In the last decade, luxury auto firms have pivoted sharply into real estate, opening up everything from skyscrapers to private homes. Now, you may never get to own a slice of real estate from your fave luxury auto brand, but, who says you have to? If auto-tuning businesses are a thing, custom-built homes based on luxury auto concepts can surely exist.

Wondering how to pull it off? Here are some things to consider

Consider the brand’s DNA

It goes without saying that every luxury auto brand has its unique DNA, philosophy and identity that defines it, and, if you’re absolutely in love with a marque, you most likely resonate with its beliefs and core values.

Let’s say you love Ferraris. You most likely love bold colours and designs that reflect power. Or, if Porsches are more your thing, you might be an adherent of quiet luxury with the occasional bold accents.

Should you choose to design your home or space after your favourite luxury auto, the first rule is to consider what the brand stands for and see how you can incorporate that into your home design.

Choose a specific model. Or not

Just considering the brand’s DNA might not be enough to give you the complete look you desire, so your next step is to list the specific model (s) you love from your chosen brand.

So say you adore Rolls Royce, but not all its models truly fascinate you. The design idea for your living room can come from elements in the Black Badge Wraith, and you can narrow things further in your bedroom by incorporating details from one of its unique models, like the Arcadia.

Tying design elements and choice of materials to specific models of your favourite luxury auto brand can help to give you a more interesting, creative and cohesive outcome.

Materials, materials

Here’s one truth about true luxury brands: quality materials are everything. From the richest leathers to the softest fabrics, luxury auto brands always ensure that every material put together to make their vehicles is not just premium but offers the best comfort and evokes the best positive emotions that money can buy.

Which is exactly what you have to do when designing your luxury auto-themed home. From soft leather sofas to chrome door handles, luxurious wood accents and flooring, every material used and piece added has to have the same level of premium quality as your dream auto.

Craftsmanship

Experienced and meticulous craftsmanship is another factor that sets true luxury autos apart, so get ready to invest in the services of the best in the field if you want your home to look anything like your luxury car.

Custom-built furniture is a must, as are handcrafted items like rugs and accents. Experienced artisans who are extremely detailed are also necessary to help bring your dream to life.

Include the fireworks

What’s a luxury car without the wow factor?

To get the perfect finish on your luxury auto-themed home, make sure to include standout features that tie the entire vision together, like dramatic lighting for example, or a feature wall, or even contrasting accessories and accents that would elevate the entire design and start conversations every time someone steps into your space.

Spending time with what you truly love is important, but, so also is spending time with who you love. Your beloved luxury auto should take you home and not away from it. If you find yourself spending more time in your car than in your home, then maybe it is time to bring it in with these outlined steps which is a good starter guide to designing your home interior after your favourite luxury auto.

The post Drive Home Luxury: How to Model Your Home Decor After Your Fave Luxury Car first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Drive Home Luxury: How to Model Your Home Decor After Your Fave Luxury Car appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Don’t believe us? Just ask Silver Hill Atelier, a custom art and design studio that only recently completed an indoor and outdoor children’s play space for 2200 Brickell, a luxury property in Miami that includes a tree house and a pirate ship structure.

Silver Hill Atelier is rather experienced in creating unique structures since it was founded in 1979. Over the years, the New York-based firm has worked with restaurants and resorts like Planet Hollywood and Disney to create themed, distinctive spaces. To understand why more and more families are choosing to include custom-designed and built structures for children on their properties and in their homes, we turned to Michael Whiston and Norvel Hermanovski of the Atelier for some insight.

When did you start to notice this shift to custom-designed play areas for kids in luxury apartment buildings?

Though developers have previously been interested in the concept … we have seen it become more popular over the past few years as luxury real estate has skyrocketed, especially in South Florida. 

What do you think brought about this trend?

Luxury real estate developers are constantly vying for their buildings to stand out to prospective residents. They want to show residents (that not only will they) feel cared for and at home at their properties, but that they will also have access to a range of amenities and services no other development can provide. Curated amenity spaces like our children’s play areas add an extra personal touch that gives buyers confidence their needs will be met and they will experience a high-quality lifestyle, no matter their age. That is a very attractive prospect, and as more luxury buyers witness the difference between organic and manufactured designs, more developers are hopping on the trend to meet their growing demand.

