Archives - Vernon House. Co-living in Primrose Hill
Vernon House is a collection of private studio apartments for extended stays in leafy north London. Created from an extensive conversion of a row of townhouses.
Client
Mount Capital - a London and Prague-based real estate investment company with strong roots in the local neighbourhood.
Brief
We were retained to bring a community-focused brand strategy to the project, create the visual identity, and design the website and all print and digital collateral.
Response and Brand Strategy
We begun with extensive local area research to develop a narrative for the project. Gaining an understanding of the various competitors across co-living, traditional serviced apartments and disruptive long stay brands. We then defined the target audiences for the property.
Our response was a strategy that placed the local character, charm and heritage of this famous neighbourhood at the heart of the project.
Visual Identity
Taking our cues from the interiors and local area, we worked with collaborators Saved By Robots to develop the brand’s visual identity.
This needed to feel clean and contemporary, with a community-first personality. Building anticipation before check-in and making guests feel at home and connected to the area as soon as they arrive.
This was then applied across web, way finding, print and digital collateral and social media.
Guest Experience
We developed a guest journey that bought in elements of a hotel experience, but dialled these down into a subtle, unobtrusive way of connecting with, welcoming, and serving the residents without the feeling of a managed environment.
We then programmed the communal spaces and bought subtle local products into the apartments and common areas.
Community Engagement
We brought in stories from local businesses to cement Vernon House at the heart of the local community, designing a publication that profiled local businesses and places to visit.
In addition to informing guests about things to do, this helped with local marketing and got people talking positively about a previously-contentious project in the neighbourhood.
We commissioned this bespoke illustration from London-based artist Leonie Wharton.
Celebrating the brilliant independent businesses in Primrose Hill, cementing Vernon House at the heart of the neighbourhood, and helping guests navigate the local area.
The featured businesses were then profiled within the in-room magazine.
Full Scope of Work
With collaborators appointed to the project, we were responsible for the strategic creative direction and delivery of,
📌 Brand strategy and tone of voice
📌 Strategic creative direction
📌 Guest experience development
📌 Public space strategy and programming
📌 Community engagement strategy
📌 Copywriting
📌 Visual identity development
📌 Website design and build
📌 Print collateral
📌 Digital collateral
📌 Photography production
Collaborators
Leading on research, positioning, brand strategy, conceptual direction and brand personality/tone of voice, I was supported by -
Lucy McCormick - Project production
Saved by Robots - Visual identity
Caitlin Isola - Local area photography
Leonie Wharton - Illustrations
Other project services provided by -
Modular Studio - Architecture
Pascoe Interiors - Interior design
Richard Gooding - Interior photography
Do you want to learn more about how we bought community-first co-living to an upscale audience? Or do you have a project or collaboration you’d like to discuss?
