The rule of Nordic Puritanism in office design is officially over. No more drop tile ceilings, grey modular everything, strip lighting. No more drab. No more being chained to the desk. No more ‘one size fits all’.

Now we are squarely in the age of the office as the home away from home. Where companies previously visited suppliers for workplace designs intended to last (sometimes) a couple of generations, creativity and comfort in the workplace wasn’t even a blip on their radars. Now with the trend to remove the work life balance – with employees bringing their life to work – the domestication of the workplace has provided companies with innovative ways to consolidate productivity across teamwork, increase talent retention, and maximise employee health and happiness. For the A+D community, however, the domestication in workplace design movement has allowed clients to collaborate with any number of suppliers, manufacturers and designers to realise the varied and complex personalities of company cultures.

One piece peppering offices Australia-wide, in particular, is Tom Fereday’s Wes Lounge presented by SD Element. Soft, bright and uniquely charming, the Wes Lounge is supplied exclusively through Zenith Interiors and passes their rigorous user-perspective testing for comfort, ergonomy, and wellbeing.

Known for a design philosophy centred on honesty – in manufacture, in sustainability, in craftsmanship – Fereday’s Wes Lounge ushers in homey elegance to the workplace. Over a year in development, the Wes range celebrates the unique skill of Australian-made upholstery harnessed for the quiet serenity of contemporary minimalism. Sculpted by hand over a uniquely designed timber frame, the Wes combines elegant forms with seamless upholstery from any angle and contrasting piping to accentuate soft, organic lines. With standout features aplenty, the Wes’ solid Ash legs, Eco plywood and natural fabrics has proven popular to the forward-thinking, eco-friendly marketplace.

Zenith Interiors have been a forerunner in helping clients realise the maximum potential that is inherent in celebrating the individuality and dynamism of their employees. While the trend for more eclectic, customised environments continues, attention to breakout or touchdown spaces, alternative areas and options for work, bringing comfort to the workplace will remain a top agenda commodity in design for generations to come.

SD Element presents the Wes range available exclusively through Zenith Interiors.