Are the requests for indoor or outdoor spaces?

Yes, we have received requests for both indoor and outdoor children’s spaces. At 2200 Brickell for example, we were tasked to build both types within the condominium so that everyone, rain or shine, can have a space to safely explore and play. 

Can you take us through a brief description of your journey to designing custom play areas?

Since 1979, we have strived to build artwork and environments that tell a story through visuals and build connections. We began as a traditional mural-making company creating murals for Limited Express stores and later expanded to doing artwork, theming, and 3D work for restaurants and larger hospitality projects such as Hard Rock Café and Canyon Ranch. From there, the door was opened to working with residential developers, and we quickly progressed from mural work to designing entire interiors as the demand for custom spaces grew.

What’s your design process like?

We begin by sitting down with the interested developers and architects of a project to get an understanding of their building and vision. This includes learning the artistic background and inspiration for the project as a whole, their goals for the space we will create, and so on. Once we have a solid feel for the building and its needs, we focus that information into developing the creative designs for our play structures.

Why did you choose to design the play items/furniture yourself instead of going with already existing furniture?

As artists, we are passionate about bringing unique ideas to life. We see and honour the value within personalized craftsmanship and organic spaces, and we want all those who see, touch, and explore our designs to understand our work was crafted for them and their homes. Making play items and installations from scratch gives us the ability to convey this far more than we could with items we could purchase from a store. It also allows us to seamlessly mesh our installations with the existing aesthetic of their space, be it the room, building, or greater neighbourhood.

Let’s talk about your design for 2200 Brickell, Miami. What informed the final design?

At 2200 Brickell, we wanted to create two spaces that would remain true to Miami’s natural aesthetic while giving children room to have fun safely. With our indoor play space, we wanted to bring the outside inside by referencing the beautiful trees seen throughout Brickell. As such, we designed nature-inspired wooden play structures and artwork throughout the space and covered the walls with painted and sculptural trees. For the exterior space, we wanted to draw from Miami’s seafaring history and give children a chance to be their own captains of the sea with a nautical-themed playground, equipped with an interactive pirate ship.

What are some of the other designs you’ve done? Which is your favourite creation to date?

We have worked on various restaurant, corporate, and hospitality projects across the globe, including designs for Planet Hollywood, Disney Hong Kong, and Disney Tokyo. Though we had a wonderful time designing for these projects, we are proud of our work at The Alyn in New York. This property required us to fill 2,400 square feet of space with a safe, highly interactive area for children of all ages on the Upper East Side. The resulting area held everything from climbing walls and jungle decor to ships and castles, as well as slides and sprinklers. Not to mention that we also designed and built the parking garage space for the Alyn (the best-looking parking garage in NYC!) It was full of colour and activity and turned out wonderfully. We are equally excited about 2200 Brickell and look forward to crafting its nautical and nature-based elements.

What, in your opinion, makes this trend important? What are the advantages?

Children of all ages love to play. They love making friends, running and climbing, and letting their imaginations run wild. It is important, as more apartments and condominiums rise in larger cities, that children continue to have access to safe, welcoming, and engaging spaces where they can do all of this and more. Custom designs like ours add an extra touch of whimsy, creativity, and warmth that makes these play areas really shine compared to colder, manufactured displays.

What are the possible downsides to having private play areas, and how do you think developers can navigate them?

We see no possible downsides to having these custom play areas for children so long as they are well maintained and managed.

What do you think is next for this trend? What’s a natural progression in your opinion?

The tangible next step for this trend is for more buildings to join the trend and for future children’s spaces to become even more magical and engaging. Luxury buildings today are constantly trying to outdo each other with dynamic designs and opportunities for their residents. Custom play areas are great places for developers to expand, and I can see them becoming more elaborate, vibrant, and personalized as the trend takes off. Perhaps instead of seeing one or two custom play areas in a building, we may see multiple or even entire custom amenity levels dedicated to children. These spaces could extend even into private residences that would have custom pre-built structures as an added amenity. Play areas will transform into places where play and learning are merged seamlessly. The possibilities are endless. 

