The space has potential. At the moment, it is oppressive and off-putting.

The ceiling needs to be lighter. The walls aren't tall enough for a dark color.

I love black as an accent, but a lot of black furniture quickly veers into tacky bachelor pad territory. Gray is ok for the rug, but no more gray or black in quantity. The gray trend is over and more of it will make the space look like 2002. Freshen the gray and black with clear colors rather than muted ones.

You need to be prepared for a variety of body types. Your chairs look cool, but they aren't usable by someone who is wide or who has knee/leg issues. At least one armless chair with a seat height of 18"-19" is a must. People will not sit on a loveseat with another person if they can avoid it, so it's not good for public spaces. Look at Design Within Reach for ideas for benches and cubes. Theirs are expensive, but both are fairly easy to construct and upholster yourself. Here's one for Knoll that I like: Knoll 3-seat bench.

Oval is a friendly choice for a conference table. Eventually, you may want to consider something that has charging ports built into the center of the table. Until then you need a charging hub and power strip at the ready for people who need them.

No to the arc floor lamp. That was residential and will fight with the industrial look of the building. Yes to real plants provided that you take care of them. plllog had some excellent ideas for art. Also, check your local art community. I'm sure you can find something interesting.

Great and very helpful comments, please add more!

Answering a couple Q's and asking others:

- The nature of the business: not able to discuss in detail. The large monitor will be displaying stuff like the image below, also various spreadsheets, models, charts, etc.

- Tell me more about the seating needs of different persons? The styling salon chairs adjust down to a seat cushion height of about 17" and up to, not sure, but close to bar stool height. I think I can remove the arms on one or two chairs. I can also leave the footrest in place on one chair, if that helps.

- I cannot change the wall or ceiling color. Not yet anyway. Just the realities of renting.

- The elliptical table will be refinished, so I can do anything I want with it. I can stain it, paint it, take the top to a metal shop and have it wrapped in engine-turned stainless steel, add charging ports, almost anything. I'm hoping to have some fun with it. I just like the shape. Not rectangular, not rectangular with semi circles tacked to each end, it's elliptical like the wings of a Spitfire.

- The art is flexible. I know I don't want generic store-bought prints of soothing landscapes. I want original art. I know artists and painters who will loan me original pieces (that they'd love to sell, should clients or visitors take a fancy). I also have access to some very cool Chinese calligraphy and local photographers. The pieces will likely rotate.

- The persons visiting will be a range of types. In general, they will typically be company management teams, representative of local or smaller financial services firms, and a small number of “friends and family” investors and, later, a small number of "qualified investors". They will all be aware that they’re visiting a small / boutique firm that is a bit different, not yet another Merrill Lynch or ABC bank branch.

- I’m also hoping to donate use of the ”public” room for occasional use by advocacy groups and political campaigns, but I will need to figure out how to secure the “work” room and network if I do that.

Love those. I have been searching for something like that locally.

"Don't know where you're located, but I'd go vintage - prices are great. Maybe something like this:

Vintage Knoll Black Leather (12 available) '

Commercial renting /leasing can be complicated. Just some random thoughts for now:

1. Be careful allowing political meetings. That may not be allowed in your lease. Also, that may be classified as "Public Assembly" which has different legal requirements for exits, travelling distance, second means of egress, etc.

2. Looking at the air conditioning ducts, you may need to find out if that can be an acoustic problem between you and the next tenants. Also, many towns require a fire damper in an air conditioning duct between different tenants. Speaking of acoustics, you may need to consider acoustic treatment in that space.

3. Find out if the building require specific (Building Standard) window treatment.

4. Your space layout and furniture placement will depend on electric outlet locations. Keep in mind that extension cords are generally illegal in office buildings. Having electric outlets in the middle of the floor in an industrial build is not that easy. Floor is very thick concrete to core-drill and the floor below may have exposed ceiling design.

6. I am not for knockoffs for furniture. People who knows design will think you are cheap and pretentious. People who are not into design will feel Bauhaus furniture not comfortable and looking strange. However, if you already have those classic replicas, they can still be used. You just have to be a lot more careful in incorporate them into the total design.

