DB Interiors recently achieved the interior design for their creative workspace located in Auckland, New Zealand.

With more than 50 years’ experience in the design and build industry, the new workplace for DB Interiors celebrates the past while offering a glimpse into the future. The move stemmed from a desire to have a workspace that reflected the vibrant culture of the firm and could showcase their creative abilities to prospective clients.

The workspace is split into two juxtaposing zones: one which contains materials and tones that reference the era that DB Interiors was founded in (1960’s), and the other which looks towards the future with a unique lighting design and minimalistic black and white colour scheme.

When one first enters the space, you immediately get the impression that this is not your typical workplace. Gone is the traditional reception area, instead a small leaner and circular platform enveloped by tassels act as informal meeting and waiting spaces for those initial client meetings. Being a family owned and operated business, the idea of the home was something DB wanted to incorporate into the design. Removing the boundaries that a traditional reception creates, visitors are instead greeted in a way similar to how you are welcomed into a home. Like-wise, maintaining clear sight lines into the workplace and the kitchen from the reception area adds a feeling of transparency, inviting visitors to choose where they want to wait— be it at the entry leaner or at the kitchen counter.

The kitchen/ breakout area pays homage to the construction roots of DB Interiors. An industrial aesthetic of exposed black ceilings, polished concrete floor, and black powder coated steel are softened by 60’s inspired velvet like upholstery, timber accents and greenery. Concrete Breeze blocks under the kitchen island act as the final piece of the puzzle, blending the industrial aesthetic with the mid-century modern.

A combination of café and residential style seating allow for opportunities to either gather around the Kitchen Island (as one tends to do at home) or break out into smaller groups throughout the space. The kitchen also acts as an activity based working area for team members who travel in from other regions and can easily transition into a large event space.

A refined palette of black and white demarcates a shift into a more focused half of the workplace. Linear LED lighting, a unique angled ceiling design, and bold patterned carpet push the boundaries of how an office is deemed to look. Electric height adjustable desks, think tanks, meeting booths, and leaners create a flexible working environment, allowing staff to have autonomy over where and how they work.

Overall, DB Interiors’ new space weaves a story of their history with the visions of where they aim to be in the future, all while maintaining their ‘family’ culture.

Design: DB Interiors

Photography: Jason Mann

8 Images | expand for additional detail