The post Trend Alert! Luxury Property Owners Turn to Custom-Designed Play Areas for Their Younger Residents first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Trend Alert! Luxury Property Owners Turn to Custom-Designed Play Areas for Their Younger Residents appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

‘Isimi’ is a Yoruba word that translates to ‘peace of mind’ and that is the exact feeling the city wants to give to its residents. Located on the North side of the Lekki Lagoon in Epe, ISIMI Lagos is a large, sprawling, mini-city sitting imperiously on 124 hectares of land. It is divided into five clusters, with each one featuring a mix of buildings that can be both fully-residential spaces or destination apartments for short stays.

It is easy to think of ISIMI Lagos as another real estate venture when in reality it is so much more. The city is not just another luxury location to live or vacation in: Landwey built ISIMI Lagos primarily on the concept of wellness. Every home was constructed around the trees that occupy the land, making it the perfect relaxation spot for lovers of nature and just about anybody. Food in the city comes straight from the farm within it, grown without chemicals and harmful additives. Cars are not permitted within the city: a general parking lot outside the living residences ensures that carbon emissions do not find their way in. To move around, residents are encouraged to walk, use the city’s hybrid cars or cycle. Electricity comes directly from the sun, eliminating harmful methods of generating power.

ISIMI Lagos offers both work and living spaces emboldened with high-speed internet and uninterrupted power to boost the efficiency of residents. It will include an animal conservation park, golf course, recreational centre, tech valley, helipad, farm shop, spa, hiking paths, gym facilities, and many other perks that would make every other luxury residence in the commercial centre of Nigeria green with envy.

Apart from the endless opportunities it will provide, the city also comprises a standard polo turf with a stable that houses some of the world’s best horses providing truly unique and excellent riding experiences.

Characterised by a theme of wellness and the picturesque scenery of the city, ISIMI Lagos is family-friendly with an all-natural lake that can be used for family-oriented activities such as kayaking, picnics, and outdoor playdates. In the words of Olawale Ayilara, CEO of Landwey Investment, “Isimi Lagos will dramatically alter what we currently consider the norm in Lagos. It will be a living experience like none other. As soon as you walk in, you’ll be able to feel your stress melt away.”

The first cluster, Origin one, will be ready for occupancy in five months. Comprising of different eco-friendly homes – ‘Citilights’, the eight-floor building consisting of 2-bedroom apartments; ‘Oslo’, the 2-bedroom terrace; ‘Astra’, the 1 bedroom maisonette and, Villagio, the 3-bedroom detached house. To find out more and to know if you qualify for any of the apartments, go to www.isimilagos.com, or visit their Instagram page here.

The post ISIMI Lagos, Nigeria’s Premier Luxury Wellness and Polo City Launches first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post ISIMI Lagos, Nigeria’s Premier Luxury Wellness and Polo City Launches appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Sadly, the #LekkiMassacre happened, followed by violent looting and burning of public properties, as well as a 24-hr curfew. The anxiety and fear that permeated the whole of Lagos did not miraculously evade us, and it appeared as though even our scheduled Zoom meeting would not hold. At the last minute, however, we decided to go along with it, frazzled nerves and all.

It is in this context that the lights come up on both Tayo and I, and as we face each other in as close a proximity as technology can allow, the first thing we do is to check up on each other, virtual strangers before that moment, but ultimately joined together by a tragedy so profound that we were still in shock. Tayo runs Kimberly’s Apartments, a management company that offers and oversees short-let and service apartments. She has been in the business for over seven years, and within this period of time, has added more than five short-let apartments to her portfolio, branching into the luxury segment of home listings and property development. She describes herself as a “serial entrepreneur”, and her move into the real estate market in Nigeria was purely accidental. Her success in the market, however, is not.

How did Kimberly’s Apartments start, and what is the future of short-let stays in the Nigerian real estate industry?

