Design Boards in Action: The Walk Starkville
To help illustrate the importance of design boards, we spoke to our interior designer, Ashley Harris, about her most recent project at The Walk Starkville. Here’s what Ashley had to say about how having a design board helped shaped the entire project from start to finish:
“The Walk properties all have a really unique, fun, young, and special feel to them,” she explains. “They certainly have a brand direction that includes bright pops of color and a very feminine feel overall.”
To help keep The Walk Starkville on-brand while still forming its own identity compared to its sister properties, Ashley drew inspiration from SouthPark Interiors’ original designs at The Walk Tuscaloosa.
“I was also inspired by some of the newest trending color palettes this year, which really kicked off the overall design of The Walk Starkville,” she recalls. “Although the trending color palettes inspired the design, I always find it most important to design a space that is timeless. You want to make the resident feel at home, yet also like they are living luxuriously — which can sometimes be a hard juxtaposition. I also find it very important to include highly unique design features, furniture, and art pieces that are going to set this property apart from its competitors.”
When building the design board for The Walk Starkville, Ashley took an amenity-specific approach.
“I like to focus on each amenity separately so that they each really feel like their own unique place to hang out,” she explains. “Of course, the overall design is always looked at holistically, but providing very unique designs in each amenity makes them feel even more upscale.”
For example, the spa and sauna areas feel very clean, bright, and luxurious while the fitness center feels dark, edgy, and a bit more masculine. These differences aren’t only seen in the final design, but throughout the concept boards used to inform the project as well.
Know where to start
Whether planning a new ground up development or large scale renovation, always begin with a carefully curated concept board. Be weary of any design team that skips this step or fails to involve you through the design board process.
