Branded Residences | The Partnership Between Design Studio and the Brand

As the branded residences market continues to gain momentum, the developments earning loyalty from buyers are those where the design and the brand seamlessly align to create an exceptional residential experience. Knight Frank's Global Branded Residence Survey 2025 found that the sector now spans more than 1,000 live and pipeline developments across 83 countries, illustrating how branded residences have evolved from a niche hospitality offering into one of the fastest-growing sectors of global luxury real estate.

Branded residences have become one of the defining categories in ultra-prime real estate, providing owners with the reassurance and lifestyle alignment that comes from having a name from fashion, hospitality or automotive attached to a tower, a villa or a stretch of coastline. For developers, the appeal is equally compelling: instant recognition, a built-in story and a shortcut to desirability in an increasingly crowded market.

For luxury brands themselves, residences represent something far more meaningful than an extension of product. Whether fashion houses, automotive brands or hospitality operators, brands are increasingly creating homes as a way of building complete lifestyle ecosystems around their customers. Rather than selling a handbag, a watch or a car, they are offering buyers the opportunity to immerse themselves in the values and craftsmanship associated with the brand every day.

For us, as an interior design studio who have designed homes for some of the world's most discerning private clients, we know that brand recognition gets a buyer through the door. However, once they cross the threshold, it is the quality, thoughtfulness and originality of the interiors that determine whether they connect with the residence. The strongest branded residences reference the brand experience in subtle, considered ways, rather than making residents feel as though they have stepped straight into a showroom or store. We translate the essence of a brand into spaces that feel authentic, while remaining personal to the people who live there.

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CREATING INTERIORS FOR HERITAGE BRANDS

The beauty of working with prestigious brands is that they bring with them an existing sense of loyalty and emotional connection. Buyers already have an association with the brand; it is often a valued part of their lifestyle. However, this can also be a double-edged sword. Heritage brands frequently come with a well-curated, sometimes archive-worthy aesthetic language, detailed brand guidelines and established design principles.

“It is a privilege to be entrusted with a brand and to bring its deeper cultural resonance to life through spaces that feel authentic, meaningful and connected to their clients.” Founder and Creative Director, Oliver Burns Studio, Sharon Lillywhite

This has become increasingly relevant as the sector expands beyond traditional hospitality brands. Hotel operators naturally understand how people experience residential environments through service, while fashion and automotive brands often possess exceptionally strong visual identities but less experience in designing homes that are lived in every day. This creates an important role for us to not simply to execute brand guidelines, but to thoughtfully interpret them.

Design should never feels like a literal illustration of the brand's existing codes, instead creating a thoughtful translation of its spirit into a home that feels genuinely lived in. The residences we create rely on thoughtfully considered, subtle design cues rather than overt branding. Metal hardware might incorporate an abstract interpretation of the logo. Cushions could reference the stitching or hemming found within couture archive collections. A leather inlay might subtly echo the door detailing of a vintage classic. These references are felt rather than immediately seen.

Unlike a hotel room, a residence is not experienced for a single night. It is lived in, sometimes for a lifetime, which requires a level of thoughtfulness that feels authentic to those who love the brand, while remaining personal enough to create a home that reflects the individuality of the people who live there.

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HOW TO CREATE THE BRAND CONNECTION

Designing for a branded residence must extend far beyond the visual. This is where we bring our expertise in understanding how a home is lived in. We consider how clients display their collections, how spaces flow around their lifestyle, how natural light changes throughout the day and how rooms accommodate a family's everyday life, rather than creating a setting for a short stay.

As Forbes recently commented, affluent buyers are increasingly seeking homes that deliver a complete lifestyle experience rather than simply a prestigious address. Turnkey living, exceptional service and authentic design have become just as important as the brand itself, placing greater emphasis on craftsmanship, personalisation and the everyday experience of the home.

Buyers are becoming increasingly discerning about what constitutes luxury. The most successful branded residences are no longer those that display visible logos or branded references, but those where the brand is experienced through subtle craftsmanship, detailing, materials and service. It is the quality of residential design that determines whether owners feel emotionally connected to their home.

It is also important to consider how the brand responds to different locations and markets; a branded residence must retain a genuine sense of place. A residence in Miami and one in the Alps should never feel identical because they share the same brand name. The strongest projects are those where the design is connected toits surroundings, embracing the landscape, culture and community while allowing the brand's character to evolve naturally within its setting.

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HOW WE WORK WITH DEVELOPERS

For developers, it is important to recognise that buyers already own beautifully designed homes elsewhere. They understand the difference between a genuinely considered interior and one that has been well marketed. Increasingly, they are prepared to pay a premium for the former, while having little interest in the latter. Increasingly, they are investing in branded residences not because they require hotel-style services every day, but because they value professionally managed homes that deliver consistency wherever they are in the world.

Our extensive residential experience, brings something that a brand's in-house design language rarely can. Years spent understanding how ultra-high-net-worth families live, entertain, collect and relax provide a practical, lived understanding of what makes a home feel considered rather than simply aesthetically beautiful.

The Financial Times has highlighted how the branded residence sector is moving beyond an “amenities arms race”, with buyers increasingly seeking communities centred around wellness, longevity, shared interests and genuinely curated lifestyles rather than simply purchasing a luxury address. This shift reinforces the importance of creating homes with authenticity and a true sense of place, qualities that cannot be delivered by branding alone.

This is the thinking we bring to every branded residence project: a deep respect for the brand's heritage, combined with a commitment to residential design, shaped by years of creating homes for the families who will ultimately decide whether that branded world is one they want to buy into. As branded residences continue to evolve, the partnership between developer, brand and design studio becomes increasingly important. Brands bring recognition and aspiration, developers create the opportunity, but it is our thoughtful design that transforms both into somewhere people want to call home.

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