7. "---- The persons visiting will be a range of types. In general, they will typically be company management teams, representative of local or smaller financial services firms, and a small number of “friends and family” investors and, later, a small number of "qualified investors". They will all be aware that they’re visiting a small / boutique firm that is a bit different, not yet another Merrill Lynch or ABC bank branch.--"

These are the most difficult business types. They can be influenced by the smallest visual hints. Your design has to be perfect, which does not necessarily mean expensive

Also, if you have Asian visitors, may be your design should be "Feng shui" compliant.

dcarch

Are you familiar with Chairish? Lots of vintage things - some at VERY good prices. For example:

https://www.chairish.com/product/2041138/herman-miller-eames-dot-fabric-aluminum-group-management-chair-set-of-10

https://www.chairish.com/product/2177399/32-available-knoll-charles-pollock-black-leather-chair

https://www.chairish.com/product/2126917/1960s-vintage-charles-pollack-executive-chairs-for-knoll-a-pair

https://www.chairish.com/product/2190618/6-massimo-vignelli-handkerchief-dining-chairs-by-knoll

https://www.chairish.com/product/1396908/1950s-danish-modern-arne-vodder-for-france-sons-teak-armchairs-set-of-4

I agree with the comments about manly black, gray, etc. I'd want to spice it up with some color - possibly, but not necessarily something like:

https://www.chairish.com/product/933090/1950s-orange-mid-century-modern-office-chair

or

https://www.chairish.com/product/1409541/vintage-mid-century-modern-thonet-walnut-armchair

If I wanted a memorable office, I'd want at least a couple of sculptural items - could be actual industrial sculpture, or furniture with sculptural, organic lines. I would really like an extra large tribal rug, but that would probably be a budget-buster. I prefer transparent glass tops for meeting tables - especially in a not too large space.

About seat heights: The smaller the angle at the back of the knee, the more work required to move from seated to standing. A seat height of 17" is fine for most people, but it can be too low for others. Ex. Very tall or has problem with joints or muscles. Even a foot injury. The other issue is that there are a lot of obese people in the US. The last thing you want is someone struggling to squeeze between the arms of a chair. If you have a couple of sturdy, portable armless chairs available with 18"-19" seat height, they can be used in the lounge area or at the table as needed. The arms of your salon chairs probably won't go under the table edge if you raise the seat height. The person would have to perch on the front edge of the chair to reach the table.

Here's an example of a chair that meets the criteria, but it's probably out of your price range.

Knoll Eero Saarinen Armless Executive Chair

As was mentioned, with a major obesity issue in our society, for office environment and liability, an important thing to consider is to verify that the manufacturer has a spec for maximum weight for the chair.

Speaking of office chairs, it is also important to make sure that casters are OK for bare concrete floor. Some hard floors can be a danger for chairs with casters.

dcarch

Ooh yeah... about roller chairs - have both. We once had someone get light headed, they went to sit down, chair rolled slightly as they sat down and they ended being “pushed” forward by the movement of the chair and they smashed their face on the side of the conference table. True story.

" Here's an example of a chair that meets the criteria, but it's probably out of your price range.

Knoll Eero Saarinen Armless Executive Chair"

No. Sorry. That is not a good chair. No to chairs with four-star base. Not safe. Get chairs with five-star base.

dcarch

Hmm, Feng Shui is not something I’ve ever looked at, but I will now.

Speaking of Asian things, I was in a large furniture place that has tons of old Asian pieces and art objects, and saw this. I think it would be stunning with some oil on the wood. i’m not seriously thinking of having it in the office, because *weird*, but I love it.

Wow! Why wouldn't you have it in the office? That's exactly the kind of "art" that could be appealing to many and keep them enthralled if they have to wait for their appointment time. Personally...I love the thought of that wood being oiled and rubbed to a beautiful patina. Not to mention that you might find all sorts of unique uses for it. Stack business related journals on its lower shelf. Or just plain entertaining books/magazines to keep the clientele entertained while waiting. I haven't found a cubbyhole yet that I can't find a practical use for. Give it some thought. I'd sure love to have it in my space. If it's too low to the floor...place it on a stand or low table/desk top of some sort. It's beautiful!

John,

Before you get into details of aesthetics, let me give you something to think about.

If I understand you correctly, that your office and work are related to finance/investment. I think you may want to in corporate some of the following as part of the design:

1. On the desks, at least three monitors, 5 are not too many each monitor would have a spread sheet or financial service display Dow Jones?.

2, A Bloomberg monitor in the visitor waiting area. You can get a vintage ticker-tape machine replica for art work next to the Bloomberg. Not very expensive.

