Tuesday, June 19, 2012

In progress client project sneak peek

Over the last few months I've been working on a couple of corporate projects that I absolutely LOVE. Especially because the clients are awesome. and patient.

This one is a political consulting firm. Because they are a young and youthful firm, and work like crazy, they wanted to move away from the stodgy Washingtonian politico stereotype, and create a space that felt inviting, relaxed, and not so buttoned up. A little homey even. 

It's coming along, and although it has a little ways to go, I'm so pleased with the progress. Plus, I have a terrible track record of taking final after pictures to share, so I thought I'd seize the moment and show what we have so far. 

When we started it looked like this:

Dark and a little uninspired. Nothing like the vibrant crew who works there. So, we got to work. 

They wanted to keep the wall color, so the biggest changes were replacing the blah carpet with a Brazilian rustic industrial grade laminate and removing some of the interior walls that blocked the awesome windows and made the office feel choppy. Since a lot of the firm's work is collaborative, there wasn't a need for a bunch of separate offices. 

Before:


In progress: 
We ended up keeping the original chairs, and I just sanded off the original cherry finish from the legs. That and the pillows totally update the look and take off the stuffy corporate edge. I took this picture while the new custom reception desk was being installed. When it's done, it will be a bit taller and have built in planters. And in this picture, it's not in quite the right position, so that's why it's intruding into the hallway.

The best part about it was collaborating with the fabulous, Kaleo Kala of Kala studios. He's one of the most gracious, easy to work with, all around awesome guys that I've met in the design industry. I sent him a few rough sketches of what I had in mind:




and he figured out the best way to build it. because he's genius and crazy talented. The man himself:
I will be showing real after pictures hopefully at some point for sure....bc I get giddy just thinking about it. But here's a blurry phone photo taken at night :)

OK moving on....

Before:
once we tore down the walls and opened a pass though to an adjoining suite, this end office morphed into a relaxed meeting area that leads into a little sliver of room/passthrough that's perfect for scheming. So we dubbed it the idea room. Complete with "aha" light bulbs.

In progress:
the elephant wall is dry erase paint.

through the idea room you can glimpse another little meeting room:

and back in the main space, the walls creating the dark hallway and choppy little offices were removed to created an open workspace.

Before:

In progress:
and other direction:
We worked the budget by using IKEA desks for the open space, which allowed us to replace the blah bulky table in the conference room with another custom piece from Kala Studios. I don't have a before pictures, but just picture a big ugly cherry laminate oval table, which moved over to make room for this beauty:

I knew I wanted something with a live edge, but not so rustic that it was impractical for daily use, conference calls, coffee cups, and notes. Thankfully Kaleo is a beast and totally nailed it. You can't see them, but there are built in outlets underneath.
The chairs were another budget saver. It is so flippin hard to find a reasonably-priced even semi-stylish office chair. These cb2 bungee cord chairs are pretty sweet in both departments, yay!

OK all for now. I have another corporate project to share soon too. So stay tuned.

31 comments:

  1. Wow! The transformation is amazing! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Leah you always knock it out of the park, from teenage rooms, to corporate offices! Great job! Love your style!!

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  3. I am in love with this transformation! Well done! I wonder about those sconces in the main space, can you share the source? I'd love those for my home.

    Thank you,

    Kristin

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  4. YOU ar a design beast....in a most beautiful way.


    I bow to you.

    really.

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  5. Leah, this is an amazing transformation! If I worked there I think I would suddenly start looking forward to being there everyday. Atmosphere makes such a difference in your mood and this place would definitely keep me happy. It is so amazing that you get to do such cool stuff. I look forward to sneaking a peak at all your future projects. But keep up the family posts too. We will be in DC at the beginning of July so maybe we can see you guys!

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  6. It looks incredible, Leah! Way to go!

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  7. Are you KIDDING me? These folks were so, so smart to hire you, Leah. They must feel to happy to arrive at work each day now. I don't think I'd want to leave this space if I worked there. Honestly, I think this is your best work to date.
    Camille

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  8. thanks friends!

    Kristin- the sconces are from Restoration Hardware

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  9. Leah, where is the ikat rug from? It is beautiful.

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    1. I found it at Homegoods, which I pretty much stalked on a regular basis for a few weeks on my hunt for a well priced rug. I was really happy when this one emerged.

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    2. Thank you! I am on the hunt for a rug like that.

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  10. LEAH!!! GET OUT!!! This is amazing!!!!!

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  11. LEAH!!! GET OUT!!! This is amazing!!!!!

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  12. this transformation is magical, fun and fresh!
    my first visit here will not be my last.
    best
    debra

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  13. This is fantastic! So glad to see this transformation. The before look is so standard and uninteresting, and it is everywhere, like a disease! good job with the earthy, creative space.
    Nancy
    Powellbrowerhome.com

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  14. W-O-W!!! Talk about cool! You are hot, friend ;) I'm so glad to see you blogging....missed you. Thanks for sharing this project, Leah. I think it is awesome and, not what I'd expect from a political consulting firm. Look forward to seeing the other project.
    Ciao,
    Loi

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  15. Just perfect, Leah! I wish my workspace looked like that!

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  16. This is amazing, what a great inspiration for a better life at work. Thank you so much for sharing Leah.

    Kindly, Ullika

    updesignlounge.com

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  17. LOVELY so far...can't wait to see the full reveal!

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  18. Oh and hope all is well...we totally need to get together for a playdate or something! xx Danielle

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  19. It looks AMAZING!!! You did so well Leah, despite all of the setbacks you faced, it turned out so well - congratulations!!! I love the greenery & the table was well worth the effort ;)

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  20. Absolutely amazing!!! Where are those wall hanging planters from?

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  21. Wow, you totally nailed it here Leah! Your clients must be thrilled. It's grown up and professional but fun and youthful at the same time.

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  22. Hi Leah,

    Everything looks great. I was wondering if you could tell me where the white chairs around the long table in the "open space" picture are from? I'm looking for something similar but affordable for my home office.

    Thanks! Lea (same name - no "h" :)

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