For the creative industry, a visually-appealing workspace is just as crucial as WiFi. Here we highlight a few of our members' stylish offices and the rationale behind their design choices, plus we get expert tips from Homepolish for creating an inspiring space.
Nike Communications
When it came time for
Nike Communications to design their new downtown Manhattan office, Nike President Nina Kaminer took today's workforce culture into consideration. "We all know the very idea of work is undergoing some fundamental changes right now, changes that seem to include a greater awareness of how an environment’s physical design, including its décor and wellness amenities, influences the state of mind of the people who live and work there," she said. As such, the company enlisted
Homepolish to create a millennial's office dream.
"Millennials no longer address their professional lives from 9 to 6 and their personal lives during evenings, weekends, and an annual vacation. Instead, millennials address their whole life all the time, and want to experience a high quality of life holistically." Driven by this latest trend of work-life integration, Kaminer tapped design maven
Justin Huxol for
Homepolish to create a fresh and inspiring 10,500 square foot office space reflective of the agency’s young staff.
Office highlights include an eclectic mix of traditional, midcentury modern and new contemporary pieces and a Naava Duo or a two-sided design, green smart-wall, combining plants, air purifiers, and a humidifier into one. It fully allows the nature effect to spread out wide in the workplace. Plus, a variety of lounge areas, nooks, and break out rooms furnished with couches, benches and bar carts to foster collaboration among employees.
MKG Prior to renovating their office space,
MKG underwent a huge “brand botox” for their 14th birthday, which included a new logo, a website refresh and a much more refined sense of their identity as a creative agency.
It was from that process of self-rediscovery that they realized their office space needed to match the more grown-up MKG, which is why they took a cue from their own team of designers and creatives. A small internal crew of graphic designers, environmental designers and creatives dreamt up what the office should be.
"As an agency known to be fun, clever, playful and real, the space could reflect nothing less", says founder & CEO Maneesh K. Goyal. "The design feels lived-in; a place for the MKG fam that fosters the creative ideas the company is known for. This also meant considering all the different ways the agency collaborates to accommodate every department’s needs, resulting in a variety of diverse places to meet and work from couches in the lounge, to semi-private meet-up spots to conference rooms".
Having been in the New York space for seven years, and with historic roots in event production and all things experiential, the team explained that the workplace began to feel like a collection of past activations rather than a reflection of its current direction and that the number one goal in redoing their workspace was for all employees to have a place that inspired them every single day.
To do that, they leveraged compelling art and the 'MKG family' as much as they could within the office, commissioning pieces of art by six different artists to bring their six brand values to life. The artists ranged from former employees to artists whose work the company really admires.
MKG's new brand manifesto is all about treating brands like people, thus their decision to design an approachable, functional and human-focused space that radiates good vibes. "Nothing is too precious at this office; dogs are running around and people are meeting in all of its nooks and crannies".
When looking for design inspiration, "the MKG motto is to stay true to your team. Keeping the employee experience in mind is crucial; provide your team with the amenities they need to stay inspired, creative and - most importantly - happy".
Havas
An in-house team handled the design process at Havas, with creatives and leadership team members providing input and direction on the design and look and feel of the space. As an agency staffed with so many creative people, the business felt the internal team understood the vision and direction better than anyone.
Last year, Havas installed a meditation room, something that Chief Creative Officer Harry Bernstein sees as an essential means to stay focused, connected and efficient in today's always-on culture. The agency also has an analog room where employees can decompress and detach with an expansive collection books and records. Another cool fact: the wood walls on each floor come from fallen trees from upstate New York.
As the flagship office, Havas welcomes visitors and employees from all over the world every day, so every chat room and conference room is named after a different country in the world. The Hudson Street office space is a welcoming place that prompts creativity and has different distinct spaces that offer inspiration.
"When it came to designing each US office - in New York City, Los Angeles and a new, two-story JPR flagship in San Diego - the goal was to inspire global wanderlust in a residential environment and create a respite for #jprjetsetters who traverse six continents visiting clients".
Wall power in New York, LA and London comes
courtesy of Gray Malin - who has captured megawatt clients the
likes of Gurney’s Montauk and Lake Como’s Grand Hotel Tremezzo –
which is now a daily reminder of the team’s creative collaboration
capabilities. JPR headquarters is currently sourcing artists the founders have
spotted during their travels, to create an
unexpected juxtaposition of funky art with the classic elegant decor.
In the elegant and eco-modern HQ, form and
function co-exist, with a sleek J Spa blowout bar to coif for client
events; a nursing nook is a private refuge for many of the agency's working
moms; there are quiet zones and standing desks to cozy settees in cool
gray hues and tufted velvet conversation chairs in trademark rose gold.
JPR also ties its office
design to its success. For their founders, “the key is to have happy
employees who are knowledgeable and passionate about what they're doing - and
genuinely like each other”.
Ready to spruce things up in your space? Take these exclusive tips from Homepolish Designer Chloe Chudina.
*Adding a custom mural to your office can be a great opportunity to emphasize branding and add visual interest to a space. It can also provide a great backdrop for instagramming.
*Providing a variety of flexible working spaces can help add to overall happiness of employees. For example standing ares, sofas, private call rooms, can help make employees more comfortable and in the end more efficient.
*Investing in hiring an interior designer can ensure that your office space is well planned and can save money in the long run. They'll watch out to make sure furniture will fit and can also give you several scenarios of growth to make sure your space will work as your team grows. Designers also help by providing a visually appealing workplace to help ensure retention of top talent employees.
