“Take it up a Notch”
As a brand, we focus on great design… innovations, smart concepts, clever spaces, inviting areas, uniqueness… all of these things create memorable experiences for our members and guests. 
One of the certain points of distinction with the elements? clubs is our great (real estate) locations, and our award-winning design.
Quite a bit of time and energy goes into our club design process, this is one of the most under-estimated areas of club development by (first time) owners. Many new business owners do not understand that it is painstaking work to deliver a showcase club - we strive not only to do this, but also to achieve the million-dollar look on a set project construction budget. To achieve this goal, we must utilize what we call "value engineering," the ability to deliver a space which looks expensive to create, but actually was not. Value Engineering a club interior often saves our franchisees tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on a project… choosing a rich color combination, using alternative choices (or little know trade secrets) to acquire materials, or certain visual tricks. Almost any professional designer can create a space which looks great, but it takes a skilled designer to have the ability to deliver the same look at half the cost (or less).
Today, we had a "design round-table" - a meeting of our creative team. We like to collaborate with the entire elements brand creative team from time to time… in other words copywriters, web, graphic designers, architects and interior designers all collaborate in these sessions. I find it opens up the thinking process, and can often result in some great new concepts. With 10 clubs entering into the construction pipeline this summer, we wanted to anticipate the upcoming workload, and begin to assemble a design kit for several of the upcoming locations. Each of our club locations are similar, and branded, but often will have unique design features (similar to W hotels). We were welcoming Kitze Perez, our new leads interior specialist. With a background in high fashion, furniture design, and interiors, we knew we had met our match with Kitzie.
Frequently, during an job interview, aspiring designers will compliment our clubs, telling us how beautiful they are. This actually makes me nervous. I appreciate a critical eye, as long as it has the experience and portfolio to back it. During her initial conversation, Kitzie studied the drawings and photos, then commented, "were gonna take this up a notch" - my assistant and I looked at each other and smiled. We knew we had found our match. I have attached some of her work-in-progress samples to give you an idea of how our new clubs are looking - I hope you agree with my hire!