ALM: Tell us a bit about yourself

TA: My name is Tayo Adejumo, I am an entrepreneur. I’ll say a serial entrepreneur more like because I’ve dabbled into different businesses over the years before I settled in the real estate and short-let apartments industry. Academically, what I studied does not have anything to do with property. I studied criminology and law – most of the things I studied are law-related. As a matter of fact, I did terrorism studies in UNILAG as a diploma course. So everything I have done is criminology and law-related and not linked with properties.

I used to live in the UK, but I moved because I couldn’t extend my student visa at the time. So I had to come back to Nigeria and start from scratch. I did not have much capital to start any huge business with, so what I kept thinking to myself was what could I start with zero capital? Then, I dabbled into businesses like doing business cards, prints, graphic designing, events, web designs and decorations. These are jobs that just require sitting at my computer and coming up with ideas. From there, I got to where I am today. That is who I have been.

ALM: How did you get into the property business?

TA: Funny story: when I moved to VGC, my neighbour – Mr Austin, he is deceased now – he used to stay at the flat in front. I designed and decorated the apartment for him. It was a 2-bedroom flat. Unfortunately, 3 months after he moved in, Mr Austin died. His family lives abroad. So when they were through with mourning, they did not know what to do [with the flat]. Everything in the house was brand new and it had been set up to live in, so I suggested, why don’t we just use it for short-let? And that was how I started.

ALM: Why did you not think of long-term lease/rent?

TA: From my experience living abroad, I know that you can actually rent out a furnished house. Most people coming back home from the UK and the US are looking to stay in a place apart from their family house or hotels.

So I thought that this is a niche that people were not really paying attention to; it was still small at the time – we weren’t many. And I always like to be a pioneer of something, I like businesses where I am a pioneer because I think that way I can make a huge difference. And it does not look like I am copying someone. I can grow and actually know that this is all me. That is why I chose short-let and not the more common ways of renting apartments to long-term tenants. In addition, with short-lets, you get to meet different people from different walks of life, you grow with them, they become your new family. Today, we have a lot of returning customers who are now like family to us.

ALM: Do you own any of the apartments you manage, or you do it on behalf of other people?

TA: I do not own any of the apartments I currently manage. Maybe because I feel obligated to wanting to deliver something [for others]; I don’t know why. I feel more confident or more in service when it is for others. You know, when it is mine, I will be complacent with it. But when it is someone else’s, I will not want to mess it up. You don’t want to be put in a position where you are questioned on [your shortcomings]. You want to deliver, you want to be on top of your game every time. It pushes you to be better and do better. 

ALM: So, how has the journey been so far?

TA: It’s actually been very interesting with different properties and different owners. I have learnt, I have grown to be better. I have tried things that did not work until I tried things that did. It has been an amazing journey, it’s been good. It’s been a lot at times, but it has been all good.

ALM: Where are the apartments located? Are they all over the country?

TA: We’re just on the island; however, when it comes to the UK and the US, we have other companies that we have liaised with. So if any of our customers are going to these countries, we always talk to them and they can give them an apartment on our behalf. And if they have clients coming to Nigeria they contact me as well.

ALM: What packages do you offer guests?

TA: Our apartments range from a one-bedroom mini-flat to an 8-bedroom house. In addition to water and other basic amenities, we give guests a free item upon check-in. Short-lets are different from hotels and that is why it has to be an entire house. Packages are based on the number of rooms you would need, which would give you access to the entire house.

We make sure whatever house you are going into is beautiful, neat and smells good. Sometimes, we surprise guests by calling restaurants or bakeries to deliver to them. This is not included in our packages: this is just us trying to create a relationship. However, regardless of the number of rooms you choose, you would need to pay a caution fee to forestall damages or take care of them if they occur. This is refundable upon check out if nothing is broken or missing.

ALM: How do you screen guests and carry out background checks?

TA: It is very difficult to do background checks in Nigeria because there is no database of anything anywhere. However, I always request for international passports and call the next of kin. If this person is a part of the [visiting party], I will ask for someone different. I notify them of the guest(s) and ask if they are aware of the person’s stay, while also informing them that they would be called in case of any incidents.

ALM: Have you had any problem with guests so far? How did you manage them?

