Boutique Hotel Detail, at Multifamily Scale

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Boutique Hotel Detail, at Multifamily Scale

CommercialMulti-Family
Hotel reception area with two red velvet desks, wallpaper featuring trees, chandeliers above, and a person walking past; framed by a large wooden arch with red tile accents—a striking example of retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Alamira Luxury Living

A 22,000-square-foot clubhouse in west Columbus, designed to compete with hotels instead of with the property next door.

Category

,

Location

Trabue Road, west Columbus, Ohio, just beyond Grandview Heights

Community Context

Alamira sits on the west side of Columbus, a part of the market that has historically competed on unit count, floor plan, and rent. Amenity design was not the battleground. That is precisely what made the site interesting: there was no local benchmark to beat, which meant the only useful comparison was hospitality. We stopped looking at what other Columbus communities were doing and started looking at what hotels were doing, and designed to that standard instead.

Year

2026

Plaid-walled lounge with six green armchairs around a wooden coffee table, fireplace, TV, chandelier, framed art, and wood-paneled door.

Most multifamily amenity spaces are built to a ceiling. Not a budget ceiling exactly, though that is part of it, but a habit: amenity packages get planned generously, value-engineered quietly, and finished fast so the building can open on time. Residents have learned to expect a nice lobby and a decent gym.

Alamira was built to break that expectation on purpose. Preferred Living came to us with the largest clubhouse in their portfolio, 22,000 square feet serving 380 residences, and a brief that had almost nothing to do with square footage. They wanted an amenity experience that could hold its own against boutique hotels anywhere in the world, in a Columbus submarket where nobody had ever tried.

 

Project Snapshot

 

  • 22,000 SF clubhouse
  • 380 residences
  • Completed June 2026
  • 22 foot lobby ceiling
Two striped armchairs and a small table sit by an indoor pool, reflecting the elegance of retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona. A large arched window reveals an inviting outdoor patio with vibrant red umbrellas.
Modern dining room with a wooden table, six green chairs, three pendant lights, a wall-mounted TV, patterned wallpaper, and a window showing a colorful library.
Two beige armchairs with patterned pillows flank a small round table with a plant. Behind, floral wallpaper is decorated with four framed art pieces arranged in a grid, showcasing an elegant touch inspired by retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“The details are what people feel and remember, even when they can’t quite name them." — Cheryl Stauffer

The Vision

Preferred Living has been building in central Ohio for a long time. Alamira was the project where they decided to put design at the front of their name. The goal was never simply a bigger clubhouse. It was recognition, the kind that travels past the state line, and the belief that a developer can be known for design the same way an architect is.

 

That ambition translated into a specific set of instructions. Unique materials, the kind that rarely make it into a commercial space. A spa offering that behaves like a destination rather than a bonus. And a level of finish that residents feel before they can name it. Cheryl and the team have described it since as the project of a lifetime, and the reason isn’t the scale, it’s that the client asked for more detail rather than less, at every single decision point. On a project of this size, our design hearts were incredibly satisfied.

The Impact

The client's reaction was immediate and, in Cheryl's words, overwhelming. But the verdict that mattered showed up in leasing when Alamira filled far faster than a property this new typically does, and it did it by pulling residents out of nearby communities. People paid a penalty to break an existing lease in order to move in, and the properties they left started cutting monthly rates to slow it down.

 

That is the return on detail. Not that people admire the tape trim, but that they want to live inside the feeling it creates.

The Approach

We spent our leverage on the things that usually get cut.

 

On a project of this scale, the first casualties are always the small ones. Tape trims. Tassels. Nailhead detailing. The extra pass on millwork that turns a raw edge into a finished one. Individually, none of them justify a line item. Collectively, they are the entire difference between a space that looks expensive and a space that feels considered. We pushed for all of them, on both fronts, construction and furniture, and Preferred Living pushed back in the best possible way by asking for more.

 

So every piece of millwork in the building is trimmed out. There is no exposed raw edge anywhere in the clubhouse. Every soft good carries detail at its edge rather than stopping at the seam. It is the kind of work most residents will never consciously catalog, and it is the reason the space reads the way it does the moment you walk in.

 

The program got the same treatment. A clubhouse this large can easily become a list of rooms, so we planned it as a range of social temperatures instead. There are fully public spaces for gathering, the cafe bar, the lounges, the billiards parlor and arcade, the theater. There are semi-private spaces for working near other people, the coworking lounge with its podcasting studio, the conference room, the library. And there are genuinely solitary spaces for recovery, the sauna, the hydrotherapy and cold plunge pools, the locker lounges. A resident can take a client call, decompress alone, and run into a neighbor over coffee inside the same building, without any of those needs colliding in the same room.



Elegant living room with two red velvet sofas, a large fireplace, contemporary art above the mantel, and a blue patterned rug on wooden floors—showcasing inspiration from Retail Design in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Services Provided:

Commercial Interior Design

Multi-Location Clubhouse Design

Amenity Space Planning

Construction Finish Selection

FF&E Design and Specification

Custom Millwork Detailing

Custom Furniture Fabrication

Art and Accessory Curation

Phased Installation Management

Our Expertise

Our Favorite Details

The leasing mural is a Kit Kemp pattern by Kravet and Andrew Martin, and it does more work than any other single element in the building. It’s the first thing a prospective resident sees, and it announces immediately that this is not a standard leasing office.

The lobby runs 22 feet to the ceiling, anchored by a Visual Comfort chandelier and a Material Bespoke fireplace with a six-foot firebox. The custom art piece above it took scaffolding and most of a crew to hang. The scale of that room is the argument the whole project is making, so every element in it had to be able to carry the height without shouting.

