Alexander McQueen's First Boutique in China

The high end fashion house Alexander mcQueen has just launched its first boutique in China and it's glossy and gorgeous. The double height glass frontage creates maximum impact from street level while the curved white interior is almost pod-like. Very sleek and chic, just what you'd expect from a designer brand.

New Philosophy counters at Selfridges London & Birmingham‏

Philosophy is the creation of Cristina Carlino, a skin care entrepreneur with over 30 years experience working with leading dermatologists. Launching the brand in 1996, he aimed to bridge the gap between the doctor’s office and retail by improving women's access to top skin care products and advice. 

The new counters, which will be in the Selfridges stores in Birmingham and London, reflect the brand's ethos  of putting science in front of the customer in a glossy, retail environment.

Boutique office space in New York

Having visited New York back in April, one of the coolest areas we went was the Meatpacking District with it's fashionable boutiques, bars, clubs and restaurants. Office space in the district is just as cool it seems as this boutique office space shows. It's not too glossy, shiny and new looking. It's got an edge and a modern feel.

For more info on this space, visit wework.com

Barbie is looking for a dreamhouse...

Yep, you read it right. A competition has been launched to design a Dreamhouse for iconic doll, Barbie.The winning design will be the home of architect Barbie, yet another career the doll has added to the long list.

"Along with introduction of the newest Barbie, the American Institute of Architects and Mattel announce the Architect Barbie Dream House Design Competition. It’s an opportunity for architects to design a home for Barbie that meets her guidelines, which include sustainable design principles, room for an office, open living and dining areas and plenty of room for her five pets, including her giraffe."

Yes... a giraffe. Now how often does that come up on the architect's brief. I'd be interested to see the entries.

Find out how to enter here.

A fun Post-it Mural for the Royal Wedding

In celebration of the upcoming Royal Wedding, digital agency (untitled) have created a mural made from 4000 of  brightly coloured post-it notes. The office essential piece of stationery creates a bold statement for passers-by.

What do you think? A tenuous link to the over-hyped Royal Wedding, or a good bit of office fun?

YMC open a second store in East London

Cult fashion brand YMC, have officially open their second standalone store in London’s East End, where their journey began 15 years ago. The store is based in a brand new space at 23 Hanbury Street, in part of the fashionable Truman Brewery that hosts Brick Lane’s famous Sunday Up Market.

Founder and designer Fraser Moss created the concept for the new store interior which is heavily influenced by the Victorian days, in correlation with their Poland Street store which houses Victorian curiosities, and a bleak Industrial aesthetic emanating from the space the store locates. All features & fittings were sourced by the YMC team & are mostly original vintage pieces, including authentic post war leather and wood prosthetic limbs (for displaying shoes and accessories), a fully functioning 1920’s till, and a beautiful antique French metal postal desk.

The store features a unique Victorian-feel wood frontage encasing a beautiful stained glass lettering YMC above the door.  A double-faced station clock, an original timepiece from nearby Old Street station in the 1930’s, sits up-high outside the store giving passers-by a teaser of what lies within.

The interior walls have be tiled with irregular sized white brick tiles, accentuated with a combination of cement & parquet wood flooring.  A central authentic mausoleum slab counter acts as a display unit, while another slab doubles as a desk and counter at the back of the store.  Clothing rails are custom-made from original Victorian nut carts on iron wheels, with Sunday school benches, Victorian shelving and tables on casters all adding to the feel.

Industrial references are seen throughout in metal design features from prison doors adorning the changing rooms, giant factory lights, ceramic glove mould cage lights down each wall, and an interior double faced factory clock.  These elements are offset with more curious elements of intrigue such as various real animal skeletons & vintage medical charts, all combining to epitomise a unique mixture of styles and influences, so characteristic of the YMC brand.

I think it looks fab and look forward to taking a look next time I'm in the area.

GUEST POST: How to avoid common problems with refitting an office

Refitting an office can be an epic event of issues and problems. There are a lot of conceptual and interior design issues, and the whole process has to be well organised. The best way to refit an office is to a plan, with a series of clear stages for completion. Everything from the painting to the office carpet has to be managed efficiently. Office carpets and carpet installation are a major part of the design and refit, and can be a major job.

Planning stages- Deciding what you want

The planning needs to start with a basic concept:

• Do you want an open plan office, or separate offices, or a combination of both?
• Do you want desks, or workstations?
• What about a colour scheme?
• Is there public access?
• Do you need a reception area?
• Do you need an interview room or meeting room?

Modern offices are basically floors with partitioned areas. Creating a floor plan is relatively simple, once you’ve got your basic concept decided. Most office designs can be tailored to any space.

Do's and Don'ts of office refits

These Do’s and Don’ts can save you a lot of time and money:

• Do set a budget figure for your refit. This puts holds on excess expenditure.
• Do check your options for office furniture and equipment, getting at least three quotes.
• Do check out the things you don’t need to spend any money on, and minimize costs that way.
• Do remember the new flooring has to be installed before the office refit.
• Do make sure your flooring is professionally installed.
• Do plan your move-in day by stages, and work to a schedule to minimize disruption to business.

• Don’t leave any installations till the last moment
• Don’t forget to issue clear instructions to staff about their role in the refit.
• Don’t forget to schedule your refit dates. It’s essential that the refit is done in a viable time frame.

Organising the refit

Organizing a refit is like moving house:

• Arrange dates for refit installations in advance.
• Set up your connections for the new office systems
• Provide notifications as required
• Schedule any moving of office equipment, people or materials to match the refit
• Double-check everything at least two days in advance to ensure all refit operations are on time
• Monitor progress and deliveries.

The carpet stage- Everything's looking great

The new carpet is installed first, then the office materials. The carpet installation is very quick and efficient, particularly if you’re using new modular carpet commercial carpet tiles. An average size office can be fitted out very quickly.

You may not recognize the place, even a couple of hours later. A new carpet can make any space look good. Top quality Green Star sustainable carpets, particularly the biomimicry style, will create a great work environment. Now all you have to do is move in, and enjoy your beautiful new office.