Case study · Milan, Portello

Gros8

A contemporary apartment built around colour, practicality and hospitality.

Starting point

An apartment with no identity
Only 2 sleeping places
A large bathroom that wasn’t making the most of itself
A small bedroom with an old bridge wardrobe over the bed

The strategy

The first step was a site visit, to assess the spaces and understand the apartment’s real strengths. I then photographed every room and, over the following days, created a few renders to present to the owner. The goal was to work on a tight budget while still giving the home more character, colour and personality. Once I’d presented the renders, I explained to the client how important it was to build a recognisable visual identity: an apartment that makes an impression at first sight has a much better chance of standing out in an increasingly competitive market.

How it went

Site visit
Creative phase / brainstorming the restyling
Creating the renders
Presenting the project

The background

The owner, Ari, contacted me to start earning from this apartment, which until then had been let on a traditional long-term lease. The property needed some work to be competitive in the short-term rental market. The aim wasn’t so much higher earnings as the convenience this kind of letting offers compared with a traditional lease; what mattered was at least matching the income he was already getting. According to the market analysis this was an easily reachable target, but only by positioning the apartment in the mid-range, which required the changes described above.

The work

After the site visit I presented the client with a restyling project complete with renders, proposing targeted but low-cost interventions: fresh paint, sound-absorbing panels, decorative touches and a striking wallpaper for the bathroom. Once the project was approved, the search began for low-cost materials and items, without sacrificing quality. We bought a new sofa bed with an 18 cm mattress to give guests real comfort. The sound-absorbing panels, from Leroy Merlin, went up both in the living room, behind the sofa, and in the bedroom, behind the bed: this was our only option to freshen up the room and give it at least some identity. The other main interventions were repainting the wall behind the sofa in green and putting up the burgundy wallpaper, chosen to match the colour of the bathroom. On top of that came several small changes: shelves with little vases and plants, three pictures in the living room, a mirror in the bedroom, new bedside lamps, wooden panels to raise the bedside tables, new handles for the bridge wardrobe, and finally a toaster, a kettle, a coffee machine and some decorative cushions. Et voilà: the home was ready for the photo shoot. We had managed to make the most of the spaces and complete the apartment with everything guests expect to find. Once the staging was finished, we did the professional photo shoot, obtained all the necessary permits and published the listing.

Results and method

We started in mid-April 2025, so we missed the Salone del Mobile, Milan Design Week, one of the most profitable events of the year for the city. Despite this, the apartment got off to a very strong start, hitting the target we’d set and beating it by about 30%. Since then it has kept an average occupancy of around 75% and, to date, has collected about 50 reviews, all of them 5 stars. This result was also possible thanks to the owner’s trust: he followed our advice and chose to invest a modest amount in the initial restyling. An investment that improved the listing’s positioning, raised the perceived value of the property and delivered results above expectations.

The numbers, in detail

Average daily rate: €110
Nights sold: 279
Occupancy rate: 75%
Average rating: 5 ★

The return

With an investment of about €1,000 in the restyling, we transformed an apartment that, as it was, would have struggled to stand out from the competition. With a few targeted interventions we made the most of the spaces, created a recognisable visual identity and laid the foundations for the results it would achieve in the following months.

In short

This project shows that you don’t need a big investment to get great results. A well-thought-out restyling, a clear strategy and the right positioning can make the difference between an apartment that stays anonymous and one that stands out, attracts more bookings and generates better returns over time.

The figures refer to this property and the period indicated. They are not an automatic forecast for other homes.

Tell me about your property

Working on the spaces

Before and after.

After the work — The bathroom, before and after

Before the work — The bathroom, before and after