REI Studio Rebrand and Visual Identity Project
Paul Stern
A rebrand project that clarified focus and brought distinction to an already-amazing business.
Project Scope:
Brand Design
Naming Workshop
Brand Messaging
Brand Strategy
Graphic Design
Logo Design
Rebrand Launch
Formerly known as Ivory Home, REI Studio in an interior design studio that helps investors design their flip projects better, faster, and for a higher return. Offering pre-designed packages and custom design services, REI Studio solves a very specific problem within the investor community. Complete finish packages help their clients turn properties faster, list them for more, and sell quicker.
The business model wasn’t the problem….
The name “Ivory Home” came on a whim (direct quote from the client, “We just liked it”). They liked it at launch and thought it felt elegant and elevated, so they ran with it. In branding, you “can” have an abstract and ‘non-obvious’ name and still be successful. That wasn’t necessarily the problem…
The problem was a well-known, established Utah home builder, Ivory Homes, dominated search results. Prospects confused the two constantly, and the studio struggled to rank for its own name.
The visual identity added to the mix-up. It was clean and simple, but it looked like a home builder as well, not a design studio, and didn’t match the caliber of service they were building.
In Short...
Ivory Home was struggling to gain momentum because...
The team didn't want to be lumped into the same category with traditional interior design firms, who are traditionally way out of budget for an investment property.
They were not clearly and quickly communicating what they provide. Their first impression had some friction.
So, how did we tackle this?
First, Insight! Why do people hire them?
When investors hired Ivory Home, they weren’t hiring a decorator. They were hiring someone to take design decisions off their plate. The brand had to sell certainty, not style: design as a system for speed, clarity, and profit.
That meant a delicate balance. The founders wanted the brand to feel boutique and design-led, but not so polished that it scared off budget-minded investors. The working phrase became “boutique, but not bougie.”
It also helps that their work is STUNNING! Every project is a head-turner on the market, and they sell quick and for more.
Before we brainstormed a single name, we agreed on what the brand had to stand for. Working with Cody, Sarah, and their team, we set five pillars that every name, color, and sentence would have to pass:
Design that performs. Design is a tool for faster turns and better returns, not decoration.
Investor-first partnership. A long-term partner investors bring back deal after deal.
Repeatable systems. Proven packages and finish schedules that scale across properties.
Design partner, not builder. Design-led and refined, never contractor-coded.
Naming
Instead of random brainstorming, we mapped five strategic naming lanes: system and framework names, partner and collective names, outcome-driven names, curated-living names, and metaphorical names. We also explored six naming styles, from descriptive “what you do” names to invented words.
From 20+ candidates across every lane, the team landed on REI Studio. It pairs the term investors already use for themselves, REI (real estate investing), with “Studio,” which signals design and partnership in one word.
It says exactly who the studio serves and what it does, with no story required.
REI (Real Estate Investing)
Studio(Design Partnership)
A New Visual Identity
Designed for a design studio...not a home builder.
The new mark is a minimal architectural roof drawn with serif-like structural lines. A doubled stroke on the right suggests forward motion: the property being transformed. Set beside an serif wordmark, it reads as studio-level design rather than construction.
The system includes:
A logo suite: horizontal (icon front and icon middle), vertical stacked, and a tagline lockup reading “Interior Design for Real Estate Investors.”
A warm, grounded palette: deep espresso, a brass accent, soft greige, and warm off-white, plus two gradients. Every color is specified in HEX, RGB, and CMYK for web and print.
Typography choices for stylistic choice (headlines and brand-connected fonts) and webfonts.
Usage standards for clear space and proportion, with files delivered as SVG, PNG, EPS, and JPG.
Brand Voice and Messaging
Talk like an operator...
The identity got a matching voice. We distilled the brand into one sentence: REI Studio exists to remove friction from real estate investing through design.
The brand voice guide gives the team:
Positioning: a design systems partner that helps investors move faster, make better decisions, and increase returns. It also says what REI Studio is not: a traditional interior designer, a home builder, or creative for creativity’s sake.
Personality: clear, not clever. Confident, not loud. Strategic. Helpful.
A tone spectrum for the website, sales calls, social content, and client communication.
Messaging pillars that carry each brand pillar into copy, such as “Designed to sell, not just look good.”
Writing rules: short sentences, structured formatting, a focus on outcomes, and no luxury, jargon, or corporate tone.
Then, We Launched The Brand in the Real World
A rename only works if it shows up everywhere at once. We carried the new identity onto the studio’s existing website: logo, favicon, and color system, with a “Formerly Ivory Home” marker in the header so returning clients never wondered if they’d landed in the wrong place. We also coordinated the domain change to reistudio.com, site migration, and redirect mapping to protect existing search equity.
The homepage now leads with the positioning in plain words: interior design for real estate investors, delivered at a fraction of the cost of traditional design. Proof points such as flat-rate pricing and projects designed in 22+ states sit right under the headline.
The system then rolled out to:
A trade-show booth, table throw, and promo signage.
A tri-fold brochure walking investors through the five-step design process.
Business cards, apparel, and merch.
Social profile images, covers, and launch announcement graphics.
A Canva brand kit so the team can create on-brand assets themselves.
Merch Mockups
Promotional Material
Website Adaptation
The Results go deeper than just a new look...
Branded Search Lands them in the first position
Instead of fighting for position with the Utah Home Builder
Keyword search shows them in first position in both traditional seo and geo...
We consider him a vital partner in our business!
“I cannot recommend Paul enough for any of your branding and website needs. Paul helped develop our brand identity based on our business and where we envisioned our future and also helped us develop a FANTASTIC website to show who we are and what we do. Our website alone has paid for his service tenfold. Paul is extremely organized and exceeded our expectations. We will always bring Paul on board for any business we plan to start right from the beginning. We consider him a vital partner in our business!”
Cody Caswell - Owner
Project Deliverables:
Brand pillars
Naming lanes & workshop
Name shortlist with rationale
Domain & trademark research
Logo suite (primary, stacked, icon, tagline lockup)
Color & typography system
Brand guidelines
Brand voice guide
Canva brand kit
Website brand rollout
Domain migration & redirect mapping
Print, apparel & booth assets
Social launch graphics
Hubspot Email Template design
Rebrand Announcement email and graphics
Does your brand show up the way it should?
A great name should do half your selling for you. Is yours pulling its weight?
Reach out today, I’d love to help.
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Posted Oct 8, 2026
Rebrand and visual identity for REI Studio, focusing on interior design and real estate investors.
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Timeline
Jan 14, 2026 - Apr 1, 2026
Clients
REI Studio
