Kendra Scott Design Offices – Austin
Sixthriver has created a sense of corporate identity in the offices for jewelry brand, Kendra Scott, located in Austin, Texas.
Translating the brand of Kendra Scott Company from its humble origins into a new, international corporate identity was of utmost importance. It was necessary for the spaces to echo and support the company’s core values; fashion, family and philanthropy. The overriding principal in the design was to maintain a sense of openness and accessibility to all employees, vendors and visitors. The space is bound by floor to ceiling windows spanning the breadth of the office. Kendra Scott promotes a culture that encourages her employees to sustain a healthy work-life balance. Fashion, family and philanthropy are not just tag lines used by the Kendra Scott brand. The family of employees and their needs played a key role in the design and layout of the office space. The large café provides a refuge from work with food, beverages, snacks and a juice bar to encourage healthy eating. The space includes a training center for professional and personal development, sit-to-stand workstations, fitness center, an outdoor terrace and full shower and locker room facilities to promote exercise and wellness. These concepts were achieved with a design that is light, bright and sophisticated.
The design team was challenged to adhere to the concepts of Kendra’s vision: Stay true to the brand, use the retail stores design as inspiration, include furnishings purchased and installed by woman owned Texas businesses, incorporate spaces for privacy and collaboration, and create workspaces that are flexible for growth and individual day to day work styles. Each area of the design was to feel like a hospitality environment with a family atmosphere in a home away from home. The overall design concept was to create motivating, comfortable spaces for employees that inspire creativity, and encourage collaboration.
These concepts were achieved with a design that is light, bright and sophisticated. The signature Kendra Scott “Palladium Blue” was referenced in unexpected ways throughout the office; through custom workstations including softly rounded upholstered privacy panels of the same hue, accent wall colors, wall tile, toilet rooms, and lockers. The design embodies an old “Hollywood Flair” that is lush and softened by pattern and textures. White molded details, arched doorways, drapery and an emphasis on “soft feminine curves” allows the space a more residential and hospitality feel than a typical corporate office space. The custom light fixtures found in the main board room and the conference rooms are dripping with stones and metals Kendra Scott uses to create their own products, each room named for their corresponding gem: Mother of Pearl, Rose Quartz, Jade, to name a few. Behind the reception desk is a wall made entirely of agate stones. The entirety of the space truly embodies the Kendra Scott brand.
Designer: Sixthriver
Photography: Thomas McConnell Photography