The indoor pool is finished in concrete zellige tile from Morocco, with natural stone mosaics through the rest of the wet areas. Handmade zellige in a commercial pool surround is not a normal multifamily decision. It’s a hotel decision.

The work pods are wrapped in Scalamandré. Putting a wallcovering of that caliber inside a space designed for spreadsheets is exactly the kind of decision that gets cut on most projects, and it is why residents actually want to work there.

The women's locker lounge is papered in an S. Harris butterfly pattern. It’s typically a room most communities treat as pure utility, but here it’s a room people talk about and linger in

And then the pieces that exist nowhere else: tufted panels on the front desk, built-in banquettes in the podcast studio and the billiards room, and upholstered doors into the golf simulator. Custom fabrication is a recurring Crimson signature, and Alamira has more of it than any project we have done.

Bold.
Unexpected.
Memorable.

A framed painting of a figure with a disco ball for a head hangs on a patterned wall in a small alcove, next to a desk, chair, and potted plant—an artful vignette that captures the innovative spirit often seen in Retail Design in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Notes from the Design Team

Installation had to run directly on top of an aggressive construction schedule, with a fixed opening date and no slack anywhere in it. We built a phased delivery plan, mapped installation roles day by day, and then tracked subcontractor schedules in parallel so our sequence and theirs never collided. Finished areas had to be protected from live work zones while both were happening simultaneously.

The best example is a detail almost nobody will ever notice. There are hidden doors connecting the library lounges to the locker room lounges, fob-controlled and disguised as bookshelves. A bookshelf that swings is a bookshelf that can drop something on someone.

So we worked out on the fly with the construction team how to permanently adhere every accessory and every book to those shelves, so nothing shifts or falls when a resident opens the door. It comes off as a simple design flourish but was actually a safety decision made in the field, under schedule pressure, on a door most residents will assume is a wall.

The client never saw most of that, which is how a Red Glove moment is supposed to work at Crimson. The polish that remains for the residents is the only part we want visible.

A large outdoor pool with lounge chairs and red umbrellas, set in front of a two-story brick building under a blue sky, showcases the sophisticated flair of retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Arched wall alcove featuring intricate geometric and floral patterned tiles in blue, green, and brown, bordered by rectangular green tiles on both sides—an elegant touch inspired by retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Hallway with a dark cabinet, patterned rug, blue tile accents, and two framed artworks: one of a blue grid with leaves and another depicting a dark octopus. Marble floor and overhead light create an inviting space reminiscent of contemporary retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Indoor pool with clear water, lounge chairs, and tables in front of large arched windows overlooking an outdoor patio area—a perfect example of refined leisure spaces inspired by retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona.
A view into a bathroom with brick walls, patterned wallpaper, three mirrors, a double sink, plaid flooring, and a pink patterned rug—showcasing the unique flair of retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona.
A wooden sauna room with bench seating, warm lighting, a glass door, and a black-and-white checkered tile floor showcases sophisticated retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Bathroom with checkered gray marble floor, pink and white tiled shower, glass door, towel on a stool, and maroon tile accents—showcasing a refined aesthetic inspired by retail design in Scottsdale Arizona.
A cozy living room inspired by retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona, features four plush chairs around a square coffee table, a fireplace, wall art, floral wallpaper, and a chandelier under a vaulted ceiling.
A modern dining room with a wooden table, six green chairs, pendant lights, a large TV, plants, and a window showing a colorful library reflects the sophisticated touch often seen in Retail Design in Scottsdale Arizona.
A dimly lit room with dark armchairs, patterned pillows, small lamps, ottomans, and feather-patterned wallpaper—expertly arranged for cozy seating—reflects the sophisticated touch of retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona.
A small room, inspired by retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona, features blue floral wallpaper, a built-in desk, a tan leather chair, a vase, two wall sconces, and a ceiling pendant light over striped carpet.
Two patterned armchairs face each other in a hallway with wood paneling, flanked by mirrors and side tables, and a framed horse portrait in the center background above a staircase—an inviting arrangement that exemplifies sophisticated retail design in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Game room with arcade machines, skee-ball lanes, pinball machines, a brown ottoman, high chairs, patterned wallpaper, and a rug on wooden flooring—an inviting space that draws inspiration from innovative Retail Design in Scottsdale Arizona.
A luxurious home theater room inspired by Retail Design in Scottsdale, Arizona, featuring patterned wallpaper, rows of blue armchairs with brown pillows, matching ottomans, small side tables, and dim lighting.
Room with green walls, two pool tables on patterned rugs, green velvet drapes, a central fireplace, and framed art on the walls. Overhead lights and lamps provide illumination.

Essex

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Essex

CommercialMulti-Family
A modern seating area with a rust-colored velvet banquette, patterned pillows, three yellow cube ottomans, small brass tables, and abstract black-and-white artwork on a dark wall.
Close-up view of a modern chandelier with ribbed glass globes and metal arms, set against a patterned wall and framed artwork in the background.
A small green chair is placed in front of a plaid upholstered bench in a dimly lit room with dark blue walls and wooden floor.
A chandelier hangs from the ceiling in a room with patterned wallpaper and various framed artworks, including a large colorful portrait and smaller landscape and insect-themed pieces.

