When it comes to luxury property developments, planning, design and space all play a pivotal role in producing a premium product. Underpinning the principles of interior design and spatial planning is the art of volumetrics; and Landmass have trademarked the importance of this pedagogical focus.
“Skills levels, quality levels and resource procurement are vital in the planning stages in a practice predominated by precision.” According to Alan Waxman, Director of Landmass.
Seasoned specialists in Interior design, property development and architecture, the Landmass team share their top ten tips with luxury developers.
Distinctive Design
Given the competitive nature of the property development industry, developers are having to exercise their creativity by setting themselves apart from fellow designers. Landmass believe that property development design should be centred around factors such as space, light enhancement and neutral palettes as opposed to repetitive, distinctive features.
Talking to property agents
Consulting property agents is a key component of the property development planning process. Developers should regard property agents as an integral part of their planning process due to their sound understanding of the market and their clients. It’s important for developers to include agents from the beginning of the planning stage process, from design to layout and specifications.
Specification precision reduces cost overruns
It’s not necessary for designers to overspend on super-luxurious furniture in high-end properties. The procurement process is fundamental in sourcing beautiful, high-quality furniture at a reasonable cost. Our designers tend not to use one supplier, and although it makes the process more difficult logistically, it creates a more unique look.
Closely monitored building contracts
Making sure that the contract with the builder is properly monitored and fair on both sides is essential to a successful build. It’s imperative not to cut corners on having an excellent team of professionals to oversee the cost and quality of the project. These would include a professional project manager and a qualified quantity surveyor to oversee not just the project but also the contract with the builder.
Avoid cutting corners to save on costs
Craftmanship is essential and in order to deliver a high-standard, it’s really important to commission a good ‘skills’ team. A negative example of this would be selecting designer wall-paper and using a sub-standard installer, which often costs developers in the long run. Joinery is another example of a specialism requiring careful procurement. There are plenty workmen in skilled fields, but it’s about finding dedicated workmen who are specialists in their field of expertise.
Don’t forget the layout
Space layout should always come before design and finishing planning. Often developers make the mistake of cramming too much furniture into one room. Space is of the essence in London and developers often think that if they over furnish a space, they will give the impression that there is more space, when in fact it has the completely opposite outcome to the desired effect.
Underestimating the importance of Volumetric Design
A lot of designers these days focus on the square footage rather than the volumetrics. Many developers cram as many bedrooms as they can into one dwelling. It’s important to make the best use of the space provided and if that means creating two big bedrooms instead of three postage stamp sized bedrooms in the name of volumetric design, so be it!
More is less!
Try not to overuse textures, colours and finishes. If spaces are too busy one focuses on the features too much, rather than the space. The lure, appeal and subliminal effects of the space should be what people notice when they walk into a room, rather than the individual features.
Always furnish your property
Nine times out of ten, developers only furnish their show apartment properties and rely solely on their show apartments to sell the rest of their stock. The trouble is, in the case when the spaces are laid out differently, architecturally, it makes it difficult for the viewer to imagine the space furnished. Seeing a property furnished means the viewers can envisage themselves living in the space.
Don’t forget the fundamentals
It’s easy to overlook the fundamentals such as storage in bathrooms and kitchens, and under-thinking plug point spacing. All these seemingly subliminal factors can significantly affect the overall look if they’re not carefully considered.
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