Finally! It’s complete!! Our new Rylee + Cru studio/workspace is finished and I’m so excited to share how it turned out! This back warehouse used to be packed FULL of product from floor to ceiling. It’s where we used to house all of our inventory and ship out orders. But we quickly grew out of this space and made the decision to move all of our inventory to a fulfillment center in Utah who was much more equipped to handle the high volume of orders we were receiving. So, in moving that we were left with a big empty warehouse ready to be transformed! We decided to completely gut the space and turn it into a much bigger office and multi-use studio space for our growing team here.
In terms of design, I really just wanted it to complement our aesthetic as a brand. Creating an inspiring work environment has always been important to me. Even all the years I was working from a tiny home office (or desk in my bedroom, I should say), I always tried to make it feel comfortable and aesthetically inspiring because it helped keep my motivation high and curb the burnout! The first thing we did was paint everything white and grind down and refinish the concrete floors. I love a bright and airy workspace and knew I wanted to incorporate warm wood tones, a little bit of brass, plants, and some statement pendants. Because our clothing has a lot of patterns and artwork involved, I wanted our space to be somewhat neutral so that it could let our clothes do the talking.
In terms of design, I really just wanted it to complement our aesthetic as a brand. Creating an inspiring work environment has always been important to me. Even all the years I was working from a tiny home office (or desk in my bedroom, I should say), I always tried to make it feel comfortable and aesthetically inspiring because it helped keep my motivation high and curb the burnout! The first thing we did was paint everything white and grind down and refinish the concrete floors. I love a bright and airy workspace and knew I wanted to incorporate warm wood tones, a little bit of brass, plants, and some statement pendants. Because our clothing has a lot of patterns and artwork involved, I wanted our space to be somewhat neutral so that it could let our clothes do the talking.
We had the opportunity to partner with Semi-Handmade who really helped bring our storage cabinets to life. They create beautiful custom door fronts that pair seamlessly with (old and new) IKEA cabinet systems. Basically, you are getting the look of custom cabinetry for a fraction of the price. Typically you see their doors used in kitchens, but our need was office storage….and lots of it! For the tall bank of cabinets, we ordered 6 of the Sektion High Cabinet Frames and paired them with the Beach Impression door fronts in 15″x 30″ and 15″x 60″. And for the base cabinets behind our desks, we ordered 6 of the Sektion Base Cabinets and paired them again with the Beach Impression door fronts by Semi-handmade in 15″x 20″ and drawers in 30″ x 10″. This helped bring in the warm wood tones the space needed but also kept it feeling light and bright! And then I decided on the Hex Brushed Brass Pulls from CB2 and I love how they pair together.
This little area changes depending on if we have photoshoots happening or not, but right now it’s a lounge spot for lunch or meetings or just chill time (which, to be honest, we rarely have around here!) That cute sun painted on the wall was inspired by Molly of Almost Makes Perfect who’s the queen of DIY and I think it fits the space perfectly. But that rolling wall will likely be a canvas for rotating art depending on the season or mood we are feeling.
Sources: Rug / Stool / Couch
Sources: Rug / Stool / Couch
Our design and marketing team sit back here together (6 of us total!). I was really trying to convince everyone of getting super cute and highly uncomfortable chairs to match the aesthetic but I am glad they all convinced me otherwise! haha. These Herman Miller chairs fit right in and save our backs too! One of my favorite things we got are these giant Norman Copenhagen Bell pendants. They make such a statement in here and I feel like the round shape helps soften the space as well.
A big part of what we do is photography and a priority for this space was to create a handful of photo backdrops/wall options to choose between when shooting. First, we have a large white 20′ x 20′ infinity cove wall that seamlessly blends the floor and the wall to create a perfectly smooth backdrop for studio photography. We also often use colored seamless photo paper with a stand here as well. Then we created a (faux) brick wall with light hardwood floor for when we want to simulate a bedroom. And lastly, we painted a textured limewash wall that blends well with our concrete floor for a more industrial or vintage look (depending on what we are needing!) It has been so helpful to have these photo stations right here in our office instead of traveling with our product and renting other studio locations for the day! Seriously, such a time saver!