Small Footprint, Full Brand

When Preferred Living brought Crimson in on Essex, the ask carried a degree of difficulty the square footage didn't telegraph. This was PL's first community in Grandview Heights — a brand-new market test for the developer in one of Columbus's most in-demand neighborhoods — and the clubhouse had to carry the full Preferred Living look and feel in a meaningfully smaller footprint than the amenity spaces the brand is known for: roughly 2,025 square feet. One open room to make one first impression, so every zone a resident would expect from a boutique luxury building, from lounge to coffee bar to business center to fitness area, to an outdoor gathering space was packed into a compact footprint without ever feeling crowded.

The key design move was to stop chasing contrast and let color do the zoning. Crimson washed the entire clubhouse in a single unifying color (Benjamin Moore Raccoon Fur) in an eggshell sheen, on every wall so the eye could take in the room as one generous, considered space rather than a series of small, competing moments. From there the team layered in pattern and confident color to give each zone its own personality: a Phillip Jeffries hand-blocked linen wallpaper on the back leasing wall, a charcoal Phillip Jeffries herringbone vinyl in the club room, plaid Maharam upholstery on the banquettes. In a compact footprint, the usual playbook like high contrast, strong material shifts, and hard architectural breaks would have chopped the room up and made it feel smaller, so we quieted the contrast and let pattern and color carry the interest and do the opposite: it made a small plan feel layered, intentional, and generous in what it offered.

The Red Glove moment was the kind of save that never shows up in a finished photo. Above the banquettes, the trim and the sconces were colliding — the millwork was catching the backplate of each sconce, so neither read quite as intended. Rather than let it look like an afterthought, Crimson had custom trim plates fabricated midway through construction so every sconce sat as though the trim had been built around it — made for each other, not worked around each other. A compact clubhouse with this much pattern is only as good as its execution, and Crimson stayed hands-on throughout the build, walking the site regularly, catching issues like this early, and protecting the design intent finish by finish. It's exactly the category of work that's invisible in the final image and the reason the final image reads the way it does.

Leasing told the story. Essex was Preferred Living's opening move in Grandview — the building the developer used to learn what the neighborhood's residents actually wanted — and it performed well enough to keep the partnership going. In the year and a half after Essex wrapped, Crimson designed more PL clubhouses across New Albany and Westerville and began work on two of the developer's larger communities, Langham and Fairfax. A compact clubhouse, done with restraint and real follow-through, proved the thesis: in Grandview, residents respond to a space that feels cohesive, considered, and legitimately boutique — and the first impression a clubhouse makes is the first impression the building makes.

Project Partners:
Upholstery: Fortner Inc.

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River House

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River House

CommercialMulti-Family
A bar with a tufted blue front, granite countertop, wood-paneled wall, two gold pendant lights, framed artwork, and decorative plants on a wooden floor.
A black table holds decorative vases and jars in green, yellow, and black-and-white above stacked books, with framed art and photos on a gray textured wall behind.
A modern living room with a dark green wall, blue sofa with colorful cushions, yellow ottoman, small side table with books, and a gold wall sconce.
A modern lounge with a pool table on a rug, high-top table with stools, computer workstations, pendant lights, and contemporary decor.
A dark wooden dining table with yellow velvet chairs and a white bowl of greenery, set on a wood floor in a dimly lit room.
A beige sofa with patterned cushions sits on a covered patio, facing a wooden coffee table, with green plants and trees visible outside.

One Room, Three Rhythms

When Preferred Living brought Crimson in on River House, the brief carried an unusual ask for a PL clubhouse: reach a younger resident (the 20s and 30s renters drawn to Harrison West and the Olentangy River corridor) and do it without leaning on the blue palette PL clubhouses had become known for. Instead, the room would turn on dark green (Sherwin-Williams 6994 Greenblack), golden yellow, and warm red-orange accents, a palette with more confidence and more edge, written for a crowd looking for a building that felt made for them. At roughly 7,000 square feet, the clubhouse footprint ran slightly smaller than the PL typical, and the amenity list inside it did not shrink to match — bar, game room, resident lounge, theater, reception — so every square foot had to work.
The key design move was the plan itself. Rather than carve the bar, game room, and lounge into separate rooms, Crimson designed one long, open social space, each zone clearly defined and visually collaborative with its neighbors. The reward is a room that encourages the kind of socializing a younger renter actually uses a clubhouse for, sit down at the bar and still read the game room, move to the lounge and still catch the conversation at the billiards table. Anchoring it all, at the room's midpoint, is a two-sided fireplace wrapped in oversized wood beams and columns, set over a checkerboard floor of honed white and dark stone tile that gives both sides of the room a center to gather around. Dark green cabinetry, warm golden accents, and confident patterns do the zoning the walls don't, so the room reads unified without ever going flat.
The Red Glove moment was the arrival. Between reception and the clubhouse, Crimson framed a walkway with full-height drapery — textured white panels banded in a bright green velvet trim — an intentionally grand, theatrical gesture that gives the resident a peek into the clubroom the second they step inside. This small detail made a big first impression and is the kind of detail that reads simple in a photo and was anything but in execution: drapery track, framing, sightlines, and lighting all had to land exactly right, and the coordination between trades was the whole story. Every inch of that reveal had to be choreographed so the clubroom glimpse beyond the drapery looked like the most natural thing in the world.
Residents and Preferred Living both read it the same way. The clubhouse feels confident, collected, and eclectic: a palette bolder than the typical playbook, a plan that keeps the room social by design, and a welcome moment that announces the building before you've set your bag down. A younger demographic, a smaller footprint, a fuller room — that's the River House case, and the reason a building along the Olentangy has held the energy of its target resident as cleanly as it has.

