Appleton Mills
Branding a historic mill redevelopment for modern residential living
The Sudbury Apartments introduce young professionals to a new kind of downtown living—energized, connected, and full of possibility. Our placemaking work began with a visual language and messaging system that captured the lifestyle at the center of this emerging neighborhood.
Client
Trinity Financial
Industry
Multifamily residential / historic redevelopment
Services
Brand identity, visual system, logo design, print collateral, signage, leasing materials
THE CHALLENGE
Reintroduce a historic mill building to the residential market with a brand identity that honors its industrial heritage while appealing to today’s residents. The challenge was to strike the right balance—maintaining authenticity without feeling outdated, and presenting the redevelopment as both livable and architecturally significant.
THE SOLUTION
We developed an identity rooted in the mill’s unique architectural details—brickwork, large industrial windows, and the linear rhythm of the original structure. A strong typographic foundation conveys stability and history, while a warm, heritage-inspired palette adds modern softness.
The visual system extends across leasing materials, signage concepts, and print collateral, each piece designed to highlight the building’s restoration and its contemporary amenities. Clean layouts and refined typography bring clarity to the brand, helping prospective residents connect the building’s past with its renewed purpose.
The overall identity is cohesive, respectful of history, and tailored for a community seeking authenticity paired with modern living.
A modern sans-serif logo pairs with textures drawn from distressed wood, faded type, and industrial forms, creating a mark that connects the mill’s past with its contemporary purpose.
A warm, industrial palette inspired by the mill’s original materials—weathered wood, muted neutrals, and archival tones—creates an authentic, grounded look that supports the artist-focused identity.
A layered mix of archival imagery and local photography adds depth and authenticity to the visual system, grounding the brand in its neighborhood and history—key for visibility around artist housing and mill redevelopment.
The brochure was redesigned as modular inserts held by an industrial silver ring, with floor plans stored in a custom pocket for easy use by leasing teams.
We extended the identity into a series of collage-based postcards to reinforce the brand story across print and promotional materials.
