Bower Village Refresh

Situated in a residential corner of Kent, Washington, Thrive Communities was seeking a creative revitalization of this apartment community. The goal was to introduce top-of-the-market amenities and reposition the brand with a fresh, new identity inspired by the decorated forest nests of bowerbirds, known as “bowers.”

Taking cues from nature, the refreshed design of the leasing office and clubhouse features a dynamic mix of earth tones, bright hues, and varying textures and textiles. Built-in, vibrant orange seating pops out against a pale-blue wall featuring a forest of budding leaves. In front, bright yellow café tables are reminiscent of the sun breaking through the sometimes-gloomy forest sky. This palette is subtly repeated throughout the newly imagined common spaces, like in the speckled carpet beneath the reception desk and the teal blue chairs of the leasing offices.

The bower motif is recurrent throughout the updated spaces. Decorative wooden paneling along the lobby and gym walls emulates the structure of the bowers, composed of intricately woven sticks on the forest floor, then decorated by the bowerbird with objects of their fancy. Leaf tiling scattered across the locker room floor also reflects the forest theme, capturing the calm and tranquility of the forest floor. Incorporating these eye-catching features in organic textures and natural materials is an important element in achieving this balanced and contemporary nature-inspired style.