3. 5 to seven wall clocks displaying world time zone of major cities.

4. 4 or 5 TV monitors (no need for sound) connected to news stations.

It's like law firms used to have fake law library near their reception area. It's all about marketing.

dcarch

Maybe - I do love it. I need to get the rest of my furniture in and see what might overcrowd the space. And I need to make sure there is the right balance between coherent and interesting.

For what it is worth, I am willing for the space to express my personality and identity, as long as it is not distracting. Since I am Chinese, I would like some touch of that culture. But in the end it is a business space, not my home.

Dcarch, absolutely! There will be a large (55"?) monitor in the conference table area, displaying market data and financial news services. If anyone looks into the room where my desk is, currently they will see 5 monitors, and when I get my new workstation - well, it has a Xeon processor, multiple graphics cards, and will support 8 monitors. I will also be looking for "props" such as that you mentioned.

This is my temporary desk, in the “work” room that is through the French doors from the “public” room that we’ve been looking at. I am not sure if the desk will stay in that position. It has been grey and raining since I moved in, so I can’t tell if I’ll have glare through the windows on the monitors when it is sunny. The windows face south. I am also not sure where the second bank of monitors will go. I think I want a second desk so that I can spread out more.

And there is currently no use for this end of the “work” room.

@dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 , I agree that a 5-spoke base is needed for a chair with casters. I saw a woman flip over backward in one with 4-spokes. She weighed no more than 105 pounds and wasn't acting silly.

The Knoll Eero Saarinen Armless Executive Chair to which I linked has 4 legs, which is usually permissable. Of course, there's always some fool who tilts back on two legs. :-(

I am not a pro but I love an interesting puzzle. Here's some of my 2 cents:

First thing: I would google Will Lestrange Feng Shui Consultant. He will travel or work remotely for a reasonable fee. He has ideas on placement, decor, and business ideas, and he ties it all into Feng Shui to set up a business for success.

Your public area will set the tone for the private office. You need softness, comfort, and color. The conference chairs need to be soft and allow for all sizes. Metal is cold to the touch.

Is there a local artisan that makes conference size tables where they would loan one to you as advertising?

Local artists' work is a great idea, maybe of the beautiful river or city view that cannot be seen out the window.

The waiting area could have a coffee/tea bar with a small table and chairs. The Corbusier chairs with a coffee table can support 2-3 people brainstorming with a laptop. Do you want to go this route?

Keep us posted on this, good luck to you in this new location!

PS: .....or any Feng Shui consultant of your choice. Will Lestrange is Western (English) and not traditional, and adapts principles to Western environments.

I really like the idea of a casual brainstorming space where the LC chairs are!

Quick comments:

1. Aeron chair works. Get another for your partner. It's a mess to have different chairs in a small office. Color works. There is no choice for colors for Aeron.

2. Get two-drawer lateral file cabinets with wood (or stone) top for window sill for space efficient storage and for the desk extra paper spread space, if that's where the desk will be.

3 I don't see a thermostat. You may need to have a portable air conditioner or a heat pump (which cools and heats), and an electric outlet. Low building and big windows work like a solar collector.

4. The back area (And there is currently no use for this end of the “work” room.) is where you locate the refrigerator, copier, coffee machine. Hang a hospital type of curtain to close off the mess when you have visitors.

5. Now is the time to consider what to do to finish the floor before funiture. I don't know the nature of your client/visitors, high-tech creative look may not work for finance type. Infinite possibilities to finish bare concrete floor; all expensive. (Google Image: concrete floor finishes)

6. I don't see fire/smoke alarms and exit signs. Check with the building management.

Lots to think about before getting serious with decorating.

dcarch

Aeron chair comes in 3 colors. Not sure when that changed. When I bought mine there was only one color. It comes in 3 sizes.

I consider gray, charcoal and black all one color.

A, for men. B, and C smaller sizes better for female bodies.

dcarch

I agree with Dcarch about putting functional things in the no plan end. Also storage! But NO to the hospital curtain! Not only would it be a problem with the ceiling, but it would be a big sign flashing CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. Much better to put in a freestanding room divider. Either a decorative screen with an anti-topple base, or one with a cabinet base, with or without castors. Or you can get one of those cubbies on castors if the functional stuff isn't a mismatched riot of not look so good. Often the suggestion of enclosure is as good as actual enclosure.

