And I don't mean your new millionaire boyfriend you're debuting in Oz.
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/sto ... ts-v-starr
Venus Williams is making headlines, and not just for her highly anticipated appearance at the Australian Open. The tennis pro's firm, V Starr Interiors, just scored a big-time deal with Airbnb's newest partner, Niido—the soon-to-be global apartment complexes launched in partnership with the home-sharing giant.
While Airbnb is often seen at odds with landlords, Niido is designed to embrace the sharing economy—the communities encourage tenants to share their homes for up to 180 nights per year, and rooms feature keyless entry and lockable areas for residents to safely store their belongings when hosting guests. (Oh, and revenues will be shared between tenants and landlords.)
V Starr has been tasked with designing the interiors of the new Niido complexes, the first of which is a 324-unit building in Kissimmee, Florida (near Orlando), slated to open in the first quarter of 2018. Common amenities like a pool, gym, concierge service, and game room are designed to attract visitors who want a more hotel-like experience.
Though most known for her stardom on the court, Williams is a successful entrepreneur in the design world, having launched V Starr in 2002 and a fashion line a few years after. Her firm, which employs several staff designers in addition to Williams, recently conceived—in fitting fashion—a new tennis lounge at the Midtown Athletic Club in Chicago.
Williams might have her hands full—in December, Forbes reported that Niido landed a $200 million investment from Brookfield Property Partners to develop several other locations. Niido CEO Harvey Hernandez has said that he hopes to have at least four locations open by the end of 2018. "Working on this revolutionary project has been an exciting challenge," says Williams, who will design the amenities, shared spaces, interior finishes, and furnishings for each NiidoHome unit. V Starr is conceiving a design style that will work with future Niido locations as well, building a cohesive look and feel for the brand. Come Kissimmee's opening, we hope for a design grand slam.
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Wow, VENUS, Congrats!
Re:Wow, VENUS, Congrats!That’s absolutely fantastic! Congratulations to Venus on building her business, while still playing tennis. That’s a major coup. So thrilled for her.
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