When designers Disha Bhavsar and Shivani Ajmera of The Quirk Studio were given the brief to design the interiors of an entertainment and talent agency in Mumbai, they were told to keep it young, fresh and uncluttered. They carried off the assignment with elan, to say the least.
Ellen Lipton once said “Design is as much an act of spacing as an act of marketing”. Theming interiors is a tricky job, with the constant fear of coming off as ‘tacky’, but with the designers keeping in mind functionality and form along with aesthetics the spaces can do much more than just please the clients as is the case with this project.
As you enter the office, one word that comes to your mind is ‘quirky’. The main office space has fairly standard workstations arranged in the most efficient way possible keeping in mind the available space, thereby defining the need for functionality. Mundane it is not and the bright wall paper with yellow accents and the large domed light fixtures with yellow inlay visually balance out the space giving it a rather charming feel.
Red lines the corridor in the form of the glass partition of the conference room. With a sturdy steel table and ergonomically chosen leather chairs your attention is immediately diverted to the monochrome sketchy wall paper here again. “Yes, we’ve established a strong pattern, a pattern that stresses on the designers’ need to marry form with function,” shares the team.
The need for flexible work spaces is evident given the nature of the interaction involved in entertainment and talent management so obvious care was taken to ensure smaller nooks or discussion areas in acknowledgement of the client’s brief. In one such nook, large coloured pouffes highlight the wall-free space and a ceiling suspended rope swing adds the ever present ‘quirk factor’.
The chevron patterned wooden door along with the wooden flooring creates a medley.
Every space is varied in terms of these elements of interest. A large tan leather couch in many a space will beckon you to park yourself on it, so smart use of it in a discussion area flanked by a large professional studio lamp presents an interesting visual melody. Paint-free ceilings and geometrically patterned accent carpets break the monotony of the space.
Functionality being key, enclosed spaces in the form of cabins in this case, present a challenge to any contemporary office space design. The designers at Quirk Studio used tact to ensure they passed the challenge with ease. Large framed posters and discs line the floor to do away with the linear monotony of the geometry of the space.
The parabolic studio light reflector accentuates an otherwise cosy corner dominated by the large leather sofa and neutral toned seating.
Also, a monochromatic carpet and drama-free furniture palettes shy away from taking centre stage, thereby letting the artwork do all the talking.
Creative spaces breed creative thinking so it’s not surprising that the office cafeteria/pantry was designed to equipoise itself amongst its peers. Fuss free bench seating, exposed light bulb fixtures and an eclectic colour scheme dominate the space along with wrought iron artwork on the walls.
The Quirk factor is multiplied with the doorway drawn in to the wallpaper.
The restroom’s walls were kept basic with rustic grey tiles and chevron patterned floor tiles. Metal framed light bulb fixtures and a solid wooden door oddly tie up the whole theme together and more so give it a rather luxurious feel – through a looking glass that’s strictly contemporary.
Though not emphasised earlier a few elements throughout the design of the office space show you that both the yin and yang are kept in perfect balance everywhere. The wallpaper designs – sketchy, not overbearing but eclectic, dramatise various – if not all spaces in their own individual way.
Practical furniture in neutral tones defines this cabin – and the ever-present quirky wallpaper adds a bit of spunk to the space.
The flooring, a rustic wood holds court as the common tying element throughout the office. The defining element that clearly shows the importance of functionality to the designers is the furniture – which is practical, yet contemporary and populates the entire office.
The eclectic cafeteria can only be called “rustic jazz”.
Neutral in theme, it does not draw away from the thematic elements, but adds to the quality of the space in a rather nonchalant way. Leaving behind an office space with the flexibility to easily update or upgrade the interiors is something the designers at The Quirk Studio have to be commended for.
Text By Virupa Kantamneni
Photographs Courtesy Bajirao Pawar
Web: www.quirkstudio.in