Project Partners:
Upholstery: Fortner Inc.

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A Confident Take on Multifamily Living

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A Confident Take on Multifamily Living

Multi-Family
A pool table sits on a patterned rug in front of green upholstered booth seating with round tables, framed artwork, and pendant lighting in an elegant room.

Langham

A hospitality-driven multifamily community designed to elevate everyday living and stand out in a competitive market.

Category

Location

Columbus, Ohio (Grandview Heights / Tri-Village area). Proximity to downtown Columbus and walkability to neighborhood retail was a key positioning factor.

Community Context

Urban multifamily community in a highly competitive leasing market, Grandview, Ohio, designed to attract residents seeking a lifestyle-forward experience.

Year

2024

Two decorative pillows, one with a green and white geometric design and gold tassels, and the other with a blue and white dotted pattern, rest on an olive green sofa.
A staircase with green paneled walls, a wooden banister, a round table with vases and a plant, and three patterned stools on a geometric tile floor.
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The Vision

Design a multifamily experience that feels elevated, memorable, and resident-driven.

The developer’s goal was to create a community that would stand apart through experience, not excess. Rather than defaulting to predictable finishes or amenity checklists, Langham was envisioned as a place where shared spaces feel intentional and engaging. We wanted environments  that residents would actually use and talk about.

Crimson developed a design language that could carry across multiple floors and amenity types without feeling repetitive. The two-story, rich green-paneled staircase was designed as a central, sculptural wayfinding device, turning a point of circulation into a dynamic visual anchor. This solved the flow challenge by actively encouraging movement and connection across the two amenity levels.

The Approach

Design the amenities as a destination, not an afterthought.

Crimson approached Langham holistically, mapping how residents would move through the building and experience the spaces over time. Entry sequences, social zones, workspaces, and moments of retreat were carefully choreographed to support different rhythms of use throughout the day.

Amenity planning was informed by how residents live now, blending wellness, social connection, and work-from-home needs. This included spaces like a 24-hour fitness center with Peloton equipment, refined conference rooms, Starbucks beverage stations, and entertainment-driven areas such as a private theater, retro arcade, and virtual golf simulators.

Durable materials and thoughtful layouts were prioritized to ensure long-term performance, while custom elements and layered finishes added warmth and personality to spaces that could easily have felt oversized or impersonal.

To reinforce the "luxury destination" feel, the outdoor space was treated as a full-service resort experience, with temperature-controlled water, bespoke cabanas, and integrated hydrotherapy. This attention to high-end detail is one of many direct contributors to resident 5-star Google reviews.

The Impact

A community experience that residents recognize and respond to.

Langham’s amenity spaces quickly became a defining feature of the community, contributing to strong visibility and resident engagement. We love that online reviews consistently reference the modern aesthetic, upscale interiors, and variety of amenity spaces, reinforcing the idea that the intended design actually enhances their daily living rather than simply filling square footage.

Residents frequently describe Langham as feeling more like a luxury destination than a typical apartment community, citing the quality of shared spaces and overall atmosphere as differentiators.

In 2025, the project received the ASID Design Excellence Award for Commercial Space, Large, further validating Langham as a benchmark for experience-driven multifamily design.

“Langham was about creating spaces that residents genuinely want to spend time in — environments that feel intentional, welcoming, and built for long-term use, and multi-year leasing.”

2025-0709_langham_lobby-0389

Services Provided:

Interior Design for Amenity & Common Spaces

Space Planning & Layout

FF&E Procurement & Coordination

Sourcing, specification, procurement, and installation of furniture, fixtures, and finishes.

Material & Finish Selection

Lighting Design Coordination

Installation Oversight & Project Coordination

Our Expertise

Our Favorite Details

A custom lobby desk featuring patterned tile and paneled detailing anchors the arrival experience, while a commissioned LED artwork by a local Ohio artist introduces an unexpected sense of place.

A winding staircase wrapped in rich green paneling turns circulation into a visual feature, encouraging movement through the space rather than past it. Smaller moments, like a custom chess booth with upholstered seating and marble playing surface, transform compact footprints into memorable destinations.

Outdoors, the temperature-controlled pool terrace with cabanas and hydrotherapy features reinforces the hospitality-inspired approach, creating a resort-like atmosphere residents consistently highlight in five-star Google reviews.

Bold.
Unexpected.
Memorable.

A staircase with green paneled walls, a wooden banister, a round table with vases and a plant, and three patterned stools on a geometric tile floor.

Notes from the Design Team

Designing Langham required thinking at multiple scales at once, from establishing a strong overall identity to refining the smaller moments residents interact with daily. With so many amenity spaces across multiple levels, maintaining cohesion without repetition was a central challenge.

What made the project especially successful was treating every space, large or small, as an opportunity to reinforce experience. By pairing bold design decisions with thoughtful planning and coordination, the finished community feels active, engaging, and clearly differentiated from standard multifamily offerings.

