Good Signage Makes Real Estate Way More Valuable
By Isaac French
A while back I wrote about the importance of first impressions.
I mentioned the entrance to Live Oak Lake which was meticulously designed with first impressions in mind. The generous plantings enveloping the road, the handmade gate made of trim-less weathered cedar slats cut to the perfect height, and...the black, plasma cut steel logo.
Live Oak Lake entrance
Sure— there are plenty of things about the project I'd do differently now. But all in all, the entryway we built has stood the test of time (at least a couple years of time).
The goal with this gate and signage was not to create the most elaborate, grandiose eye-catcher. The goal was to craft something tasteful, and place it well.
Good signage can be very bold. Or the opposite. It can be loud retro neon, muted black metal (like Live Oak Lake), huge, tiny, or anything in between. But it must be tasteful.
taste·ful
ˈtās(t)f(ə)l adjective
showing good aesthetic judgment or appropriate behavior.
This criteria should be practiced on more things in life (and certainly on real estate and hospitality).
As you become more of an intentional observer of good design as Hans Lorei (can you believe how famous he's become?) talks a lot about, you'll tune in more and more to signage. It's one of the primary expressions of branding, whether inspiring and memorable, or bland and tasteless.
Check out the sign to the most expensive resort in America, both in build cost and in ADR:
Amangiri Welcome Sign
Not that impressive. Or is it?
One of the master techniques I've noticed about some of my favorite hospitality experiences, and which I tried to imitate in designing the entryway to Live Oak Lake, is understatement. This is true especially of the entry.
Understatement, but tastefully done. As you enter, you want to set the expectations for the actual experience just right: not too high and not too low.
Tempered expectations, combined with subconscious cues that signal attention to detail and serious design sense, has the potential to lead to extraordinary guest experiences.
Remember, cliche as it sounds—surprise and delight. These are the magic keys to authentic, amazing hospitality.
Amangiri near Lake Powell
Signage is a little bit like the clothes you wear: it serves a few different purposes, but by far the most significant one is identity. And not just identity in terms of your brand name, but much more importantly, identity in how you present that name.
Speaking of tasteful signage, and design in general, I haven't seen many brands doing a better job than Tecovas, a flourishing cowboy boot and western wear company based here in Texas. They invest heavily in great design, and great signage, and it shows (and feels).
Tecovas in Rice Village (Houston)
And speaking of retail: there's so much for hospitality to learn from retail, and retail to learn from hospitality. I think we're going to see the lines between the two continue to blur as the "experiential" wave continues to sweep the world. Here's a great newsletter issue on this subject.
Hotel 1928 here in Waco, which was designed by Chip + Joanna, has a nice, bold sign, rich with taste:
And at the end of the day, regardless of my “understatement” pet peeve, you've gotta love a good old 50’s retro sign. It’s not just loud; it screams like a siren. And I love it.
But again, it's tasteful. And that must be true in all elements of design and branding.
How do you know if it's tasteful? You’ve gotta cultivate good taste. Start intentionally observing. You’ll start to curate and refine your taste for good design, branding and signage.
And sometimes, you just watch and see, good signage makes a place immensely more valuable. Signage is some of the lowest hanging fruit for great hospitality design.
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Wishing you a fantastic week!
—Isaac