Designing Unique Apartments

Tips from a noted pro

By Jessica Fiur on Aug 29, 2013 in News

Just because the community isn’t student housing doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun when you’re designing or staging the units. The Residences at W Hollywood, the residential branch of the W Hollywood Hotel, recently hired Christopher Grubb, president of Arch-Interiors Design Group, to design one of their penthouse units. Flat-screen televisions, a putting green and a Wii system later, Grubb unveiled a penthouse that has been dubbed the “grown-up playhouse.”

Sure, for this exercise, Grubb might have left out components that you might want in your apartments—a bed, for example—but that doesn’t mean there aren’t important take aways from his whimsical style.

“Don’t limit yourself in having fun in the space,” Grubb says.

In addition to the pointers that Grubb gives for designing a unique space, Grubb also gave some tips and tricks for making an apartment look bigger when you’re staging it for potential renters. For instance, Grubb suggested using smaller furniture that won’t overwhelm the space, and having some multipurpose furniture.

Additionally, consider having a Murphy bed. This way you can show off all the fun elements or entertainment features, but the potential residents will be able to imagine themselves going to sleep there.

A final tip? Don’t be afraid of color.

“A lot of people subscribe to [the thinking that] they need to keep it neutral and the ceiling white to make it seem bigger—but [then you have a space] that’s not unique,” Grubb says. “My whole career is to create a space that people will love.”

Read the entire  interview with Grubb here: http://www.multihousingnews.com/features/mhn-interview-design-tips-for-fun-apartments/1004087063.html

Jessica Fiur is News Editor at Multi-Housing News. Find more of her insights on multifamily living on the “What Renters Want” blog.