Thoughtfully considered co-living design at Build-to-rent price points - From Folk Living 

– Using over 5,000 sqm of materials from Domus. 

The Palm House residential development in Harrow, Greater London, presents Folk's first co-living project, providing 222 individual apartments across 8 storeys together with expansive, thoughtfully considered communal, social and co-working spaces – setting the bar very high for shared living developments. 

Fulfilling the need for contemporary, high-quality, sustainable materials at Build-to-Rent price points, Domus' Pergo Laminate flooring is used throughout all apartments plus Pergo Engineered Wood, porcelain and ceramic tile designs used across floor and wall surfaces within communal, social and co-working spaces.

A warm, balanced tactility

Designed by architects Hawkins\Brown, with interiors by Atypical Practice, The Palm House embodies a new approach to shared living. Founded on the idea of ‘sleep in your room, live in the building’, the space conveys a warm, balanced tactility achieved via extensive research conducted into co-living resident / design requirements. 

Embracing the challenge of creating a modern new-build development that ‘feels like home’, Russ Beresford, Co-founder of Halcyon Development Partners & former Head of Development at the Collective, who worked on the project, comments on the contemporary design aesthetic at The Palm House design, saying: 

"We have gone for a style that is unpretentious yet aspirational. The colour schemes are neutral enough to achieve broad appeal and allow for personalisation, but original enough not to feel clinical and run-of the mill." 

Porcelain stone tiles ~ co-working, communal & social spaces

Imparting a contemporary, welcoming feel across the communal and co-working areas, Porcelain Stone tiles supplied by Domus proved to be the perfect low-price point flooring option at The Palm House, ensuring a modern, stylish look together with extreme durability –used across the ground floor reception, adjoining lounge / café bar zone and co-working areas; plus the 8th floor communal kitchen and adjoining lounge zones. 

A practical, high-performance material ideal for flooring in high-traffic areas, porcelain tiles are incredibly hardwearing, easy-to-clean and maintain, with negligible porosity value. Inherently resistant to both scratches and stains, porcelain is ideal for commercial applications where durability is a key requirement, available in a wide range of colours styles, and formats. 

An attractive stone-effect surface inspired by Burlington stone – a British rock of sedimentary origin with a vibrant, richly varied look, the porcelain tiles used at The Palm House are extremely faithful to the original, maintaining a uniform background shade with veining and pattern details which subtly differ across tiles. Conveying a characterful aesthetic in a natural matt finish – which provides essential slip resistance for commercial projects.

Ceramic wall tiles ~ communal & social spaces

Blending both matt and gloss surface finish tiles across the walls of the ground floor lounge / café bar, Domus’ Kaleidos glazed ceramic wall tiles create a beautiful, eye-catching feature element across the bar front, bar splashback, and structural pillars – perfectly complementing the porcelain stone tiles used on the floor. Specified in a pale/soft grey tone, the café bar zone presents a striking showcase for this value oriented glazed ceramic range; which is also adds interest to walls in the communal kitchen space on the 8th floor. 

Engineered Wood flooring ~ Library

A cosy, tranquil resident library zone on the 8th floor uses natural engineered wood in a soft, pale oak tone from Domus’ Pergo Engineered Wood flooring collection. This natural material adds an inviting warmth to the space while ensuring a detectable design continuity from the apartment interiors. 

The soft oak tone and natural grain texture of Domus’ Engineered Wood Flooring adds a tangible cosiness to the quiet space. Imparting an understated, minimal elegance; the soft hues of the pale wood reflect the natural light beautifully, amplifying the sense of freshness and tranquillity across The Palm House’s communal library space. Establishing a warm environment space with a relaxed, atmospheric ambience – referencing the look and feel of the apartment interiors to ensure a cohesive cosy, inviting feel across the development. 

In terms of durability, Pergo Engineered wood planks are finished with matt UV lacquer which ensures a hard-wearing durable surface resistant to stains and scratches together a low sheen 'natural look' more akin to wax or oil – making them ideal for well-used interiors, and the perfect fit for Folk Living’s co-living brief. 

Sustainability credentials – tiles & engineered flooring

All Domus materials specified at The Palm House are produced with environmentally responsible design and architecture in mind – each benefitting from comprehensive Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) documentation which quantifiably states the environmental impact of specific products based on standardised life cycle assessment (LCA) criteria. Making it easy to identify and compare sustainability credentials of different materials.