Award-winning-art-and-design
2025-0709_langham_lobby-0329
A high-ceiling multi-family amenity lobby featuring tall arched windows, deep green walls, velvet olive-green furniture, and geometric gold chandeliers.
2025-0709_langham_cafe-bar-0158_w
A pool table sits on a patterned rug in front of green upholstered booth seating with round tables, framed artwork, and pendant lighting in an elegant room.
A kitchen counter with wood drawers, blue tiled backsplash, decorative vases, stacked books, leafy branches, and two brass wall sconces with white globes.
Three built-in bookshelves with teal lower sections contain assorted books, vases, and decorative objects against a patterned backdrop on a wooden floor.
A round marble table with two purple chairs and a green velvet banquette sits below a framed artwork in a white-paneled alcove.
A modern bar area with brown leather barstools, a marble countertop, gold horse statues, and geometric pendant lights above. Black dining chairs and round tables are in the foreground.
2025-0709_langham_theatre-0086
2025-0709_langham_theatre-0078
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A dark wood console table with decorative books, an amber vase, a horse-shaped lamp with a beige shade, and wall art partially visible in the background.
2025-0709_langham_pool-0263 1
2025-0709_langham_outdoor-0272
2025-0709_langham_outdoor-0297
A modern outdoor armchair with a woven rattan frame, patterned blue and white cushions, and a small green pillow, placed on artificial grass near a patio.
Outdoor patio area with cushioned chairs, round tables, and sofas on artificial grass, featuring decorative pillows and potted plants in the background.
2025-0709_langham_golf-0105
A small seating nook with a chessboard on a table, red upholstered benches, a hanging glass light fixture, and wallpaper featuring black and white silhouette portraits.
2025-0709_langham_conference-room-0053
A modern bathroom features two gold-framed mirrors, dual sinks with gold fixtures, wall sconces, and a vase with white flowers on the countertop.
Floral patterned fabric with orange, yellow, blue, and brown colors displayed vertically.
A restroom hallway with dark blue doors, beige tiled walls and floor, and five framed portraits hanging on the wall.
2025-0709_langham_gym-0025 copy

A Hospitality-Driven Amenity Experience

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A Hospitality-Driven Amenity Experience

2025-0709_fairmount_cafe-bar-0471
2025-0709_fairmount_cafe-bar-0483

A Hospitality-Driven Amenity Experience

A boutique-inspired multifamily amenity and clubhouse designed to deliver elevated experience within a smaller, more efficient footprint.

Category

Location

Westerville, Ohio

Community Context

A suburban multifamily community positioned between New Albany and Westerville, offering convenient access to retail, green space, and commuter routes while appealing to residents seeking an elevated, residential lifestyle.

Year

2024

2025-0709_fairmount_theatre-0488
Modern interior with an arched doorway leading to a room with red bookshelves and a framed artwork, next to a blue wall with large windows and a small table with two brown chairs.
2025-0709_fairmount_lobby-coffee-0439
2025-0709_fairmount_lobby-0395

This project represented a strategic evolution in multifamily amenity design for our client. Located in Westerville, Ohio, the community was developed as a more cost-conscious alternative to the developer’s typical standalone clubhouse model — without sacrificing experience, identity, or leasing performance.

Crimson Design Group partnered with the development team to create a hospitality-driven clubhouse carved from the shell of a residential building, spanning two of its three floors. The goal was clear: design an amenity space that feels intentional, welcoming, and distinctive, while supporting lease-up and long-term resident engagement in a competitive market.

 

Project Snapshot

 

  • Amenity Layout: Integrated clubhouse spanning two levels within a residential building
  • Design Approach: Hospitality-inspired, boutique-scale amenity design
  • Footprint: Smaller, efficiency-driven clubhouse model
  • Leasing Outcome: Strong lease-up performance
  • Resident Experience: Residential warmth paired with urban polish

The Vision

Create a boutique, hospitality-inspired amenity experience within a smaller footprint.

The developer set out to rethink their traditional clubhouse approach. Rather than investing in a large, standalone amenity building, the vision was to deliver the same sense of polish and presence through a more efficient, integrated model.

Crimson envisioned the clubhouse as a “hidden gem” within the community, a space that feels considered, elevated, and inviting, encouraging residents to gather while reinforcing the overall identity of the property.

The Approach

Designing for impact, cohesion, and efficiency.

Working within a reduced footprint required careful planning from the start. Crimson focused on maximizing visual continuity across the clubhouse by carrying a consistent palette of blues and reds throughout the space. This cohesive approach allowed the two-level layout to feel connected and visually larger than its actual square footage.

One of the most impactful design moves was the addition of a vestibule at the facade. While modest in scale, this architectural gesture creates a clear sense of arrival, giving the clubhouse presence as residents approach and signaling that the space is something special.

Layouts were designed to support multiple uses throughout the day — from casual gathering to focused activity — without overprogramming the space or sacrificing comfort.

The Impact

A smaller footprint with outsized results.

Once complete, the success of the design was immediate. The property leased up quickly, and the client was thrilled with the outcome. Residents responded positively to the elevated unit finishes and the contrast between the suburban setting and the warm, hospitality-driven amenity experience.

The project demonstrated that thoughtful design (not square footage alone) drives resident engagement, leasing performance, and long-term value.

“This project proved that you don’t need a massive footprint to create an amenity space residents actually want to use.”

Our Favorite Details

Small moves made a big difference.

The exterior vestibule establishes a strong first impression, while inside, layered seating arrangements and residential finishes help the clubhouse feel warm and approachable. Consistent color use across spaces reinforces cohesion, and thoughtful styling ensures the amenity feels like an extension of home rather than a generic shared space.

The result is an environment that residents want to use — not just pass through.

Bold.
Unexpected.
Memorable.

A row of upholstered armchairs with brown velvet cushions, small table lamps, and framed vintage posters on a dark blue paneled wall.

Notes from the Design Team

This project required flexibility and close coordination. With a new building layout and a departure from the developer’s typical clubhouse model, scheduling adjustments were inevitable.

