‘All That Glitters Is Not Gold’: Understatement is Unsurpassed

As the old saying goes: ‘all that glitters is not gold’. Now though, across many sectors, experts agree that the most in-demand luxury goods don’t glitter at all. Instead, the products that consumers crave are designed with intangibility in mind.

“We design our projects in a way that everything is present but seamlessly invisible’, says João Fonseca (below), CEO at Green Jacket Partners. ‘It’s not just about the quality of the materials or the size of a home, but mostly about the emotional impact that we can create on our guest’s life”.

Green Jacket’s latest project, the One Green Way development in the Algarve, Portugal, epitomises this luxury design ethos. Home to 89 state-of-the-art residences, the neighbourhood is situated near the picturesque North Course of the Quinta Do Lago resort, benefitting from the area’s golfing facilities, stunning natural landscapes and six Michelin-starred eateries.

However, despite unparalleled access to the best that the Algarve has to offer, Fonseca insists that when it came to designing the development, Green Jacket was guided by the ethos that ‘less is more’. He describes how ‘the invisible sound system in the living spaces, the cabinetry in the kitchen and closets, inspired by the best luxury brands, and outdoor areas, treated with the same level of detail as the indoor areas, help ensure the highest standards of living’.

With 30% of homes sold in the first three weeks of launching, One Green Way’s sleek understated design has undeniably been hugely popular with buyers. In particular, the subtly detailed and meticulously curated outdoor spaces have been a significant factor in the project’s success. Partnering with award-winning landscape architects Cracknell, the gardens use natural colours, textures, sounds, and smells that aim to evoke the essence of what makes the region special.

João Fonseca, CEO at Green Jacket Partners

Fonseca’s precise attention to detail and commitment to ensuring a polished customer experience derives from decades spent in the property industry. From starting as a project designer, to working in fund management, and later overseeing large-scale projects in the international market, Fonseca has been able to work in every point in the Real Estate production chain. Now, at Green Jacket, Fonseca is able to draw from decades of experience across the industry, emphasising that ‘luxury relies on a holistic approach to the customer experience’.

While Fonseca has arrived at his ethos during many years of property experience, Jean-Noël Bioul (below), who leads the Advisory Board at Green Jacket Partners and assists with the marketing of the brand and its products, shows how a commitment to the ‘less is more’ philosophy is desired across luxury brands of all sectors. From 1994, Bioul managed the sales and marketing for Rolex’s US market, before setting up its worldwide sponsorship department in 2000. Now, he brings his experience selling luxury goods to the property sector.

Jean-Noël Bioul, leads the Advisory Board at Green Jacket Partners

Bioul echoes Fonseca’s approach to luxury design, that ‘luxury brands need to be impressive both in a functional and emotional way’. He emphasises connection and emotional impact as opposed to the use of materials or designs that are considered traditionally luxurious. This ethos is consistent across luxury brands in diverse sectors. ‘It doesn’t matter what you are selling as long as your product is of good quality’, he says. ‘There really is no difference between selling a luxury car, property, or a watch’.

According to Bioul, the effects of the pandemic have contributed significantly to the ways in which luxury items are being perceived. Certainly there are logistical reasons for an increase in demand for luxury property. Bioul explains that ‘there was no building work during that period and so there were less properties available to by, thus increasing demand for the product’.

Equally though, buyers’ emotional responses to the pandemic have led to increased demand for luxury items. ‘They wanted to feel good, reward themselves for having endured the past two years of restrictions’. Therefore, even more so following the shared experience of the pandemic, understanding the emotional response of the buyer is crucial to designing and selling luxury items.

Although arriving at Green Jacket Partners by different routes through the industry, Fonseca and Bioul share an approach to luxury spaces that allows buyers to fill their properties with their own relationships and memories, rather than being overwhelmed by design features. Their ethos is reflected in One Green Way’s detailed outdoor spaces, sleek interiors, and attentiveness to the individual experience of guests. Projects like this prove that when it comes to luxury design, understatement is unsurpassed.

Discover more at www.onegreenway.pt