One of the things that obvious in all the pictures is how delineated and confined the space is. A brilliant designer could fix that, but if you're not interested in going that route--and starting a business is expensive enough--just keep considerations of flexibility, mobility and light in mind. That's why I made the suggestions I did about the conference table. One that can hinge up like a pingpong table to get out of the way could be useful for when the table is just in the way. The see-through ability of glass gives the illusion that it isn't such a big hunk of table in the middle of the room.

I think the shape of the wood table you showed is nice! one of the things about an oval table is everybody can see each other without having to lean forwards and backwards to peer around your neighbor. The question was whether it fit the overall design plan. If you don't mind a lot of patina, I thought your idea of wrapping the top in metal was a good one. Obviously a reflective finish would be out, but if it's shiny enough even to refract light, it'll help with the visual weight.

Some comments have been about the overall color scheme. What I think you were going for here was a sort of West Coast Industrial look crossed by upcycle chic. The point about the salon chairs and different body types was well founded, however. You do want your guest chairs to be comfortable above all else. We have some odd Herman Miller chairs which sit well but have strange armrests and after about forty minutes, the pressure gives out on the stems and they sink! That can be embarrassing for guests too.

With the additional pictures, I think you need to get a lot more light and reflective surfaces in there, to bounce the daylight around as much as possible, and I'd spring for good overhead wash lighting. No "dramatic pools". Maybe get a lighting designer in. More than any consideration of the looks of the furnishings, those rooms are desperate for good light! You don't want your business to look like you can't afford to turn on the lights, or look sad, dingy or depressing. The climate may fight you on that some days, so plan for rain. Go as eco-friendly as you can on the lighting, but I have to say most earth-saving and sustainably building/farming stores and offices I've been in have been very well lit--good lighting sells! And you're not even in the Eco sector.

Re. hospital type curtain, there are thousands of designs to pick from. They are inexpensive and space saving.

Two examples:

Installation shouldn't be a problem, because it's done all the time.

Re: Conference table, if you don't expect more than two or three visitors, you can do sofa, coffee table and club chairs, a friendlier setup. Also, many buildings such as this one has public conference rooms for tenants' use. Check and find out.

Re. lighting, your options are not many because you are lacking in electric power outlets. You mostly will have task lights on your desks, and floor lamps not far from visitors. For general ambient lighting, you can (I know you are handy) buy two clear plastic salad bowls, sandpaper them from clear to frost, and install them to those glaring (LED?) ceiling fixture.

dcarch

There must be a junction box at the current fixture. Unless the landlord doesn't allow any electrical work? That's unusual, if so.

Dcarch, I'm surprised at you. I would never put those curtains, nor home frosted salad bowl diffusers in an office dealing with finance. Also, the curtains would require installation of a free floating track which would be earthquake safe but strong enough to make it easy to operate the curtains--I thought the ceiling was untouchable. Upcycled oddities are one thing, but grown men (or women) selling expertise have to look the part.

dcharch, pillog and others do make good points: make sure to get the functional aspects of the space together first: fire, lighting, heat/air, water, earthquake? etc. Forgot that in a loft space these may not be there. Maybe also check the lease and see what may be included? Keep us posted along the way!

I’m not going to concern myself with regulatory, code compliance, occupancy permit, life safety aspects of the building. It’s a commercial building and I’m a tenant.

"---Dcarch, I'm surprised at you. I would never put those curtains, nor home frosted salad bowl diffusers in an office dealing with finance.---"

I am not sure there are space efficient, inexpensive and good looking ways to partition off that utility area. Movable partitions or panels may not be tall enough and stable enough to hide tall shelves, especially the exposed sewer pipe. There are wifi modems and wireless routers to hide, office supplies, etc. Panels are all modular in sizes and may not fit exactly between the two walls. There are many many ready made curtains with different art themes to select from. You can even go to a graphic art shop to have them plot out a custom art/company logo on your curtain. Or check out France museums and use one of their over 100,000 free arts for your custom curtain. I feel that a judiciously selected curtain can be a functional as well as artistic element in the overall design theme in a commercial environment.