Crimson worked closely with the project management team to adapt timelines and coordinate subcontractors as conditions evolved, ensuring the design intent stayed intact and the project was delivered on schedule.

A beige pool table with a racked set of billiard balls is centered in a room with blue walls, four tan barstools, and a pendant light above.

Services Provided:

Multifamily Amenity & Clubhouse Design

Space Planning & Layout

FF&E Procurement & Coordination

Sourcing, specification, procurement, and installation of furniture, fixtures, and finishes.

Material & Finish Selection

Installation Management

Our Expertise
A striped upholstered barstool with wooden legs sits in front of a blue fluted bar with gold metal accents and a light wood floor.
A wall with a geometric pattern of multicolored marble triangles, with a modern, double white sconce mounted near the top center.
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Two decorative pillows, one gold velvet and one with a colorful geometric pattern, are placed on a dark blue upholstered sofa against a blue wall.
A lounge with velvet-cushioned armchairs, marble-topped tables, and vintage posters on a blue paneled wall, with wall-mounted lamps providing light.
Framed vintage Chocolat Klaus poster depicting a figure on a red horse hangs on a blue wall beneath a lit double wall sconce.
A ceiling corner with dark blue crown molding and a colorful, marbled patterned wallpaper on the ceiling.
View through a white brick archway of a hallway with a red rug, red built-in shelves on the left, paneled gray wall, and a framed butterfly artwork.
Floor-to-ceiling red bookshelves with books and decor stand against a wall in a room with blue paneling, wood flooring, and a patterned rug. A framed bird artwork hangs on the blue wall.
A modern office space with a round marble table, brown leather chairs, a blue arched desk area with two monitors, wall sconces, and framed art on navy blue walls.
Bookshelves filled with assorted books, decorative items, two blue horse figurines, and an open book on a desk-lit surface below.
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Close-up of a red cabinet with brass handles and a black cushioned seat on top, showing the textures of wood and leather-like material.
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Worthington Gardens

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Worthington Gardens

Multi-Family
Modern living room with high vaulted ceiling, grey sofas, yellow cushions, a patterned rug, round coffee table, and large windows overlooking an outdoor area with trees.
Four modern bar stools with cork seats and white metal legs lined up at a wooden counter; an orange door and a vase of tall green plants are visible in the background.

Mid-Century, Brought Forward

This remodel started with a building that already knew who it was. Set into a wooded hillside, the exterior clearly reads mid-century modern. Crimson’s goal wasn’t to reinvent that identity, we discovered new ways to preserve and celebrate it.

We kept critical original elements like the stone wall and V-groove ceiling and these details became the foundation for the interior design, grounding the space in its architectural roots.

Next, classic mid-century forms were refreshed with color, geometric patterns, and a thoughtful mix of metals. Wood, stone, and metal were layered to keep the space feeling warm, textured, and relevant for today’s clientele. No other combination of materials says mid-century modern better!

Project Partners:
Upholstery: Fortner Inc.

Station 73

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Station 73

Multi-Family
A man stands at a kitchen island with orange barstools in a modern, well-lit room featuring a TV, open shelves with decor, and large windows.
Modern lobby with colorful wall mural, contemporary furniture, and a reception desk. A woman sits reading a magazine on a sofa.

Bridging Industrial Legacy with Bold Modern Form

A large-scale, destination-style multifamily amenity experience that fuses industrial character with contemporary design.

Category

Location

Cleveland, Ohio

Community Context

Station 73 sits in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood near Battery Park, close to Gordon Square, the Art District, Edgewater Beach, and other cultural destinations that define Cleveland’s west side. The property offers a mix of residential comfort and vibrant urban amenities, with panoramic views and easy access to trails, entertainment, and lakefront activities.

Year

A modern indoor staircase with a vibrant, abstract mural featuring faces and hands on the adjacent wall; potted plants are placed nearby.
A blue pool table with a rack of balls and a cue ball stands in the center of a modern, open lounge area with wooden floors and contemporary furnishings.
Modern office lounge with high chairs, wooden floors, pendant lights, and a colorful abstract mural on the far wall. Large windows provide ample natural light.
A modern lobby with green chairs, a round table, and a colorful abstract mural featuring faces on a tall wall by a staircase.

Station 73 at Battery Park presented an opportunity to create something unique in Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway neighborhood — a place where old industrial heritage meets fresh, confident modern design. At the heart of the community is a purpose-built amenity building conceived to feel like a new landmark: part warehouse spirit, part bold contemporary structure.

Crimson Design Group partnered with the developer to bring this vision to life, crafting a multi-component amenity program that supports lifestyle, community, and everyday living. The result is a clubhouse and amenity suite that anchors the property while elevating resident experience through intentional materiality, artful moments, and a cohesive design language that bridges past and present.

 

The Vision

 

Merge industrial legacy with bold modern expression.

The amenity experience needed to do more than just provide programming; it had to tell a story. The design goal was to honor the rugged industrial character historically associated with the area while introducing a modern, confident architectural gesture that makes Station 73 feel contemporary and memorable.

This vision was about balance: respecting industrial cues without imitation, and pairing them with fresh elements that reflect the lifestyle aspirations of today’s residents.

The Approach

A design strategy rooted in authentic contrast and experiential sequencing.

Crimson’s approach embraced the duality inherent in the project brief. The main amenity building draws visual inspiration from heavy industrial typologies — expressed through tectonic massing and material texture — while a modern “intercepting” form cuts through with clarity, crisp detailing, and a confident new identity. Exposed structural gestures nod to industrial roots while contemporary lines and finishes signal progress.

