Design as a financial strategy
Investor-grade design strategy for rental portfolios, flips, and spec builds. Finish schedules built for ROI and execution. Cincinnati-based. National reach.
Every finish decision is a financial decision. It’s time to treat it like one.
We're investors who design and designers who invest. And we’ve never had to guess which matters more.
Between us: 10 STRs built and designed from concept through finish selections, 3 spec townhomes, 100+ investor transactions, and 16 current investment properties plus 11 combined years of property management experience. Every recommendation we make has been stress-tested on real assets, in real markets, with real money behind it.
That's what "investor-grade design strategy" actually means.
Who we serve
Design as revenue infrastructure. Finish levels that match what your market commands. Durability for high-turnover use. Guest-experience design that drives 5-star reviews — and repeat bookings.
See the STR Finish Schedule KitMarket driven finish decisions. Spend vs. save clarity — where budget moves the sale price and where it doesn't. Contractor-ready documentation so the field execution matches the design intent.
See Flip Resale DirectionDesign as a differentiator. Current finishes that buyers are willing to pay more for - locked before framing. Allowance budgets that don't blow up mid-project. A repeatable design system across your portfolio.
See Spec Builder PackageMTR/LTR renovation for performance, by class. Finishes that attract stronger tenants, reduce vacancy, and hold value across the asset class. Design that justifies the rent — and survives the tenancy.
See Investor Design ServicesFree download
The STR Stocking List
The exact products we use and love in our own STRs — linked for instant purchase. These are the items that hold up, and that guests ask us about.
Why Roundhouse R+R
What makes us different is how we think about design.
We're design-forward investors — which means every aesthetic decision we make is also a financial decision. The right finish on the right property makes money. The wrong one costs it.
The design has to earn its keep.
Every finish decision gets evaluated against three outcomes simultaneously: STR performance, LTR conversion, and resale value. Beautiful and durable aren't in conflict — they're the same specification when you're doing it right. The result is a space that books at a premium and holds its value across every exit. The result is an asset that performs across every scenario you might face.
We speak both languages.
Shannon knows what the finishes need to do — how to spec a bathroom that photographs at a premium tier, which materials survive 300 turnovers, and where the budget actually moves the needle. Kate knows what the numbers need to say — what the market is paying, how to underwrite the renovation against projected income, and when an upgrade is justified versus ego spending. Most firms speak one of these languages. We speak both.
We've built what we're designing.
10 new-build STRs. 3 spec townhomes. Over 25 turns executed or advised on. 16 current investment properties between us. Every recommendation we make has been stress-tested on real assets with real money. We don't advise from theory — we advise from P&Ls.
Our deliverables are contractor-ready, not just for inspiration.
A mood board that photographs well but can't be executed is aspirational - not practical. We produce click-through finish schedules by room and by trade, contractor translation notes, and a priority investment hierarchy — so the design that gets built is the design you approved. No guessing required. No expensive re-dos. Hand it to any contractor.
The finish decision that
pays you back.
A $23,000 renovation spec'd correctly pays for itself within 18 months on the Average Daily Rate premium alone. Get the hard finishes wrong and you've set a ceiling you'll spend years working around — or a discount you'll absorb when you sell.
The difference is the decision order. And the decision order starts with the finish spec.
From the feed
Investor Design. In Practice.
Real projects. Real specs. Follow along → @roundhousereno
Where to start
Investor design services
Online products available nationally. Local design oversight available for Cincinnati-area investors.
The exact products we spec for every STR. Curated by price tier, linked for instant purchase.
Room-by-room finish spec. A/B/C tier framework, priority investment map, contractor translation notes. Clickable links throughout.
LTR/MTR finish specs by neighborhood class. Built for long-term hold and tenant durability. Coming soon.
Finish framework by room and neighborhood tier. Spend vs. save clarity. Contractor-ready. Coming soon.
Complete custom deliverable: mood boards, 3D renderings, full clickable finish schedule, contractor-ready spec book. 2 rounds of revisions. Scoped by property size and asset class.
Full hard selections for new construction — flooring, tile, cabinetry, fixtures, paint, hardware. Includes supplier meetings and on-site selection sessions. Complete spec book delivered.
Full design deliverable plus up to 5 scheduled on-site visits during active construction to verify your contractor is executing the spec. We catch problems before they become expensive re-dos. Your GC holds the license and liability. Additional visits billed at $100/hr.
Oversight: $750 for 1–2BR · $1,000 for 3+BR
Need a contractor referral? We can recommend vetted trades in the Cincinnati market. · Not sure where to start? Download the free stocking list or grab the $147 Kit — or get in touch if you have a specific property in mind.
Based in Cincinnati.
Built for Midwest Investors - and Beyond.
Our finish kits are built for the markets we know best: urban, suburban, and nature-oriented properties in the Midwest and similar mid-market regions. They're designed for A, B, and C class assets — not beach destinations or luxury coastal markets.
Need a design spec tailored to your specific market, property, and exit strategy? That's what the Full Virtual Design Package is for — built custom to your asset, your location, and your numbers.
For Cincinnati-area investors who want full-service execution — we deliver the complete design spec and stay involved through construction to make sure it gets built right.