Trueman Court Luxury Serviced Apartments

Liverpool, United Kingdom

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Trueman Court Luxury Serviced Apartments

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Firm

EK Design

Type

Residential › Apartment

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2022

EK Design Transforms a Historic UK Factory into Luxury Serviced Apartments, Where Tradition Meets Modernity

Trueman Court Luxury Serviced Apartments is reenvisioned from a 19th-century brewery in Liverpool. During the renovation, EK Design employed an artistic approach to spatial design, striking a balance between tradition and modernity. Six distinctive apartment themes were carefully curated, creating a “home-like” retreat for travelers while ensuring the long-term operational vitality and profitability of the project.

Design Challenge

A few minutes' walk from Liverpool Lime Street Station leads to the block where Trueman Court is located, away from the city’s hustle and bustle.

The historic traces of this cluster of buildings from different eras left a lasting impression on Mao Hua, the chief designer, when she first visited the site in 2018: “This is a typical traditional European building with a beautiful red brick facade. What's unique is that the entrance isn't on the roadside; it's tucked around the back, creating a very tranquil atmosphere.”

As a registered Grade II listed building, the structure constructed in the mid-19th century came with numerous preservation constraints, making renovation particularly challenging. For EK Design, a firm from China, navigating the stringent local regulations and cultural differences required adaptability to ensure the design seamlessly integrated into its local context.

Site-specific Solutions

When EK Design joined the project, Trueman Court's overall positioning had already been established, along with its structure and functional layout. However, the space lacked the aesthetic and experiential qualities expected of serviced apartments. Recognizing this, the client invited Mao Hua and her team to reimagine the interior.

As Nathan Chan explains: "The design is everything so to speak. It is what the guests see and experience, touch and feel. This is why it’s so important to have an interior designer involved in such projects. Many seem to neglect the interior design aspect, instead opting for pure functionality and practicality alone. Fortunately, we have achieved both with the help of EK Design."

While the building itself was not large, its structural complexity—varied layouts, ceiling heights, and its historical nature—meant that large-scale modifications were not feasible. Thus, how to work within these constraints to maximize space utilization and craft a distinctive experience for each apartment became the key challenge for the design team.

What initially seemed like limitations became opportunities for creative breakthroughs. By embracing the historic red brick structure, EK Design meticulously analyzed and restructured the spatial layout, uncovering the unique potential of each apartment.

Mao Hua believes that artistic space design is not merely about displaying artwork or arranging furnishings but about treating the space itself as a piece of art—a dialogue between space and aesthetic.

I. A Journey of Time and Art

Instead of pursuing superficial luxury, EK Design prioritized guest experience and comfort, conceptualizing the space as a “time capsule” through an artistic design language.

“Serviced apartments should feel like a home. That was my vision when working on this project—not the feeling of staying in someone else’s house.” Mao Hua explains. From the entrance to the living room, kitchen, and bedroom, a home-like artistic atmosphere gently unfolds throughout the space.

ROOM 01: Back to the Future

Looking forward through the lens of history, the design blends tradition with modernity. This room, as its name indicates, emerges as a fusion of the past and future. Departing from traditional interior décor, the design leverages the building’s unique characteristics, emphasizing authentic textures of materials while incorporating furnishings from various eras.

A column at the intersection of the ceiling's cross beams is preserved, painted in vibrant red and surrounded by a circular white bookshelf, becoming a focal point of the space. From the entrance to the staircase platform and up to the sleeping area, the progression of space achieves harmony through appropriate proportions, simple white tones, and geometric structures.

ROOM 02: Art Gallery

Originally a meeting room, this space was reimagined with a humble approach—preserving the intricately carved ceiling and wall panels that carry the traces of time while ingeniously converting the entrance door into an artistic frame.

Given the limited space, a passage loop redefines the movement within the apartment. Geometric screens serve as partitions, connecting the living room, wardrobe, and sleeping area, thereby ensuring a clear functional layout.

ROOM 03: The Root

This room embodies a fusion of Eastern philosophy and Western architecture, striking an eclectic balance between tradition and modernity.
Inspired by the Chinese "Luban Lock" puzzle, the space cleverly interlocks separate functional zones through strategic connections, achieving both integration and distinction in a natural, harmonious manner.

A continuous circulation extends from the kitchen counter to the corner partition, the bar, and TV wall, all clad in pristine white stone, unfolding an open and interconnected space. At the corner, a compact yet lofty alcove serves as a secondary bedroom. Segmented wooden panels form a "grid wall," playing with sunlight and cozy rattan chairs nearby, fostering a warm and inviting atmosphere.

ROOM 04: The Old Red

This semi-underground apartment embraces a retro red theme. Despite its location, natural light is maximized through ceiling-adjacent windows, complemented by white tiles, light-toned finishes, and warm underlighting, creating the brightest possible living environment.

ROOM 05: The Box

Faced with spatial constraints, this room introduces the concept of a wooden"box" to delineate living and sleeping areas. The minimalist yet functional furnishings ensures adaptability, fostering a dynamic, magic cube-like space brimming with possibilities.

ROOM 06: Cabin in the Woods

Nestled in the attic, this space is defined by its dramatic skylight—a distinctive feature and also a design challenge. To address this, the design team leveraged the height variations between the building structure and flooring to create distinct zones, evoking the childhood dream of a treehouse while optimizing spatial functionality.

II. Creative Design Empowers Business

From China to the UK, EK Design has reimagined an old brewery into luxury serviced apartments —an ambitious challenge the team has embraced. As chief designer Mao Hua candidly reflects, "Every project, from concept to execution, involves countless iterations and refinements."

Rather than chasing fleeting design trends, EK Design is committed to delivering creative designs, letting art thrive in every space.

Spanning four years, this project has transformed old factory spaces into thriving serviced apartments through artistic design, featuring six distinctive themes across 13 apartments. It has generated value far beyond expectations, received overwhelmingly positive feedback, and achieved exceptionally high occupancy rates—powerful proof of its design creativity."

With meticulous attention to scale, material selection, and the use of diverse soft furnishings, along with optimized layouts and distinctive designs, this meticulous yet holistic approach not only enhances the guest experience but also enhances operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

As Nathan Chan notes, "Stylish, high-end, spacious, clever and modern are common terms seen in our guest feedback."

Mao Hua attributes the project's success to Liverpool's openness, inclusiveness, as well as the trust of the client. "Young consumers and the property owner/operator alike are willing to pay for good design and unique experiences. Moreover, serviced apartments with youthful and creative concepts remain scarce here." EK Design’s distinctive design has not only won over guests but also generated strong online visibility for Trueman Court.

Project information
Project name: Trueman Court Luxury Serviced Apartments
Location: Liverpool, UK
Area: 800 sqm
Client: JAGA Group Developments
Design firm: EK Design
Photography: Yushi Li, Mao Hua, JAGA Group Developments

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Trueman Court Luxury Serviced Apartments

Liverpool, United Kingdom

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Trueman Court Luxury Serviced Apartments

Liverpool, United Kingdom

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Trueman Court Luxury Serviced Apartments

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Other Projects by EK Design

Frame Show

A vibrant landscape concealed in 9 benches

PURE NFTEA

Trueman Court Luxury Serviced Apartments

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team