posted by: Charissa Pongtaratik,
We just finished updating the interior of a clubhouse for an apartment complex in Hutto, TX. The furnishings and décor previously reflected a “Texcan” (Texas-Tuscan) style that was popular in the late 90’s/early 2000’s.
Texas-Tuscan design attributes its name from the drama and scale of “Texas” (you’ve probably heard the saying ‘everything’s bigger in Texas’) and from an old-world Italian villa aesthetic. The use of this theme’s materials is seen at this property in the hand plastered walls, ornate architectural details framing the fireplace, and dark Rococo style furnishings.
Since the apartment complex resides near a golf course, the property owners wanted to update the space to brighten it up and ‘bring the outdoors in’. We were working with a limited budget and didn’t have the opportunity to change the architectural character or the paint, but I think you will see a dramatic difference regardless!
Before:
This room has some great features, but it was really dark and a bit dated.
After:
Can you believe how much brighter this room is now? It is even more impressive when you consider we did not change the paint color!
In order to brighten up the room, we took out the dark furniture and draperies and lightened up everything with shades of beige, grey and white. We did not ignore the architecture, but selected upholstery with rolled arms and curvatures in the frame to fit the traditional nature of the building.
The custom carpet is made of an ivory/beige sisal material that is easy to clean up and played a huge role in brightening the space.
Before:
The existing area rug (hidden under the pool table) remained in great shape, so we kept it in place and revolved the color scheme around it. It is a bit too dark to tell, but we pulled the pops of teal and salmon accents from the rug and used those colors as accessories and artwork to tie the new elements with those we chose to re-use.
After:
Apparently the pool table was not getting much use, so the property manager asked us to create a usable space where residents and guests could hang out. We added cushy banquette and chair seating in three distinct groupings to accommodate several groups of residents.
The color blocked drapery panels added a punch of color and made the room feel a lot bigger and brighter. The zinc-top tables are versatile enough to be paired with the wooden “new traditional” styled chairs and barstools.
Before:
The next room had been the leasing office and wasn’t functioning effectively as a place to meet with prospective residents. Not only was it dark, but it was also long and narrow making it tight to squeeze families and employees into the room.
After:
The leasing office was moved out into another space and this room became the community director’s office. This room is now much more comfortable for working at a desk and for business meetings.
Many of the multi-family residential projects we work on help the community stay up to date with their evolving demographic. You do not have to invest heavily in construction elements if you choose your furnishings and décor wisely. By updating the furnishings, décor, and layout, the clubhouse had a drastic facelift. Now the property can give their guests a great first impression of what the complex really has to offer!