Transforming our base HQ storage into a cocktail room!
We recently unveiled the new office frontage for our Shoreditch HQ, for which we received lots of wonderful feedback. As we teased at the time, as well as the exterior redesign we also undertook to revamp some internal space.
This turned out to be a complete re-imagining of an area of our offices, one of our rooms on the lower ground floor. Originally let out to another business, this space quickly became a dumping ground when the room became vacant and fell to disuse.
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The design process was led by Cait Whitaker, who sought inspiration from 70s styles and earthy tones. Here we provide some early-stage mock-ups and mood boards to showcase her thinking.
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We ended up pursuing a design that will deliver a space that is a complete step away from a typical branded office. Utilising a warm/soft palette including orange (in contrast to our company's light blue), the decor has a vintage theme. With comfortable furniture and vintage rug, this space serves many purposes - somewhere for staff to eat lunch away from their desk, read an article away from the main office or undertake detailed work/studying in a quiet space; there is a desk set up for a dedicated area of focus.
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Also within this room are armchairs and a coffee table to facilitate conversations, meetings, reviews and to provide the setting for an array of planning video content. Our last touches to finish it all off include a record player with a substantial vintage vinyl collection, an array of property-related coffee table books and an incredibly well-stocked bar so that the space can be used socially as well.
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Ultimately, this refurbishment is to help deliver staff and guests a space that should help everyone's mental health by providing a safe, warm, quiet, beautiful, inspiring and fun space as and when it is needed.