Stunning Office Tour

I'm a big fan of Ellie Cashman's Floral Wallpaper, so when I saw it featured in the office of Candace Kalasky - Rue Magazine's web coordinator - I knew I'd like the rest of the space.

As well as working for Rue, Candace is the owner and creative director of Lovestru.ck Weddings + Events. With the business growing she needed an official work space so set about renovating a studio with awesome results.

The office is a contrast of airy white walls and the beautiful dark, moody wallpaper. Candace's attention to detail is spot on, and obviously a much-needed skill for an event planner.

I think it's so important to create an inspirational workspace, it makes you want to be at work, and helps those creative juices flow (especially in an industry like mine). I would have no problem working in this office!

To see more of Candace's amazing office, pop over to Rue Magazine. Photography: The Mullers

Tête-à-Tête Lounge

Creating a beautiful environment to work in is important (I think) for any industry, but it is especially so for an interior designer. With the high cost of rent and overheads, a commercial office space can seem a long way off for up and coming designers, but San Francisco company, Coupar Consulting, have come up with a clever idea to provide a communal design space for designers to meet with their clients.

Tête-à-Tête Lounge has a number of different spaces available to it's members, including a conference room, individual work stations, communal drafting tables and lounge areas. Clients are able to buy monthly memberships which allows them access to the various spaces, computer equipment, samples, and consulting support.

I think this concept would be fantastic not only for up and coming designers without their own space, but also designers based out of town who may be visiting clients in the city.

Shared workspaces are becoming a popular alternative. I love the idea of like-minded people with businesses that compliment each other. I can think of a few that are really successful. What about you, do you think this is a good idea?

photos by Christopher Stark

Read more about this gorgeous office space at My Domaine.

My Valuer Office Design

One of our recent and most favourite Bibby + Brady projects was the new office design of My Valuer. The valuation business, owned by husband and wife, Andrew and Jody White, has grown from strength to strength, and with two added valuers they quickly outgrew their old premises. The new office was huge in comparison, but it needed a lot of work!

The first thing to address was the floor plan. A couple of interior walls needed to come down to open up the staff breakout area at the back of the building. The smaller rooms were allocated to a kitchen, bathroom, boardroom, storage, and one large room was to be rented out as an office. The rest of the office space was to remain open plan.

We had to keep in mind that in the next few years more valuers are likely to join the team, and electrics needed to be put in place early on for future desks.

We broke the space up into four main areas - the entrance/waiting area; the main office workspace; the staff breakout area/informal meeting space; and the board room. The most important thing with large open plan spaces is to create zones. We used paint colour on the wall to help differentiate all the areas, working with the My Valuer logo colours of black, blue and white.

Smoky blue walls and a large Armadillo rug mark the waiting area, while the main office walls are a fresh white.

We chose to bring the outdoor wood cladding inside onto the boardroom exterior wall. The doors are colour coded with all the My Valuer doors being painted in a vibrant blue, and behind the green door is the office which is rented out.

A dark charcoal wall inside the boardroom highlights the work of a local photographer. The boardroom table is surrounded by chairs in the company colours. There's room for more desks on the far side of the office, and one wall is waiting for the perfect piece of art.

At first Andrew and Jody weren't sure about painting the entire back of the office in dark charcoal, but they were so fantastic and put their trust in Dael and I. We love the result, it helps to zone the breakout area where the staff come together to discuss work and to relax. Andrew designed the leaner table himself. The sofas also provide a spot for informal client meetings.

We, at Bibby + Brady, love working on commercial interior projects. Your surroundings can have a profound impact in you, sometimes more than you realise. When people love the space in which they work, they'll want to be there, and they'll be inspired in their work. If you'd like our help with your work place, we'd love to hear from you.

Rue Magazine Update

Have you had a chance to check out the latest Rue magazine? I was really inspired by their latest issue. There's a great article on the Venice Beach offices of B-REEL. Kate Driver of West Haddon Hall designed an amazing space and I loved how they included three different lounging areas, each one with a different vibe. They're great for staff to take a break from their desk, or to hold informal meetings with clients.

Interior designer, Soledad Alzaga, worked on what I would call a "dream job" recently. A client needed an apartment turned around within a month, and because he's worked with Soledad before and trusted her, he stepped back and gave her full control of the design - amazing! The result is a very cool and stylish bachelor pad which the client loves.

The home of interior designer, Cristin Priest, is much more feminine, and equally as gorgeous. Kelly green cushions and flamingo wallpaper will get me every time!

Finally, a house in Toronto was transformed into a modern, eclectic and welcoming home with the help of Stacey Cohen. It's a "must see" so make sure you check it out in it's entirety, as well as all the other fantastic content.