Title: Signature 1505
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Markets Category: Multifamily
Services: Exterior Design & Paint Color
Date Completed: June 2026
Subtitle: Repositioning a Downtown Multifamily Asset with a Strategic Exterior Recolor That Strengthens Visibility, Perceived Value, and Competitive Curb Appeal
Body/Content:
Signature 1505, a multifamily asset in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, occupied a highly visible and dominant block, but its exterior was not communicating the strength of the property. Muted grays, tans, and a heavy amount of brick gave the building a dated and overly subdued appearance. Although the property had strong lifestyle amenities, including a gorgeous pool and prominent outdoor spaces, the exterior lacked the visual presence needed to support leasing, photography, and market positioning.
Color Works Design was brought in to develop a strategic exterior design and paint color plan that could dramatically update the asset without stripping away its architectural character. The goal was not to simply repaint the building, but to reposition it, increase perceived value, and help the property compete more effectively against neighboring multifamily communities.
Market Context
Located in downtown Raleigh, Signature 1505 sits within an urban multifamily market shaped by strong competition, visual first impressions, and younger renter expectations. In a dense and active environment, a property’s exterior must work harder than ever. It needs to read well from the street, photograph beautifully online, and communicate lifestyle value before a prospective resident ever steps inside.
Because Signature 1505 occupies such a substantial footprint, the existing exterior had a significant impact on how the asset was perceived. The scale of the building created an opportunity, but without a more intentional palette, that scale felt heavy rather than memorable. A stronger exterior strategy was needed to turn the property’s physical presence into a business advantage.
Client Goals & Challenges
Ownership needed to refresh a dated exterior, build value into the asset, and reposition the property so it could compete, and ideally outcompete, nearby communities. The existing color scheme was not supporting curb appeal, and the amount of brick made the building feel visually dominant without feeling distinctive.
Several fixed elements required careful integration. The tan window frames needed to remain in place and could not simply be painted over. The powder-coated balconies also needed to stay intact, which meant the new palette had to make those elements feel intentional rather than leftover. The existing brick presented another important challenge. Some of it needed to be toned down through paint, while other areas needed to remain exposed to preserve warmth, texture, and architectural character.
Design Strategy / Intervention / Solution
Color Works Design developed an exterior recolor strategy that broke up the vastness of the property in a meaningful and architectural way. Rather than treating the building as one large surface, the new palette was used to create rhythm, balance, and visual hierarchy across the elevations.
The strategy included selective brick preservation, allowing the property to retain warmth and charm while reducing the dominance of the masonry. In areas where the brick overwhelmed the facade, Color Works incorporated painted brick as part of the overall composition, giving the exterior a cleaner and more modern presence without erasing its texture entirely.
The tan window frames were intentionally folded into the palette so they looked considered rather than dated. The powder-coated balconies were also aligned with the new color direction, ensuring that fixed architectural details supported the final design. Around the pool, the wood pergolas were treated as part of the exterior experience, helping connect the amenity environment to the broader property identity.
Impact for Owners & Investors
The completed exterior recolor dramatically improved the property’s visibility and gave Signature 1505 a stronger presence within its downtown Raleigh setting.
Key impacts included:
• Improved asset perception through a more intentional, modern, and competitive exterior identity.
• Stronger curb appeal that helped reposition the property against neighboring multifamily competitors.
• Better photo presence for leasing, marketing, and digital first impressions.
• Increased perceived value by transforming a dated exterior into a more memorable and marketable asset.
• A more cohesive architectural expression that integrated existing windows, balconies, brick, and pergolas into one strategic design language.
Your Next Step
Signature 1505 shows how exterior design and paint color can shift the way a multifamily property is seen, valued, and remembered. By working with the existing architecture rather than ignoring it, Color Works Design helped turn a visually heavy asset into a more competitive, high-visibility property with stronger curb appeal and clearer market presence.
Connect with Color Works Design to explore how strategic exterior design can strengthen your property’s position, support rent growth, and build long-term asset value.