A key design move was the integration of a custom two-story mural by a local artist for a dramatic graphic that wraps the stair wall and injects an edgy, urban vibe into the interior circulation. This artistic gesture serves both as a wayfinding anchor and as a cultural touchpoint, reinforcing the property’s connection to local creative energy.

Station 73’s amenity suite was also thoughtfully distributed across multiple buildings:

  • A large standalone amenity building with two stories of lounges, club rooms, and a yoga/fitness space
  • Outdoor pool courtyard with terrace and amenities
  • A dedicated dog wash facility
  • Multiple shared amenity floors across other residential buildings with lounges, business centers, conference rooms, fitness, and game/entertainment areas. These spaces were planned to feel integrated yet distinct, supporting a complex resident flow that encourages casual interaction as well as intentional gathering.

Despite the logistical complexity — including staggered installs across four buildings, coordination during maternity leave, and the challenge of commuting to a non-local site — the execution remained seamless, showcasing strong collaboration and Red-Glove oversight.

The Impact

A contemporary amenity experience that amplifies lifestyle and brand identity.

Station 73 at Battery Park delivers an amenity experience that resonates with the property’s context and its residents’ expectations. The intentional fusion of industrial and modern aesthetics gives the community a visual presence that stands out in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, while the robust suite of amenities — including co-working spaces, fitness, pool, terraces with lake views, and gaming/social zones — supports a full spectrum of daily life.

Feedback from residents highlights functionality, design quality, and the seamless integration of indoor/outdoor spaces as key strengths. The design approach not only reinforces the community’s identity but also enhances long-term value by creating spaces that are memorable, comfortable, and tailored to how people actually live.

Entrance to a men's restroom with green walls, a black-and-white abstract painting, shelves with decor, and a glimpse of a sink and mirror inside.
A modern bathroom with yellow tiled walls, dark green painted sections, a wood door, a floating sink with a mirror, and geometric light gray floor tiles.
Modern bathroom with teal and mustard yellow walls, a round mirror, double sinks, decorative plants, and a basket on the counter. A wall-mounted shelf and urinal are visible in the background.

Our Favorite Details

  • Industrial + Modern Fusion: The interplay between old-world structural references and bold contemporary forms creates a distinct visual identity.
  • Two-Story Custom Mural: A standout graphic feature that elevates the stair experience and brings an urban artistic sensibility indoors.
  • Layered Amenity Program: From indoor lounges to outdoor pool and terrace spaces, the amenity areas support a variety of resident needs — social, fitness, business, and leisure.
  • Cohesive Transitions: Thoughtful material and lighting choices help unify disparate volumes and building types into a consistent design language.

Bold.
Unexpected.
Memorable.

A hallway with concrete floors and framed colorful guitar artwork on the wall; modern office spaces are visible in the background.
A blue pool table with racked billiard balls in the center and a cue ball positioned at the far end.

Services Provided:

Amenity Planning & Spatial Strategy

Clubhouse & Building Design

FF&E Procurement & Coordination

Sourcing, specification, procurement, and installation of furniture, fixtures, and finishes.

Material & Finish Selection

Custom Artwork Integration

Lighting & Fixture Specification

Installation Oversight + Remote Coordination

Our Expertise

Notes from the Design Team

Station 73 was a reminder of what strong coordination and clear vision can accomplish on a large, multi-component project. The scale and geographic distance introduced challenges, but careful planning allowed installations to proceed smoothly across seasons and team transitions. The mural, in particular, became a cultural anchor and a way to bring local identity into the architectural narrative, aligning with both aesthetic and community values.

Modern bathroom with light blue walls, geometric floor tiles, a large round mirror above a white counter, and a gold wall shelf holding decor items.
A modern bathroom with a wood door, hexagonal tile floor, a vanity with a white countertop, a round mirror, and a potted orchid.
Spacious modern lounge with wooden floors, colorful chairs, couches, large windows, exposed beams, and decorative lighting.
Modern conference room with large windows, blue chairs around a black table, geometric rug, and a plant centerpiece; adjacent office visible through glass wall.
Modern outdoor patio with gray cushioned chairs, a concrete table, and a blue patterned rug, overlooking buildings and cloudy sky in the background.
Modern outdoor balcony with wooden furniture, gray cushions, orange pillows, a potted plant, and a blue rug; urban buildings are visible in the background.
A modern indoor space featuring a blue pool table set up for a game, with chairs and tables in the background and large windows letting in natural light.
Modern commercial building with large sign reading "Station 73 at Battery Park" on a concrete wall; multi-story apartments visible in the background under a cloudy sky.
Two-story modern commercial building with dark brick exterior, large windows, and a central glass entrance, set on a paved street under a partly cloudy sky.

Elevated Living, Thoughtfully Designed

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Elevated Living, Thoughtfully Designed

Multi-Family
A round gold side table with a white top holds stacked books and a wooden box, positioned next to a blue upholstered chair with an orange pillow.
A hallway with green patterned walls features a large framed sculpture photo, a bench with red and white cushions, and a modern chandelier overhead.
A modern wall-mounted light fixture with a white rectangular shade and a spiral, ridged black metal accent casting shadows on the wall.
A blurred person walks in a modern living room with a green wall, leather chairs, a round coffee table, and framed art including a bicycle and cityscape.

Sheldon Park was designed to feel refined, welcoming, and versatile. It’s an amenity experience that supports the elevation of everyday living. Crimson Design Group designed a full suite of clubhouse and amenity spaces that would appeal to a wide resident base and reinforce the community’s position as a high-end multifamily offering.

