, these colors break through and give us a glimmer of hope as we look ahead.”
We went with a sophisticated version of these warm tones for client Union Pointe, a luxe and
well-situated multifamily community in Longmont. The warm amber signature color evokes the comfort of a good beer or a welcoming leather couch.
Statement Interiors
While we aren’t interior designers, you can bet that we pay attention to trends in this area. How people decorate their homes gives us huge insight into what’s important to them in terms of values and lifestyle. These trends also play out in multifamily common areas, unit finishes and much more.
What we’re noticing in all the interior design trend predictions this year is a move toward unique statements. People want homes that reflect a personality and not just economic status or keeping up with the neighbors.
Architectural Digest notes gnomes and mythical creatures showing up in design as part of a “main character energy” trend:
“Main character energy is still very much in the air, which calls for controlling your narrative—in the design world this translates to curating a dream space where all your fantasies come true.”
In other words, people want their surroundings to tell a bigger story about who they are and what they believe. Better Homes and Gardens wrote a recent piece about the trendiness of rom-com decor and Le Mill showcased several on-screen homes that have as much presence as the people in the story (I mean, that Parasite house…). 
The takeaway here is that design speaks to people. It reflects how they view themselves or how they would like to show up in the world. When designing to connect with potential renters, multifamily developers and property managers should have a keen awareness of how graphic design and interior design conveys a story for people.
Live-Work-Socialize
In the world of multifamily, appealing to renters who want a live-work-play lifestyle remains vitally important. This trend has been growing for years, but the pandemic and remote work shifts have cemented it.
For many multifamily properties, that means connecting to a deeper understanding of how residents use spaces – from their individual units to common areas. As Multifamily Dive notes, architects and designers have:
“…stepped away from the more traditional business center and taken the approach of carving out small spaces across the building footprint that residents can use as functional places to ‘step away, have a private moment by themselves, work on a computer or have a phone call.’ This includes both amenity spaces and niches worked into individual units.”
In addition to work, apartment residents want spaces where they can share conversation or entertainment with neighbors or friends.
Our client, Polaris Junction, provides an excellent example of this type of flexible space that allows people to work, live and socialize on site. Their incredibly thoughtful common areas include seating arrangements for groups of all sizes or for individuals looking for a place to focus and work.
Final Thoughts
Once you have put so much thought into the design of your spaces, you need to communicate it to potential residents.
Your branding and marketing should reflect the same energy that you want people to experience when they tour your community. Color choice, lifestyle branding, word and phrase selection, website and marketing collateral design all make a huge difference in how people engage with your multifamily brand.
Need help creating multifamily branding and marketing that appeals to renters on a deeper level? That is what we do, and we do it with love. Reach out to us to learn more.