TA: Oh yes we have. We had a guest who tried to scam us with fake screenshots of payments made. We assumed it was network issues and agreed he could stay over. The next morning, we got a report that he was fighting with the escort he brought over. So apparently, he tried to employ the same trick by showing her a screenshot of payment made. But she refused to leave and an argument ensued.  

The police were called and they were both arrested. Investigations revealed he had been lying all along with fake screenshots! He was charged to court and it took 3 months to get our money back.

Based on past experiences, we no longer allow parties or movie-sets on our properties as we are situated in residential areas. Minimum stay is 3 nights with a maximum of two guests per room.

ALM: Besides letting out short-stay apartments, what other services do you offer in the real estate industry?

TA: I just started premium rentals which is [a service] for premium customers looking to get suitable accommodation. Instead of contacting real estate agents and being taken from house to house, they get to choose from the luxury listings we have available. I also just started developing and selling houses.

ALM: What is the best property advice you have ever been given?

TA: I have not been given any, but I have seen many great examples that have served me well. Anytime I travel, I stay in short-let apartments and compare with what we have here in Nigeria. For example, headroom. We usually do not make provision for adequate headroom in Nigeria. You put up a chandelier and your head will be touching it. But abroad, the headroom is high enough. Their tile work is also different, Sometimes, they don’t even use tiles; they use wallpaper and laminate it. These are the things I see that I bring back into the homes I manage. So the best property advice I have received has been from seeing and not hearing.

ALM: Did the pandemic affect your business in any way? If yes, how?

TA: Shockingly, it didn’t. We thought it would since everyone had to stay at home. But most university students, for whatever reason, decided to come together and take apartments. Then there were people who work in Lagos but do not stay within the state. They too did the same thing. Some companies also decided to take our apartments for their staff to continue working unhindered. So all the apartments I manage, in addition to those managed by my associates, were fully booked during the lockdown.

ALM: What other amenities can guests expect to enjoy when they stay in any apartment managed by Kimberly’s?

TA: Wifi is important, so we make that available. 24-hour electricity too which is supplemented by a back-up generator. However, due to the high cost of electricity now, we give guests a fair amount of units and advise that they use it fairly. If these units are used up before their stay is over, they would have to make provision for new units themselves. We clean every other day. Our TVs are smart so customers have access to as many stations and programmes on Hulu, Netflix, YouTube and all other video streaming platforms as they want.

We also take feedback from guests and try to ensure that they are implemented in our apartments so that returning and even new customers can get the best of the best in terms of amenities.

ALM: Is catering included?

TA: We had tried providing a chef but due to inconsistencies on the part of the chef, I had to discontinue this service.

ALM: Do you curate experiences for vacationing guests?

TA: Yes, we have a welcome booklet that contains everything from house rules to places you can visit and things you can do. We feature restaurants, fun activities you can do locally as well as their contact details.

ALM: How do you think the short-let apartment market would look like five years from now?

TA: For now, very few people understand the business in spite of the increased number of short-let apartments that we have in Nigeria presently. It is a profitable business, but one that you need to understand with time. It also takes a good management company for you to be able to make any profit. Unfortunately, people are greedy, have issues with choosing the right pricing models and do not have any patience to learn how the business works, so there may be a lot of players, but very low competition five years from now.

ALM: What is the future for Kimberly’s?

TA: At Kimberly’s it is different. We have affiliates outside the country. We also have a website where you can conveniently make bookings. I don’t just take apartments from everyone: we are selective of who we work with. I hate pressure, especially from clients who want a definite figure of monthly profits. I tell them the market is unpredictable, but I can assure a 100% occupancy rate.

Moving forward, I am going to have my own properties listed. In 5 years time, I believe Kimberly’s will be better and we would be even more selective about who we take on and we would be more of a household name.

ALM: What is a typical day for you like as a short-let apartment manager?

Once upon a time was crazy. My phone would ring from morning to night, as late as 1:30 am. My day used to start at 5 am and end at 1 am. It took a long time for me to manage my time. Now, I have been able to delegate to two more managers that share the workload with me.

