THE GREY MATRIX- OFFICE INTERIORS | NACL

THE GREY MATRIX- OFFICE INTERIORS | NACL

In the sprawling and bustling neighborhood of lower parel, the client acquired a space in an industrial estate that was unused for the past few years. With a floor plate of 750 sft and an additional mezzanine floor of the same size and no natural light, we had to design a space for an event management office which catered to an employee strength of 12-15 in number, 2 director cabins, a conference room and a storage room.

The brief was to create a young office space that reflects the vibrancy of an event management company with corporate elements in the design functionality, which is modern in form and infused with subtle rustic textures.

A space that is subtly impactful to the eye from the moment one steps in and brings a sense of contrast from the boring, narrow and unfurbished passages in the industrial estate.

An office that has constant movement of clients had to have an aesthetic that is playful yet serious, has a corporate vibe but with a touch of creativity and a space that felt cosy and comfortable as meetings could go on endlessly due to the nature of the business. The daily dealings involved numerous products, samples and inventory that required a good system for storing and ensuring the space looked clutter-free at all times.

Keeping these aspects in mind, we revolved our design aesthetics on colors and textures where we ensured use of different kind of materials in similar tones but having a look and feel that is contrasting within the same palette but still standing out and complementing each other. Form and function went hand-in-hand where straight, clean, distinct lines formed the background for demarcating zones and efficient utilization of spaces and corners for storage.

To start with the planning, we decided to demolish one-third of the mezzanine from the entrance side to give a double heighted space to the reception, waiting area and workstation tables which eventually narrow down into different cabins and rooms as per the client requirement.

This was a very strategic decision and one of the important starting points in deciding the layout and visual appeal of the space. The idea was to create an entry that had a grandness to it, by taking advantage of the double height ceiling, and create a bigger and spacious opening from where one could understand the space planning right at the onset of the office.

The balance two-thirds of the mezzanine floor were divided into the conference & storage room respectively. The area, below this mezzanine, on the ground floor housed the director cabins and utility areas like the bathrooms and the pantry.

The layout was planned in a way to ensure minimum room for passages and maximum movement around the central area of the office.

As per the client brief, the space was designed in a modern design style that was linear, crisp and minimal with a touch of rustic-ness to break through the monotony that a modern design can bring, while also adding punches of a royal blue color to represent the company branding into the design.

Linear forms and a monotone color scheme were the main elements of the design. Linearity was prevalent in the division of spaces, in the grid-like partitions that boxed the main cabins and created a graphic in the design, in the storage arrangement and also in small furniture details like the reception table with the slatted pattern façade.

Due to the lack of natural light, we sub-consciously knew that the space could not have a dark pallete. Shades of grey were used in various textures to maintain the monotone scheme. Marmorino textured walls in grey, storage cabinets in grey back painted glass with profiles matching to it, use of frosted glass all added to the grey-ness of the space.

Pops of blue were used across various corners in the design to add an element of surprise and brighten up the space contrasting the greys very subtly and flawlessly.

The rustic element was introduced through wooden tiles on the floor with an antique, washed-out look, distressed veneer on furniture and a concrete texture on the walls. The tiles in the bathroom were also of an antique finish with rough stone wall claddings.

Being an office space where functionality is of utmost important, basic features like partition walls and table tops were finished in back painted glass so they could double-up as a writing board , keeping the surfaces clean ,minimal and functional.

To ensure ample storage solutions, wall to wall cabinets going all the way to the ceiling were designed with back painted glass in a grey exactly matching the textured wall color to ensure they seamlessly blend into the walls to avoid looking very heavy. It lend a minimalistic feel to the space.

Each space had one prominent highlighting factor- whether it was the patterned, two-toned veneer table for the conference room, or a bold blue sofa in the director cabin, to the bright quirky tiles in the bathrooms, or in the form of color blocking patterns on wall storages and a pastel hued 3d form wall art for the reception area.

Customization was also an important element in the design process. A massive 8 ft wide chandelier was completely customized in metal that stood out at the entry area and gave a visual graphic from the conference room situated on the mezzanine. A 3D Wall art that was designed and customized for the reception wall with mdf panels was another distinguishing component.