The Biltmore

The client had attempted selling their home 2x, even dropping the price below the original purchase price. After hiring Siren Spaces the home sold within 90 days.

Return on Original Purchase Price: 21.8%
Return On Each Dollar Spent For Renovation: $3.83
Months To Recoup Renovation Costs: 16 Months
Total Budget: $20,000
Timeline: 6 weeks
Project Parameters: 2000sqft, subterranean level with no natural light
 

The Story

The client had attempted selling their home 2x, even dropping the price below the original purchase price. After hiring Siren Spaces for remodeling, the home sold within 90 days.

Inspiration
The design for this project was born from the building's glamorous past. The Biltmore is a landmark historic building, originally built in the 1920's. When operated as a high end hotel it had seen the likes of Grace Kelly and Clark Gable pass through its halls. Sometime in the 1960's, it narrowly escaped demolition before being acquired, gutted and brought into the 21st century as converted apartments. The design for this renovation needed to fit, or even be re-created, to mesh with its past.

Journey
The weakest point in a project is usually where we focus the majority of our efforts. The lower level of this home had no naturally occurring light, so this is where the biggest transformation took place. Custom lighting solutions were a must and the finished effect was moody and dramatic. Wherever possible we added 'original' features as we imagined them occurring in the hotel back in the 1920's - with ceiling medallions, crown moulding and textured wallpaper acknowledging the building’s storied past. To our surprise when we peaked underneath the downstairs carpet we discovered an original floor back from when the Biltmore was operated as a hotel! Playing off the colors found in the marble mosaic we determined our classic color scheme for the project and peppered elements of grey, black and white throughout the space.

Insights
Work with what you have. Each project already has features and materials that can be reincorporated, reinvented or reused. It's a great way to cut down on cost and mesh new design ideas with older ones.