Designing For Place: Meridian, Idaho
- Syndicate
- Jan 13
- 3 min read
Inside Dovetail, an award-winning clubhouse
There is always a temptation to bring the same “look” into every market. It is easy to repeat what has worked before, to rely on familiar palettes, and to default to the same design moves.
But the projects that feel most successful are the ones that do the opposite, they let the location shape the work. That was the reminder we got while designing in Meridian, Idaho.
We were brought on to design the amenity spaces for a Roundhouse multi-family community called Dovetail, with the clubhouse intended to serve as the center of daily life for the development. That work would later be recognized by the Idaho Apartment Association as Best Clubhouse, reinforcing the value of designing with place in mind.
We used the project name, Dovetail, as a jumping-off point for the design. Meridian is a city shaped by growth, connection, and people putting down roots, and the idea of joinery felt like an appropriate reflection of that context. Dovetail joinery is about interlocking pieces coming together with strength and intention, and that concept became a subtle anchor throughout the clubhouse.
It guided the way we layered materials, repeated patterns, and created spaces that help residents feel connected to one another.
Here is an in depth look at what we learned designing for this fast-growing city, and what we will take with us into every market going forward.
1. In Meridian, design is at its best when it feels grounded
Idaho has a clarity to it. The wide skies and strong seasons feel direct and unforced, and Meridian has a grounded, family-oriented energy that shapes how people live day to day. The interiors needed to reflect that same quality.
We did not want the clubhouse to feel overly styled or like it could be lifted from any other city. We wanted the space to feel rooted in the region, but more importantly, easy to live in.
We paid close attention to how the space would be used in real life. We kept picturing a winter morning, someone coming in after school, a workday downtown, or a long afternoon at the pool. The design needed to feel calm, welcoming, and familiar — a place you would genuinely want to land.
2. The “Dovetail” story became more than a name
We kept returning to the meaning of dovetail joinery: connection, strength, and intentional fit. That concept showed up in subtle ways, not as theme, but as logic:
Interlocking patterns and layered material transitions
Repeated lines and shapes that feel “joined” rather than stacked
Cohesion between areas without everything blending together
Spaces designed to encourage natural overlap and community
3. The palette should feel like it belongs outside
Designing in Meridian made the surrounding landscape impossible to ignore, so we did not try to. The materials and color ways were directly influenced by the region. We thought about the surrounding landscape, the natural warmth of wood, and the muted tones that show up throughout the year.
We did not want the design to feel literal. We wanted it to feel referential and familiar. Warm woods, softened neutrals, and restrained natural hues helped the clubhouse feel like it belonged to Idaho, not simply placed in Idaho.
4. Comfort is the kind of “premium” that lasts
One of the best lessons from this project was how much what feels elevated changes from market to market.
In Meridian, “premium” isn’t about flash. It’s about comfort, ease, and spaces that feel welcoming for real life. The clubhouse needed to support families, friend groups, and everyday routines. Meridian is a place where people are putting down roots, so the amenity spaces needed to feel easy, comfortable, and usable day after day.
That shaped everything: the furniture choices, the textures, the lighting, and the overall mood. The goal wasn’t to create a showroom but rather a place that supports real life.
Dovetail was a reminder that the best interiors aren’t built from a formula but rather attention. Attention to place, to materials, and to how people actually live.
We’re based in Los Angeles, but we design across markets, and we approach every project with the same mindset: bring a consistent process, then let the location shape the design.
If you’re building in a place with a strong sense of identity (or want to create one), we’d love to help you design spaces that truly belong.