The refurbished office space that is set to serve as the new headquarters for Mulberry in Kensington has been unveiled. The building on Kensington Church Street, previously occupied by finance company McKinsey, contains 3700 square feet of office space and has been refurbished by Universal Design Studio to serve as the new home for Mulberry. The refurbishment maintains much of the original structure of the building and even recycled some of the former features.
Sometimes the refurbishment was as simple as some paint to try to fit in with the more neutral colours Mulberry wanted throughout the building. Changes include stone and waxed oak flooring completely replacing all the carpet tiles that were previously used throughout the building and using solid oak planks for the central staircase instead of the former glass treads.
"The brief was to create a suitable, functional working space for a unique fashion brand and not a 'dry' office environment," says Georgia Fendley, the brand designer for Mulberry. "Spaces are open and organic, and reflect a mix of natural, low key textures with innovative space and light elements." As well as four floors worth of meeting rooms and offices, the new building will house a café, gym, photographic studio, outdoor courtyard and several showrooms. "The design of each floor inspired a different 'character' for each area, rather than a bland uniformity throughout," says Universal Design Studio. "Office floors are arranged to encourage communication between teams, and black raw steel furniture items consolidate storage and provide a visual anchor for the open plan work area."
