Vintage Matters, the brainchild of Sourcing and Merchandise Specialist, Paul Cody, and Designer and Architect, Tom Edington, was approached by design agency, YourStudio, based in Shoreditch, to source and supply furnishings and accessories for innovative PR agency, Citizen.
Vintage Matters’ brief, received from YourStudio, portrayed pieces with a sense of character for the welcome, social and meeting spaces throughout the establishment. The company was approached with a budget from the designers at YourStudio and was requested to add a ‘unique personality’ around the multitude of spaces. YourStudio’s brief was extremely clear; the designers did not want the office to feel ‘too vintage’. It was vital for Vintage Matters to provide a balance throughout this environment and for its vintage pieces to complement YourStudio’s existing furniture and accessories impeccably.
Upon receiving the brief, Vintage Matters was able to identify the existing office design and the materials already in use. The visuals provided by YourStudio allowed the company to identify the use of colour that the establishment already held throughout. From here, the company was able to put its creative mind into sourcing and curating innovative pieces to make a statement in each of the areas, complementing and adding an element of fun to the new decor. The company sourced products and accessories that would flawlessly both fit into the existing design, and complement the existing decor. Flashes of Citizen’s signature brand colour, red, was inserted into various aspects of the decor.
Considering the existing creative industrial-feel that YourStudio had created, the consideration of the vintage pieces were essential to equalise the spaces, yet certify that the scheme showcased an ‘edgy-feel’, with an added layer of warmth.
The company was provided with maximum dimensions that it had to adhere to when selecting pieces for Citizen. Vintage Matters had to ensure that all pieces selected for the scheme could be successfully delivered and installed within the establishment and that the pieces would adequately fit up stairwells, through corridors and via goods lifts.
Stocking a collection of industrial letters from all over the globe, from the USA to Europe, Vintage Matters selected Citizen’s large, bold statement lettering that adorns the walls of the reception area. The original letters were worn and in a run-down state. The first step to bringing these vintage pieces back to life was to clean the letters, maintain any dents and scuffs and remove the old neon tubes and wiring within the lettering. These letters were then resprayed, to add an aspect of Citizen’s brand colour. The acrylic fonts were then replaced to give them a new lease of life. All letters were then fitted with new LED lighting and wiring to guarantee that they were all safe to use within the establishment.
Citizen’s social spaces have been given a new personality with a number of decorative accessories to help the spaces feel ‘lived in’. These additions also helped to provide some conversation starters for Citizen’s clients. An innovative addition to Citizen’s social space is the use of the decorative antlers which complement the industrial mesh walling that they sit upon and define the waiting area.
Reflecting the brand
As photography and media is a large part of the Citizen brand, Vintage Matters wanted to enhance this interest by adorning the walls with vintage cameras, which provide moments of nostalgia. A number of vintage cameras and cine cameras, a retro radio and antlers are quirky additions that help to reflect the brand’s personality. The vintage pieces selected, for example the cameras, relate to what Citizen undertakes as a brand and the large vintage classroom school map, located within the company’s boardroom, acknowledges the fact that it is a global company, with its head office in North America.
A number of vintage pieces were also selected for the bar area within the establishment which included soda syphons, a silverplated cocktail shaker, an ice bucket and vintage corkscrews, which injected a touch of colour and character to the area.
Pull up a chair
Vintage school chairs bring a feeling of nostalgia to any environment, which everyone can connect to in some way or another. Authentic vintage school chairs truly tell a story of provenance. They also have the added bonus of being hard-wearing and practical – and are also generally stackable which was useful for a busy PR agency. Vintage Matters used a mix of English and European vintage school chairs within this scheme which flatters the industrial-feel exceptionally.
Numerous vintage items of furniture were sourced for Citizen that each hold their own individual appeal. A mid-century Danish brown leather sofa was picked up in a small town west of Copenhagen by one of Vintage Matters’ suppliers. This preloved sofa now sits comfortably within the meeting area enhancing its industrial-style surroundings.
Within this meeting area sits a vibrant, reupholstered mid-century armchair – a statement piece for this area. Vintage Matters reupholstered this chair with fabric from Sunbury Design’s Carnival Velvets range, which complies with all the fire safety requirements for a commercial space. This particular fabric added a subtle retro touch within the environment whilst enhancing the existing contemporary pieces.
Overall, the vintage pieces sourced and curated for Citizen were full of character and added genuine warmth, colour and fun into the already impressive space. The pieces helped define the mood in each space. Vintage Matters met the brief extremely well, on time and on budget, which was a vital aspect of the project. The company wanted Citizen’s staff and visitors to be mesmerised by the decor and remember the space they were in: filled with authentic vintage, sometimes quirky, but always characterful pieces that bring the space to life.