Re. salad bowl for light fixture. I am under the impression that John the tenant is not permitted to replace those fixtures and besides, to replace those fixtures with new ones that can provide enough foot candles will cost many thousands. $$$. (Many office buildings require licensed union electricians. With the lack of electric power to the ceiling, not going to be cheap to increase distribution All the lights now appears to be powered by one switch) If you look at the construction of those fixtures, which have an easily removable front grill, a frosted clear salad bowl can be installed in a few minutes. Those fixtures may have LED or Metal halide bulbs. They are extremely bright but very uncomfortable visually.

"I’m not going to concern myself with regulatory, code compliance, occupancy permit, life safety aspects of the building. It’s a commercial building and I’m a tenant."

But if you signed an "As-is" lease, everything in the space will be your responsibility and liability. I would suggest you to find out. In NY and most big cities, Exit signs are require, and audio/visual fire alarm is required in open areas and conference rooms (BTW, how do you know if the building is on fire the way it is now?). In NY, the front door to your space connected to a fire exit hallway must be fire rared labeled door, not the one you have.

A very good friend is the owner of a large liability law firm specialize only in construction law. We talk a lot.

Sorry if I am making this too complicated. Form follows function, but function before form.

dcarch

Yes, the ceiling is kind of untouchable, for now. I could possibly find a way to mount lightweight things there. Anything more and I’ll be drilling anchors into concrete, which I don’t want to do. Yet.

I’m not much worried about the “work room”. I can put opaque film on the French doors between the rooms, and close those doors. I think most people expect the working part of any office to contain desks, computers, monitors, whiteboards, printers, shredders, cabinets, bookshelves, water dispenser, etc. As long as it’s clean and workmanlike, I think that’s fine. For the time being, I’ll hang art and/or stick an extra desk in the “no plan end”.

The lighting situation is troubling me less, after some thought. The rooms get quite a lot of natural light. On a sunny day, there’s no particular need for artificial light - actually the blinds often need to be drawn. On a gray day, there’s some need for task lighting, but the overall space is still reasonably lit. When it is dark, that’s when artificial light is really needed and when the existing fixtures and lights are not ideal. I can replace either or both. However, I realized that hardly anyone will ever be here after dark, except me.

If you can make daylight work, all the better. Call it out as an eco-friendly ethos. :)

The walls look like drywall, yes? If so, if you need to install something lightweight overhead, you can use the walls to hold them. Just make sure they're well anchored in case of earthquake, and light enough not to injure if they do come down.

Do you have a small business incubator there? Or an SBA development center? Those can be good resources for learning just how much you're responsible for code compliance and similar things. Unless you're on a triple net lease, which I doubt you'd be for two rooms, you're not likely responsible for the basic infrastructure within the walls themselves, but you are responsible, always, for the health and safety of your workers and visitors. You can also ask your insurance company for tips and pointers.

Which just led me to an unfortunate thought. The salon chairs might be a bad idea as a tripping hazard. In a salon, one expects such things. In an office, it might be considered a hazard within your control. I was just at an office with a chair that was a knockoff of the classic Eames molded armchair. I was told not to sit in it because it tips over (obviously not a good knock off). It was there to hold up a fluffy pillow. I'm not sure why they don't just get rid of it.

The salon chairs are stable as heck! They are very heavy (I estimate 50 lb each - I know that moving them was pretty exhausting) and solidly constructed - as you'd expect for a piece of commercial equipment that is meant to have people of all sizes getting in and out, stepping on the footrests (which I have removed), stepping on the height adjuster bars (which I can also remove), 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.

"----I'll remove the footrests, have new covers made in black leather, and repolish the stainless steel. I may add casters as well. "

Keep this in mind; Casters rotate horizontally, 1/2 the time the contact points of the wheels on the floor is about 2" further away from the center -of-gravity of the chair, and the other 1/2 the time, it is 2" closer. When the contact points are closer, the danger of the chair tilting and falling will be greater.

Removing the footrest can make the chair less balanced.

dcarch

If I install casters, I may use (inverted) steel ball casters, which is possible since this is a concrete floor. Those are always centered.

Haha! you may feel that I am being negative on purpose. Let me say this, you have a very nice thing going with this space and this location. 99.9% of everything is good. I am pointing out that 0.1% items which are really no big deal. I am technical by nature. I see technical problems others don't.

Steel ball casters may mark hard cement floor surface finish. A steel ball makes a point contact on a hard flat surface, with a heavy sitter, the total weight can come to 200 lbs on 5 tiny points, at each point it can be over 10,000 lbs/sq. in. (Typical stilleto high heels can pound 8,000 PSI on flooring). Typical compressive concrete strength is about 5,000 lbs/sq. in.

