Interior Design Tips for Modern Multi-Residential Living

Whether we rent or buy, we want more for our money these days. As the cost of living in Canada has risen, so too have our expectations. Municipalities are racing to meet the new demands for functional, beautiful living spaces.

According to a recent report from the BC Housing Research Centre, over 75 percent of new homes registered in the province during the first half of this year were multi-unit homes. It’s clear that the competition is red-hot for multi-residential developers.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen the aesthetic of the multi-residential building rise to the luxury one would expect from a five-star hotel. With new expectations and a highly saturated market, how can a multi-family development stand out?

From an interior design perspective, price will continue to play a pivotal role in decision-making. But there are other considerations that can help developers achieve the right look and feel to attract prospective buyers.

Here are some design ideas that can help your multi-residential project truly make a splash.

Interior design tip 1. Use colour thoughtfully

Colour has the power to influence how we feel and behave, and in a multi-residential space, consistency is critical. While the lobby is a great place to make a bold first impression, the colour palette should tell a story that flows through the entire building.

Staying on-brand can be a crucial factor for developers. Since many of our clients want to stamp their trademark on a project, many have requested a particular colour to trickle through the interior design.

Domesticity favours the neutral backdrop. There’s a reason for this: beiges, blacks, and whites are understated and malleable. These colours can soothe busy mornings in your kitchen or help welcome guests into your dining area. A neutral background also calls attention to other textures and colours in the fixtures and furniture, such as rough-hewn wood or bronze finishes.

In 2019, Living Coral was named the colour of the year, and though it’s undoubtedly a playful, vibrant colour, ask yourself: would you want to live in a condo with all-coral cabinets or walls? Probably not.

On-brand or in-vogue colours can be exciting but also overwhelming. For this reason, bold colours are best used subtly in multi-family units. Think: door handles and throw pillows. Rich accent colours on their own can make a room come to life without overloading the occupant.

Interior design tip 2. Animate space with lighting

While colour can go a long way in establishing mood in interior design, it is virtually useless without the right lighting. Historically, the trend with multi-residential has been function over aesthetic. An example of this would be a corridor lined with a row of fluorescent lights. Is it well-lit? Perhaps, but no one wants to feel like they’re living in a hospital.

Bringing a space to life means going beyond what we see to consider how that visual impression creates an experience. Staying with the example of a corridor, there are several questions developers should ask when thinking about lighting. Where should the eye be drawn to? What experience, memory, or emotion are you trying to evoke when a potential buyer walks down this hallway?

Indirect lighting can give a space the high-end look that many tenants are currently seeking out. This type of lighting is more directional and can help guide the eye to wherever you want to draw it.

We can enhance the corridor experience with indirect lighting by replacing high-exposure lights with warmer overhead LEDs and incorporating backlighting with suite signage. Now, the corridor is no longer static and sterile – it is animated while still providing adequate lighting.

Interior design tip 3. Use select finishes that make a statement

Nowadays, the sky's the limit when it comes to materials. Durability, polish, and functionality are what make a room beautiful, but more importantly, liveable. With options abound, modern renters and owners are looking for finishes that can truly make a statement.

In interior design, wood (or the illusion of wood) remains the classic choice. Fewer materials are as versatile. Wood can be sleek, contemporary, rustic, eclectic – the possibilities are endless. For multi-residential spaces, wood laminates are cheaper and more durable but can still help a room achieve the desired style.

For kitchens and bathrooms, countertop finishes are another all-important consideration. Developers need to strike a balance between cleaning ability, durability, and style. Granite, marble, and quartz continue to lead in this category.

However, it may come as a surprise that porcelain slabs are making a big comeback for countertops. Modern innovations have made porcelain just as durable as its granite and quartz counterparts, and manufacturers across Europe and North America are able to give porcelain the lavish look of marble.

Interior design tip 4. Make the space function

Planning a layout is at the heart of every interior design project. The allocation and division of room zones can dramatically impact how occupants perceive scale, utilize space, and move about a room.

The open floor plan, which combines designated living, dining, and cooking zones without structural separation, remains the favourite for multi-residential living. Many design experts agree that open concept layouts are generally considered to be harmonious and flexible, but even this popular floor plan can be less functional or even cramped if not executed correctly.

Does this problem sound familiar? A living room leaves no room for a television mount or forces the sofa to block a patio door. These are planning faux-pas that can be easily avoided when spatial adjacency, movement, and effective use of space are considered in the planning phases.

We like to think ahead of time before these issues arise. 34F begins working with the developer and architect at the earliest stages of design to ensure floor plans allow for the pace of everyday life while making use of space most effectively.

Interior design tip 5. Reflect the modern resident

All signs point to multi-family spaces becoming the dominant form of housing development, so these buildings need to play a role in improving the quality of life for their inhabitants.

To do this, these spaces will need to reflect the modern resident, and this is our specialty. Contact 34F Design for your next multi-residential project.