My typical day is busy. I am always home and I monitor the cleaners, available apartments, track subscriptions for cable TV and all other amenities provided by 3rd parties. It is surprising and that is what I like about the business. I can’t plan my tomorrow: no two days are the same. I can be called to manage customers who are having parties and that can take a greater part of my day. By the way, if you are having parties and you are caught, you get evicted without a refund. You cannot feign ignorance because this information is in the invoice and the welcome booklet.  

ALM: What has shocked you the most about this niche?

TA: Interestingly, most of my guests have become homeowners. After staying with us and experiencing the area, they went on to buy their own properties which they now use as short-let apartments. The first person who gave me their apartment to use as a short-let is one of my most recurring guests at my other properties. He liked the way I decorated one of the properties that I managed and asked that I build and furnish a personal home for him. This is another reason why I like the business- everything is unpredictable and events cannot be pre-planned.

ALM: Do you think you will ever manage a property on Lagos mainland?

TA: I would have, but the challenge around the business is getting a good manager and good staff. In this business, you do not just manage the property: you manage the owner, the guest and the staff. Managing staff is extremely tough as most of them come in with ulterior motives. You need to be able to have the properties and staff within your reach so that if your attention is needed, you can get to the location and get back home quickly.

Homeowners on the mainland think differently and I need a reliable manager to handle them. If there is even a good enough property on the mainland, then we can make that commitment. But for now, I have not seen one that qualifies on the mainland.

Also, in my experience, short-let apartments need to be done in a house, not a building that is being let out to long-term tenants. No matter how careful you are, you will clash with the tenants. We will definitely come to the mainland if we have a good owner and a good property.

ALM: What are five fun facts people don’t know about you?

I love movies a lot… I know a lot about food, I like it and I am adventurous with it… I am a good cook. I love to cook and can make both local and international dishes… I love a challenge. I enjoy challenges and think it’s fun to learn new things… I enjoy graphic design, and recently, I learnt videography and editing. All the fun things about me are related to food and movies!

To make a booking at any of Kimberly’s Apartments, go on Instagram, @kimberlysapartments, or visit their website here. You can also book on Facebook here or call the following numbers: +2347051002214, +2348183333396, +2349013333396, and, +2349013333363. It is advised you book ahead because they are always fully-booked before each day. 

The post ASPIRE Pick of the Week: Kimberly’s Apartments by Short-Let Property Maven, Tayo Adejumo first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post ASPIRE Pick of the Week: Kimberly’s Apartments by Short-Let Property Maven, Tayo Adejumo appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Called The House of the Big Arch, it was designed and built on the concept of a home that disappears into the landscape, sitting among the rocks and trees and birds, and offering animals and plants and humans equal opportunity to find shelter while treating the bushveld with its deserved respect.

Before embarking on the project, Frankie Pappas laser-scanned the entire site and used the resulting 3D ‘digital forest’ to inform the design. The house was built using very simple materials: rough stock brick which was selected to match the site’s weathered sandstone; sustainably-grown timbers for the ‘bridge’ portions of the building, and, glass and aluminium to fill in the non-structural wall.

“Any funky bulges and protrusions in the plan of the building were dictated by where trees allowed us to build,” the team wrote in their project description, noting that no trees were demolished during construction. The result is a long, custom, and seriously skinny building that appears to float through the tree canopy.

The first floor offers to its inhabitants a planted courtyard; a reclusive lounge; a sunlit dining room; a farmhouse kitchen and scullery; a tree-shaded deck; a small pool, and, a fireplace – around which most of the cooking and living occurs.

The ground floor provides yet more courtyards; a study; library, and, a small swing bench under the arch while the cellar creates a climate conducive to curing meats, storing food supplies and ageing wines.

The house is completely off-grid, so, how will its inhabitants cope? The answer is by simply relying on nature to provide their needs. Water is supplied by rain and filtered by nature; electricity is courtesy of the sun, and since the house has been built under large, leafy shades, there is little or no need for excessive energy to cool and preserve.

Source: Archello (House of the Big Arch)

The post This Luxury Home is Only 3m Wide and ‘Invisible’ to the Human Eye first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

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