Originally built in 1909 as a working textile mill, Appleton Mills is part of Lowell’s industrial history. The building was reimagined as contemporary housing for artists and makers, positioning creative life as the next chapter in its long production legacy.

The challenge was to speak to artists authentically. The brand needed to acknowledge the grit and history of the mill without becoming nostalgic, while communicating affordability, creative energy, and a sense of belonging grounded in Lowell itself.

Artists became part of the process. Local residents contributed photographs of the canals, the mill, and the surrounding environment. These contemporary images were combined with nineteenth-century newspaper clippings to create original artwork that feels specific, textured, and true to place.

The identity draws from the geometry and rhythm of historic textile patterns, abstracting mill-era structures into a clean, contemporary system. A warm industrial palette, utilitarian typography, and archival overlays ground the brand in its past while keeping the expression current.

The tagline Live Creatively captures the building’s transformation, positioning making and living as connected acts. The identity extends across brochures, leasing materials, signage, and a modular brochure system assembled with industrial rings that echo both function and heritage.