Well Framed

The Challenge

Post-COVID construction cost cut the FF&E budget nearly in half. The client still needed a community that felt distinctive and design-forward, without overspending. The challenge: make half the budget feel like twice the design.

The Goal

Prove that smart design doesn’t require an unlimited budget. The aim was to build a lifestyle-forward property that attracted renters with its warmth, personality, and polish, elevating perception enough to justify premium rents, even against competitors with deeper pockets.

Color palette with fabric and material samples, including wood, metal, fabric, and tile textures, arranged in a collage.

Our Approach

Curated Impact
We focused on the spaces that sell: lobbies, lounges, coworking nooks, and gathering zones that define first impressions. Dollars went where prospects and residents would feel them most.

Creative Artwork Strategy
Instead of costly custom millwork, we used curated and oversized artwork to create framed moments throughout the property. This delivered identity, personality, and polish at a fraction of the cost.

Color with Confidence
We swapped the safe grays for a bolder palette: deep navy, forest green, terracotta, and plaid accents. Saturated tones gave the community a look of richness well beyond the budget.

Boutique Influence, Streamlined Execution
Lighting, finishes, and styling cues borrowed from boutique hotels, sourced strategically to balance cost with impact. Elevated and approachable in equal measure.

Close-up of patterned upholstered dining chairs with metal legs in a cozy, rustic dining area.
Modern kitchen with beige pendant lights, white tile backsplash, black countertop, dark blue cabinets, black faucet, and decorative potted plants.
Living room with two brown sofas, a wooden coffee table with vases and plants, built-in wooden shelves with books and decor, framed artwork on a green accent wall, and a modern fireplace.
Modern living room with a white island, pink barstools, pendant lights, a black vertical slat wall, and a built-in fireplace.
A cozy corner with a beige cushioned bench, three pillows (two gray striped and one orange), a round wooden table, a colorful abstract painting with vertical red, orange, yellow, blue, and purple strokes, and a wood-paneled frame with a ceiling light.

The Results

The trimmed budget didn’t show. Prospects remembered the details, tours converted faster, and residents felt a sense of pride in a home that looked intentional, not value-engineered. Well Framed proved that when design is creative and strategic, constraint becomes an advantage.

Wood-paneled wall with two hanging glass globe pendant lights, a small potted plant on the table, and pink chairs in a modern dining setting.
Modern dining area with a floating row of pendant lights resembling brown ceramic cups, green chairs around a white marble table, a black fireplace, and a flat-screen TV on a white wall.

Your community is talking.
Let’s make sure it is telling the right story.