You may want to also try Teflon sliding pads (Homedepot, Amazon) for furniture. cheap and small.

dcarch

That’s a good idea. Quieter too.

What about a large low pile rug under the conference table? This can protect the floor and add color and softness. Actually: the one you have might work, and then another rug with more color for the seating area, like an abstract or modern design. Maybe a beige or soft gold background with pops of color. I like red or orange, it adds energy and wakes up a room. Green means growth and money in feng shui, it can add freshness. Gold also means money in feng shui, and adds stability as an earth tone.

I am also concerned about the salon chairs. I do like the ones people posted. If you have color, lighting, and a wood table black chairs may actually look fine.

I can remember in my area when offices liquidated they put the office furniture on Craigslist for a very low price. I have also seen them donate to a Habitat Restore. Houzzers, do you know of other resources for inexpensive rolling office chairs?

Apologies! I missed or forgot that you were removing the footrests. That's the tripping hazard I was worried about. I've seen it happen even when the sitters are people who are well aware (experienced salon sitters) of the issues of climbing in and out of those things. I didn't even know they could be removed without throwing off the chair. Which I guess is what Dcarch said, but as heavy as you said they are, it'll probably be fine. I agree with no castors, but the sliders sound good.

If you're set on going with mostly daylight, it occurs to me that you should have task lighting for visitors. This might be worth investing a few hundred dollars in new. There are all kinds of new wireless (battery op, rechargeable) small table lights that have long lasting charges and are bright enough for aging eyes to read by. They usually come with USB cords, but they have a low draw, so you could get one of those big USB multiplugs and charge half a dozen at once, overnight. I wouldn't ask people if they want them. Just put them out and turn them on before they get there, and turn them off and/or remove them if they're not needed.

Also with potentially dim days, lots of light color surfaces help keep things from looking dreary, and reflective art helps. Gold (inc. leaf) gathers light even when there's very little, and glows. Mirrors can be useful, but have to be done right so they aren't obvious and don't look tacky.

If you do use friends' art, be picky. Have an idea of what looks good in the space and suits your purposes. Yes, in a home the whole art that matches the couch thing is anti-art, but in your office, where you're trying for functional decor, not displaying your collection, you can be ruthless. Figurative/organic, with a distinct focal point, light colors in multiple tones, and not too distracting or challenging is optimal. Whether you're borrowing or selling the art, you need to have a written contract with the artist for each piece (it can be the same contract with a group of pieces listed and addenda for changing them out, but each piece should be covered). This contract should list the name and description (size, color, medium, subject matter), the artist's desired retail price (in case someone wants to buy it) and proven (previous sales) price per square inch (for insurance purposes if something happens to it), how the work will be conveyed to the office, and how it will be returned to the artist, including who will pay for each conveyance, who hangs it (and lights it if that's even possible)? How a sale will be handled (will you do it? Refer the client to the artist's agent, gallery or studio?) and what share of it you get. If you accept the payment, who is responsible for a chargeback or returned check? How long do you have to pay the artist, or if the artist is accepting payment, how long does s/he have to pay your commission? How it'll get to the client can easily be sloughed off on the client (cash and carry or they can hire their own art movers), but should also be mentioned. The contract isn't for court, but to make sure you all know what you're getting into. Prevents messes and hard feelings in the long run.

I think you'd be better off going to a local voices or student art show, or etsy, ebay or similar, and just buying some inexpensive art you like and fits the brief for the office...

Conference table stripped and sanded, mostly. Testing finishes.

custom tempered glass table top can be very expensive.

Clear polyester finish is an option.

dcarch

I guess everyone is watching the Super Bowl. I’m in my office working :-)

Here’s how it looks so far. Art not hung, table not finished, still sorting out the TV and other issues.

The artwork is large -- it has much more impact than I envisioned. It's looking good!

I didn't watch it either, usually Facebook will tell me ... Now I can see the actual size of your public space. It is a lot smaller and brighter than I thought. The table and chairs look good, and it is not too much black. This layout is good for now but make sure all your tech will fit over there.

The art adds great impact, good size, good color. Maybe try one behind conference area and one in waiting area? I would still love to see a rug with a little color, my personal preference. Maybe the grey one can go into your office?

