Hertfordshire Warehouse Conversion

Rembrandt House in Watford is a listed Edwardian building, dating from the early 1900s.   Recently converted into quirky apartments, the estate agent felt that a show apartment was needed, as warehouse conversions are not commonplace in Watford and we needed to showcase the beauty, style and versatility of re-purposed industrial buildings.

The chosen apartment was two-bedroom lower ground floor unit, which had been converted to a high standard, in keeping with the industrial heritage.  The show flat needed to remain true to the building, whilst also appealing to a local Watford market, unaccustomed to this style of property.   . 

Our approach to designing this show home

• The apartment was not blessed with natural light, so the design approach was two-fold.  We embraced the cozy, snug feel with deep greens and browns, and furniture with a soft industrial look.  We also created a layered lighting scheme, with multiple table and floor lamps, large reflective ceiling shades and light diffusing voile curtains to allow potential buyers to see how a dark property can be enhanced with clever lighting.

• We were aiming at a young local market; buyers who were looking for something a bit different to the many new-build blocks in Watford.  Every piece of furniture and accessory was deliberately selected to fit the lifestyle appeal of a former industrial building. 

The result: one show flat - seven sales

• The original show flat sold quickly, and the staging inventory was moved to a different unit.  The developer strongly believed that having the show apartment had a very positive impact on the sales of all seven newly converted flats.