New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 30/12 | Page 111

Left:The wood and stainless
steel kitchen and adjacent
bar area continue the relaxed,
informal ambience.
Lower left:One end of the
recycled timber wall includes
space for a reference library.
Pine benches serve as
workstations, and metal floor
plates conceal computer cabling.
Legend to plan:1 entry,
2 informal reception, 3 kitchen
and recreation, 4 casual desk
space, 5 timber feature wall and
photo studio, 6 office desks,
7 enclosed meeting room
Story by Charles Moxham
Photography by Jason Mann

One wall of the ‘box’ extends back out into the
entry corridor, offering an early glimpse of this
rather unexpected rough-and-ready material. This
helps to draw people forward.
The meeting room doors extend the look. These
are made from vertical wood planks. Set on sliders,
the barn-style doors feature an antique operable
latch with cogs, sourced by Inside Design. The
rotated cogs indicate whether the room is vacant
or in use. Exposed metal bracing on the doors is
visible from within the space.
An informal reception area beside the entry
overlooks a kitchen unit with a similar box-like,
timber treatment. The wood theme continues in
this area, with a casual leaner table comprised of
chunky industrial-look Kee Klamp components and
a macrocarpa top.
“To match these treatments we commissioned
simple pine benches as workstations,” Bernhardt
says. “These pared-back desks were produced
by Kerry Hart. However, this desking solution left
nowhere to conceal computer cabling, so we introduced metal floor tread plates at the side of each
desk – again, in line with the semi-industrial look.”
Another informal desk area housing data analytics
company Dot Loves Data and photographer
Richard Bran has a similar aesthetic.

However, if much of the fit-out has a raw,
untreated appearance, a contrast awaits clients
inside the meeting room.
This was another area where the EightyOne staff
had a significant input. They wanted to create a
refined, but homely, contrasting environment in this
room, the only enclosable space in the design.
Co-owners and directors of EightyOne, Carlos
Constable and Matt West, say their team sourced
the pre-loved furniture pieces for the shabby chic
environment that resembles a lounge in a home.
Besides being cosy, the wickerwork settee, rolledarm sofa, classic coffee table and traditional open
fireplace are in juxtaposition with F