The design leans transitional, striking a balance between warmth and polish. From the entry and reception areas to the club room, coffee bar, and business center, each space was planned to feel connected and intuitive, encouraging residents to move easily between work, relaxation, and social time. Thoughtful layouts and layered furnishings help the clubhouse feel active and engaging throughout the day.

Amenities were programmed to support how residents actually live. Dedicated areas for fitness, gaming, entertainment, meetings, and quiet focus ensure the clubhouse works hard for the community, while the model apartment reinforces the overall design vision and helps prospects imagine themselves at home.

Completed in April 2023 after a year-long design and build process, Sheldon Park delivers a cohesive, polished amenity experience — one that feels current, comfortable, and well-suited to its Columbus setting.

Project Partners:
Upholstery: Fortner Inc.

A yellow armchair is positioned next to two nested wooden tables with brass edges; grey armchairs and framed wall art are visible in the background.
A modern interior features a navy cabinet with gold hardware, a white countertop, a blue vase, a small plant, patterned wallpaper, and a wall sconce with a frosted glass shade.
Four blue barstools are lined up at a bar with a patterned front panel; the bar area features blue tiles, wall sconces, and a white brick backsplash.

Urban Living, Boutique Feel

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Urban Living, Boutique Feel

Multi-Family
Green sofa with textured seat cushion, two accent pillows—one bright pink and one black with gold pattern—sits in a modern, elegantly decorated room.
Outdoor lounge area with cushioned chairs and ottomans on artificial grass, facing a tiled pool and digital screens displaying images of women swimming.
A modern lounge with eclectic decor, featuring a black sofa, ceramic vases, decorative objects, and green chairs under ornate light fixtures and patterned walls.
A chandelier with gold metal arms and clear, leaf-shaped glass pieces, viewed from directly below against a dark background.
A living room with a blue velvet sofa, colorful patterned pillows, a camel figurine, and a gold vase, set under a white brick archway with modern chandeliers overhead.

Urban Living, Boutique Feel

This multifamily project on High Street was about making a clear statement in a dense, highly competitive urban market. The developer wanted to establish their own point of view by creating a community that felt more like a boutique hotel than a standard apartment building, while still offering the comfort and familiarity residents look for in a place to live.

Crimson leaned into bold material and color choices to help the building stand apart from neighboring properties. The amenity spaces were designed to feel memorable and inviting, encouraging residents to actually use them and connect with one another. Even though the clubroom footprint was modest, thoughtful planning allowed for multiple zones and types of programming, making the space feel layered and purposeful rather than cramped.

Behind the scenes, coordination played a major role. With retail and restaurant tenants occupying the ground floor, access to the second-floor clubhouse required careful planning and sequencing during install — a challenge Crimson handled quietly to keep the project moving smoothly.

Once complete, the results spoke for themselves. The property leased up quickly, with residents responding positively to the elevated unit finishes and the contrast between the urban setting and the warm, residential feel of the amenity spaces.

Project Partners:
Upholstery: Fortner Inc.

Modern kitchen with white cabinets, a blue island, marble countertop, three pendant lights, brown chairs, stainless steel appliances, and a large window with beige curtains.
A mid-century modern console table with brass accents sits against a wall, topped with books, a blue lamp, and decor. Framed artwork, including an arched hallway photo, hangs above.
A neatly made bed with patterned pillows and a brown blanket is centered in a modern bedroom with white walls and minimalist wall art.
A row of navy blue lounge chairs with white headrests is arranged beside tall potted shrubs, in front of a cabana with striped blue and white curtains.
Outdoor patio area with wicker lounge chairs, a bar lined with stools, and colorful murals of women on a metal wall. Brick building with large windows in the background.
A mural of a woman in a red dress underwater decorates a wall above a row of yellow and blue barstools at an outdoor seating area.
Colorful mural of a woman with red braids, wearing large round goggles and red lipstick, painted on a corrugated metal surface against a bright blue background.
A patterned tile swimming pool with blue lounge chairs, in front of a modern building with balconies and hanging chandeliers.

Bringing the Outdoors In

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Bringing the Outdoors In

Multi-Family
Modern kitchen area with a patterned island, four beige barstools, hanging pendant lights, a vertical plant display, wood flooring, and a table with water dispensers.

Bringing the Outdoors In

Gardens at Easton was designed to reflect the client’s brand from the moment residents step inside: playful, bright, and grounded in nature. The goal was to create amenity spaces that feel easy and welcoming, while still offering moments of surprise and personality.

Crimson anchored the interiors with natural elements to give the space a calm, lived-in quality. Live green walls, a palette of greens, blues, and soft neutrals, and organic textures work together to bring the outdoors in, creating an environment that feels refreshing and familiar at the same time. 

To keep things from feeling too serene, modern geometric patterns and a whimsical rope accent wall add contrast and energy. These unexpected details inject personality and movement, reinforcing the community’s identity while keeping the overall experience light and approachable.

The finished spaces strike a thoughtful balance: grounded, inspiring, and just playful enough to feel memorable.

A modern game room with a pool table in the center, a TV on the wood-paneled wall showing a football game, and large windows providing natural light.
A modern workspace with three computers on a wooden table, blue chairs, light wood flooring, and large windows letting in natural light.
Small bathroom with green textured wallpaper, a white toilet, wicker laundry basket, wall-mounted sink with decor, and a single light fixture above.
Modern office space with three blue chairs, a wooden desk with two computers, and large windows with dark blue curtains overlooking greenery.