Gettin Gritty With It

The Challenge

In a Midwest market on the rise, the client saw opportunity. The building had solid fundamentals but lacked identity with bland finishes, tired amenities, and zero competitive edge. With new demand flooding in, the question wasn’t if to renovate, but how to reposition in a way that justified higher rents and set the property apart.

The Goal

Elevate the asset to capture the next wave of renters: design-forward, community-oriented, and willing to pay more for a space that feels anything but generic. The goal was clear: transform the building into a lifestyle-driven property strong enough to compete with new supply while achieving premium rents.

A collage of interior design materials including brick, tile, fabric, and paint samples, along with a green sign that reads 'Work Hard & Be Nice to People.'

Our Approach

Grid as Concept
Graphic checks, stripes, and bold patterns became the thread that tied the story together. The building’s new identity was confident, memorable, and immediately differentiated from the competition.

Layered Warmth
We balanced industrial bones with rich upholstery, wood tones, and tactile finishes, creating a sense of comfort layered over grit.

Recharged Amenities
Common areas were redesigned as strategic tools: coworking nooks, group dining tables, and social lounges that doubled as resident retention drivers. Every space was programmed to serve a leasing purpose.

Playful Branding
Artwork, signage, and conversational styling gave the property a distinct voice. Instead of reading as “renovated,” it read as rebranded, an entirely new story for the market.

Living room with checkered blue and white sofa, colorful throw pillows, a large abstract painting on dark blue wall, and a wooden bookshelf with decor items and books. A stone coffee table is in front.
Modern conference room with a wooden table, six chairs, pendant lights, and a sign that says 'Do right and fear no man' on a wooden wall.
Close-up of a plaid upholstered armchair with a wooden frame, positioned on a patterned rug.
Interior of a room with green walls, a brick accent wall, a mounted flat-screen TV, a pool table, barstools along a window counter, and framed artwork on the wall.

The Results

The reposition achieved exactly what the client envisioned: a higher-performing asset with a clear competitive edge. Tours converted faster, rents climbed, and the property became a design-forward alternative in a market crowded with sameness. Proof that in the right hands, a strategic refresh is a revenue driver.

Pillow arrangement on a cushioned window seat with a plaid pillow, a green pillow, and a yellow round pillow near a window.
Wall decorated with a colorful pattern of various magazine-style squares, featuring different images and text, with a black wall sconce and cream-colored lampshade in the center.

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