Interior Design Project :: Student Housing

Over the last 9 months I have had the privilege of working on the design for a brand new student living complex in Ames Iowa - Stadium View Suites. This has been a fun project to work on as I have been able to incorporate and play off the sports theme as the complex is located just east of Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum. It is always fun to see spaces come together from start to finish. 

With this project, starting with the logo, I decided to incorporate a retro sports feel paired with modern clean lines and elements. I also wanted to keep in mind that although this is a higher end project, I still needed to work within a budget and keep in mind turnover in the units. Since it is a student living complex, most residents will only be living here for 1-4 years at most. This means choosing products and finishes based on their durability, longevity and availability. As they are needed to be able to withstand wear and tear of students moving in and out over the years and possibly be replaced if damaged. (let's get real- WHEN damaged) :)

This project is also unique in that it is rent by the room. It has 2, 3 and 4 bedroom units that are rented out by individual leases. So if you don't have any roommates figured out they will match you with a roommate matching system. The common space is also fully furnished with a couch, love seat or chair, coffee table, flatscreen tv and 4 bar stools. Here is the furniture I picked that coordinates with the apartments.

The finishes for the interior apartments have a very modern and clean feel. We went with a gray wood grain finish for vinyl luxury tile in the kitchen and living space to keep the rooms uniform and for durability. The walls and ceilings are painted the same color - SW Mindful Gray. I wouldn't normally pick the same color for the wall and ceiling, but with this lighter gray tone, it helps make the rooms feel larger, simplifies the space and helps the eyes focus on the beautiful finishes. I also chose to do this because it will make it much easier when needing to do any touch up painting during turnover. 

The kitchen cabinets include a dark walnut finish with brushed chrome hardware and light granite countertops. For the appliances we chose a painted silver that coordinates with the space but also feels like high end stainless steel without the hassles of cleaning fingerprints. For the bedroom flooring, I picked a commercial carpet tile from Patcraft with similar gray tones and blended well with the wall color but still has some contrast to the room. Each bedroom includes a bathroom suite with a private bathroom and walk-in closet. To maximize the bedroom and bathroom space we used a slider barn door for the transition. Here are a few mood boards I created to help envision the design for the model unit.  

 For the last part of this project I am designing the clubhouse where the offices are located along with 24/7 access to residents. This space features a study lounge, self-serve coffee bar, theatre/game room, fitness center and tanning. I have been adding to my mood board and it's starting to all come together. Pretty cool right? I know when I was a student at Iowa State this would have been the coolest place on the block and perfect for tailgating! What do you think?