“We’ve got everything we need right here, and everything we need is enough.”
― Jack Johnson

This year I started working part-time, for my husband’s company.  The first thing I had to do was find them a new office space.  After a bit of hunting I hit the jackpot!  A newly remodeled, open space, complete with exposed brick walls and incredible harbor views! Finding the space took time but was really fun.  Trying to decorate the space to accommodate the needs of five individuals was a bit more challenging.  Thankfully I have some very talented friends, including C&B’s Sarah Fernandez.  After taking a look at the space she helped me come up with some ideas.  I took those ideas and presented them to the bosses who also had creative solutions.  Our work is all about collaboration and I think in this case, the outcome is pretty darn good.

BEFORE:

Wanting to keep an open feel and not have to be stuck in a cubical, we found this screen in the basement of my husband’s sail loft.  Our wood worker, Cody Harple, designed the feet so it would have a free-standing feel to it.

AFTER:

Using reclaimed materials was a must for our office.  We are very conscious about minimizing the use of non-essential materials and maximizing the use of old materials by re-purposing them.  This desk was created out of reclaimed wood from the Coronet.  Cody had created another version of this and we HAD to have one!  Thankfully he had some left over pieces and was able to design a desk that fits our needs.  We can easily have two people working here at the same time.

We wanted to have a large recycle bin in the office and this is what we came up with!  Thankfully pallets are very easy to come by and FREE!  The liners are recycled sail cloth from my husband’s sail loft.  They are easy to remove and have rope drawstring handles so we can easily tote the recyclables out of the office.

The conference area presented a greater challenge.  We couldn’t go up to the ceiling and we didn’t want to bolt anything to the wall or floor. Cody came up with this design that can be removed and reinstalled if we ever move, though I hope we never will!  The walls are made of recycled sails and reclaimed wood and are attached by clamping to the structural beams already in place.  The pocket doors slide easily in and out of the frame to create a private room where we can meet with our collaborators (or stash some interns). The conference table is made from wood and carbon fiber.  A homemade cast off from a friend’s former business that used to be my dining room table.

For seating, we ordered the Domino Chair from Steelcase.  They are really comfortable and we love that they can be completely recycled if need be.  It is wonderful to be in a space that is not only functional but unique and fun!  The fine detail work and design by Cody Harple makes each corner of the office a beautiful place to work.  My hope is that after viewing this post, you will challenge yourselves to re-think the norm when it comes to design. We are not all crafty or born with good design sense but we can all be creative.  When our group worked together by putting all kinds of ideas on the table, we ended up with solutions that make every day in the office a good one!

A very special thanks to Miranda Harple for the fine photography.

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