What is the purpose of the armoire? If it has to stay in that room, would you be interested in painting it charcoal or black? unless it is a true antique, then maybe not. You could work the Parisian vibe by adding another traditional piece--coffee table, credenza, floor lamps...

Houzzers, I am not a pro. What do y'all think? Mr. Liu, what do you think?

I hear fireworks in my neighborhood...somebody definitely won! :) good night.

Commercial office acoustics:

When you go to a church, you feel religious. A lot of that has to do with church acoustics.

Office acoustics impacts visitors' first impression a lot as well. People unconsciously expect to hear certain acoustic qualities in a professional office.

This space, while has a lot of aesthetic potential , but hard walls, ceiling, and floor, ----- factory acoustics may or may not give a positive first impression to your clients. Only you can tell. Carpet and rugs are not effective for speech frequency improvement. The two large art canvases can be better if you have 3" thick fiberglass behind them. Have them hung near the conference table.

Where you have the conference table may not be ideal. Low building, single glazed windows will have annoying outside noise infiltration. Also, a possibility of sound transmission from next door tenants thru air conditioning duct.

Lack of speech privacy can be a deal breaker for some financial and legal clients. Consider white noise generator, if this is an issue.

dcarch

The armoire is there mostly to hide the internet equipment that is on the floor where the cable is. And so people can hang coats.

It is a very nice piece, but might come to my house. It feels too massive there. I’d like something more like a sideboard.

The acoustics of the room are unremarkable. It is too small to be echo-y. There is some road noise from the windows, it’s not noticeable when there is conversation, TV, music - only when the room is otherwise silent. I haven’t heard of a white noise generator, but now I’m curious to learn more. The road noise is almost white noise itself.

I’ll probably leave the rug gray, for practical reasons (cleaning, dirt) and to have a neutral color compatible with changing artwork.

I changed my mind on the table. Instead of inking it black, I applied an oil/wax and will live with it for a while. Once inked, it can’t be un-inked, and I wasn’t quite ready to take that step.

Here is a test piece with ebony stain, printers ink, and ink over stain.

Here is the table with just oil/wax.

The public room is coming along. I'll be adding some plants this weekend, and a shelf under the TV. Then I'll probably take a breather on this room and focus on my work room. I need to set up a new computer, more monitors, a copier/printer, security system, filing and record keeping, portfolio management systems. None of that is as fun as decorating but things are getting to the point where I need to do real work ...

Hi Mr. Liu! I can see more of the space now. I like the art hung the way you did. It is adding the impact I was hoping for.

I agree about a sideboard, and a way to add hooks or a coat tree if you need it. Or, a more contemporary looking armoire or office cabinet.

I am not used to this style personally but it looks nice, especially with the art. It feels contemporary and a bit minimalist. The emphasis is on function, flow, light, and working. With the space being small I think the layout works. I very much like the conference table, it adds warmth.

If it helps you to know this, the space makes me want to address you as Mr. Liu and not John...

Keep us posted!

Can't comment about the aesthetics yet. More about functional requirements.

1. You can look up how to connect the TV to your laptop and use wireless keyboard and mouse to do your Power Point presentations from the conference table. Wireless can work up to 30' away.

2. You mentioned "portfolios", consider a lockable fireproof file cabinet. Typically, commercial office buildings require you to give them a copy of keys to your office for maintenance and regular cleaning.

3. No idea about the exact nature of your business. You may need an easel for graphic presentation.

dcarch.

Looks great!

1. Maybe consider putting dark blue carpet tiles on the floor under the conference table area, it will pull the blue from the artwork by the seating area into the conference. Or a very flat rug so the chairs easily roll.

2. Consider a small cocktail table in the seating area, something sculptural to offset the hard lines of the chairs. Maybe wooden or stone with a glass top, the wood to coordinate with the conference table and make the space look cohesive. The glass would allow it to not take up visual space. Or if a solid top, then smaller but with a bowl or something with the warm wood to pull the two spaces together. Something in this area... (add glass top to the pedestals). Curves, smallish...

3. I think the armoire should go to your house. In that area consider a credenza that can hide the internet gear and maybe some office supplies. And above it you can add another screen if desired. Find or build or recycle a coat stand for your customer's outer gear.

Hope that helps!

Modern coat stand

Hello Mr. Liu, hope you and your family are well. Any updates on the new office?