Wisdom Homes has been building beautiful, contemporary houses for families in NSW for many years. So, when the time came to update its headquarters, the company resolved to create a workplace with a more luxurious, residential feel. Now when their employees arrive, they have a more comfortable and welcoming environment in which to work – a home away from home.
Of course, another reason for wanting to create a more luxe, residential vibe was to reflect the nature of the company. Wisdom Homes is in the business of producing high-quality dwellings, so it was important that potential clients experience this in the company’s own home; not an easy task given the enormous space extends over two floors and accommodates 160 people! However, furniture company Krost and interior designer Anita Nader, who worked collaboratively on the fit-out, have executed their brief beautifully.
A luxurious feel has been established throughout by using black and timber finishes, even on more functional items such as desks and storage units. There isn’t a single white desktop in sight! Krost’s ability to customise its furniture helped enormously in this respect. Because the company manufactures its furniture locally in Sydney, it can easily tailor its designs to clients’ specifications.
Krost’s sliding door units were made specifically in black for the job whilst all the worktops, tabletops and joinery units are in the latest Polytec Notaio Walnut ravine for a modern, cohesive look. Even the planters, which contain real plants to enhance staff wellbeing, are in this ravine (textured melamine) finish.
The voluminous two-storey workspace features a number of zones including workstation areas, boardrooms, in-office breakout spaces, quiet work areas, meeting rooms and training rooms, with nearly every piece of furniture manufactured by Krost. Individual offices have been created within the open-plan space by using its Axis panel and screen system, with the posts powder-coated black to complement the rest of the scheme.
Krost’s Keywork workstations and Trak accessory rails, which feature a variety of acoustic screens and planters, are particularly prominent throughout Wisdom Home’s new headquarters. The executive offices, meanwhile, are characterised by the company’s Keywork spine units, Miro and Miro S chairs and bespoke joinery that caters specifically to the users’ storage needs.
Another piece that appears regularly in this project is the stylish and gently reclining Zorro chair – serving as the ‘visitor chair’ in executive offices, meeting rooms and Axis workpods. In one of the meeting areas, Zorro stools are teamed with a Jam counter table to provide an informal spot where colour consultants and design specialists can sit comfortably and brainstorm.
Training rooms are decked out with Krost’s Oslo mobile tables and Miro chairs whilst, in the boardroom, Baz chairs (which are upholstered in high-quality leather) are combined with a Keywork boardroom table for a more luxurious feel. This is augmented by a stunning feature roof and glass doors, which overlook the entire office.
Even the smaller details have been carefully considered, with the softwiring and pop-up power boxes all in black to match the rest of the office. The overall effect is one of comfort, quality and supreme luxury: The perfect environment in which to work and receive clients, whilst also conveying the very essence of Wisdom Homes.
