Studio KKD highlights office 'hotelification' for new Grosvenor workplaces
A new workspace offering introduces six unique 'Flex by Grosvenor' spaces to Mayfair and Belgravia.
03/07/2024
1 min read
Warm and wonderful: five snug interiors that embrace the colder months
With darker nights well underway, we round up five spaces that use natural materials and warm tones to add a touch of ‘hygge’.
01/11/2023
4 min read
The Aubrey, London
Century City Law Firm, LA
And And And Studio lends a warm colour palette to Century City Law
And And And Studio was tasked with turning one of LA’s most exclusive entertainment law firms into a light and airy workspace featuring 30 private offices and numerous communal areas. Annie Ritz and Daniel Rabin, And And And’s founders, achieved the brief by trading slightly smaller offices in favour of functional-yet-inviting communal spaces, infused with a 70s-inspired aesthetic that transcends through warm wood tones and bold-hued gold and green fabrics.
Providing stand-out features across the floor plate, Ritz and Rabin accentuated the kitchen with green marble for the countertop, backsplash and open shelving. In the conference room, the pair added a fabric wall by Raf Simons which doubles as an acoustic wall. Throughout each room Brasilia chairs by Menu, sofas by Arflex, and a Phillipe Malouin sofa from SCP add to layers of comfort and style.
Meadowside, Manchester
JOLIE offers more than bricks and mortar at Meadowside co-living
Meadowside is the first large-scale residential development to be completed in Manchester by developer Far East Consortium (FEC), with interiors completed by JOLIE. For a relatively small space, it works hard. The lounge, while open-plan, is divided into designated areas: a flexible space features modular green, velvet sofas – soft to the touch to encourage physical interaction – and small black tables that can be arranged to create formal lounge seating or moved around for impromptu movie nights hosted on a pull-down projector screen; a bar is provided for making hot drinks or for preparing food which can be served at the large shared bar table; and a coworking zone operates during the day, providing an extension to the home for young employees working away from the office.
Nodding to the lifestyles of both overseas and local residents, a base palette of greens is inspired by the East-Asian matcha latte; popular for its healthy but comforting connotations. A marbled floor tile simulates the stirring of milk into the smooth hot drink and the ceiling is painted a cool shade of matcha green. Bespoke honey-toned timber furniture is used throughout for its stabilising effect and complemented by a brown textured wallpaper to create warmth.
Chrono24, Hertfordshire
Oktra crafts a multi-brand experience inside a former Victorian barn
With a vision to offer guests an insight into the technical and quality-driven process of their product, luxury watch specialist Chrono24 partnered with design and build company Oktra to create a new workplace, workshop and retail space in the heart of Hertfordshire. The project can be seen as two parts, interior designer Martyna Skoczek explains. A cosy client lounge and office space is located inside the Victorian barn, designed as a refined but comfortable space with a warm and detail-driven language that incorporates the original beams and features of the building.
A cosy client lounge and office space is located inside the Victorian barn, designed as a refined but comfortable space with a warm and detail-driven language that incorporates the original beams and features of the building. The majority of the fixtures are bespoke and individually procured from second-hand stores and auctions. Furniture pieces were acquired through a collaboration with Soho House, and privately commissioned artwork lines the walls.
The Aubrey, London
Bradywilliams Studio designs The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental, London
Taking over the space formerly occupied by Bar Boulud, The Aubrey – described as an eccentric Izakaya, an up market take on a Japanese pub or tavern – was launched in the capital, following its successful debut within Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong early last year. The project marks the first UK venture for Maximal Concepts, the Hong Kong-based restaurant group behind much-loved Chinese restaurant collection Mott 32, who worked in collaboration with interior architecture and design studio Brady Williams to realise the interiors– which channel Japonisme, an artistic and aesthetic movement of the late 19th century.
Situated beneath the hotel, doors open onto a labyrinth of velvet, marble and wood, setting the scene for five distinct drinking and dining spaces, beginning with the wood-panelled main bar. From here, guests are invited to explore a series of interlinking rooms – the curio lounge, salon and library populated by furnishings and fixtures from the likes of 1st Dibs, Noble Russell and Elephant Road Studios– which are illuminated by the soft glow of ambient lighting, curated by lighting design consultant Tim Henderson of Atelier Lighting. Set within the warm hues of gold, green, plum and pink that embellish the various spaces, artwork inspired by the elegance of the Japonisme movement features heavily. Likewise, the spaces’ intimate nooks and enclaves feature intricate and detailed murals created by artist Michael May, alongside detailed wall coverings by Phillip Jeffries and bespoke joinery from Edmonds.
Chief London designed by thirdway
Women-only members’ club Chief lands in London
Women-only members’ club Chief’s first international location occupies a historic townhouse with event spaces, meeting rooms, workspaces and a bar. Designed by Chief’s all-female team in collaboration with design studio Thirdway, the clubhouse’s design mixes the ‘home-from home’ style of the US venues while also delivering a sense of place through London-specific details. The Grade I listed townhouse connects to a four-story mews by way of a central glazed link, and the building’s original features and setting have influenced the clubhouse’s design. Members are greeted by a dark wooden reception desk, inspired by the arches and curved glass of the townhouse, mixed with the linear panelling features and groove detailing in the fireplaces.
Plush, velvet-upholstered furniture in rich jewel tones reference Bedford Square’s Georgian heritage, while pouffes covered in 1990s Piccadilly Line upholstery nod to its London locale. Further traditional influences such as solid brass classic light fittings are used to showcase the custom artworks that grace the walls, chosen to spotlight diverse artists chosen by women-led gallery Uprise Art.
