Offices are becoming increasingly stylish, sometimes even ending up on Pinterest and Instagram. But what do branding and thousands of followers actually mean for businesses? And how much do their staff really benefit?
A perfectly draped curtain in lavender grey, pistachio gold and copper metallic paint, three dusky pink proteas peering curiously out of a ceramic vase. As if this pastel-hued, sugary-sweet, macaroon-coloured scene wasn’t enough, Ana and Christophe – she in rich magenta, he in a peachy-melon with strawberry red knees – pose in front of an icy-blue brick wall. Every little choreographed detail works perfectly together. Say cheese! And click! Muchas gracias!
“We work with the power of aesthetics. We’re architects and interior designers – beauty is our capital”, says Christophe Penasse, who founded the Valencia-based designer studio Masquespacio with his partner Ana Milena Hernández Palacios in 2010. The studio’s name sums up the pair’s mission perfectly: Masquespacio, a portmanteau that translates as ‘more than space’. “And that’s exactly what we do. Just constructing and furnishing spaces isn’t enough for us. We want to create experiences and unforgettable imagery through form, colour and material. Scenes that bring us joy, inspire us, and evoke a sense of passion and zest for life.”
Their projects so far include bars, hotels, restaurants, boutiques, hair salons and car showrooms, as well as offices, coworking spaces and furniture design for corporates. The pair have almost 232,000 Instagram followers and have been crowned Designers of the Year by both Elle Décoration and New York Times Magazine. “We primarily generate our publicity through blogs, design platforms and social media channels”, says Christophe. “It’s often how constructors and clients find us. Business is going well.”
The two frequently receive enquiries from prospective customers that are full of screenshots from old projects, mood-boards packed with links and images saved from Pinterest: This is exactly what we want! If there’s an Instagrammable backdrop and a fabulous Pinterest wall to boot, even better! “We’re lucky in that we know the market well and already have an extensive portfolio covering a huge range of asset classes to draw on”, says Christophe. “However, we sometimes have to spend a lot of time convincing our customers not to simply copy something that has been done before.”
The risk there is twofold. On the one hand, following a copy-paste approach often sees you fall out of fashion – instead of being on trend, you just end up creating a dated facsimile. On the other, says the expert, there’s the even bigger risk of creating imagery and values that don’t fit your company. “And then the whole Insta-aesthetic is for nothing as you end up destroying your own brand.” A short pause, then he adds: “Honestly, yes, aesthetics are wonderful. But creating an iconic Instagram backdrop can sometimes be a curse.”
Ana and Christophe themselves have left their own studio in Valencia’s historic centre, despite it being adored by the media and reproduced a thousand times over. Today, the two are based in an old villa with a patio on the outskirts of the city, living and working under the same roof with a team of seven employees coming and going. The address is kept top secret to stop the influencers and Instagram clout hunters from finding it. The kitchen and brick walls in the workroom are the same sky blue and nougat brown as the Cabinette coworking space, a Masquespacio project from 2020. Copying might be a bad idea, Christophe explains, but you can still draw inspiration from your own history.
A question for the designer: Is this multitude of colours just for the photos? Just a marketing gimmick for the owners? Another feed to satisfy the 230,000 followers? “No! Absolutely not! Getting the style right, striking the right balance between audacity and restraint – it’s a tightrope you have to walk again and again from project to project, from site to site”, says Christophe. “And we’re yet to have fallen from it. We’ve had good feedback so far from the Cabinette coworking space – the users say they can really focus on their work there.” And the golden bathroom at the Lynk & Co Club in Madrid? “What can I say? People love it!”
New York designer Laetitia Gorra, founder of Roarke Design Studio, also likes working with colours and is not afraid of creating photogenic motifs. The headquarters she designed for the cereal manufacturer Magic Spoon – a low-budget project on the 14th floor of an old brick building in SoHo, Manhattan, that she completed in 2023, made it to the cover of the New York Times Magazine. The title of the article: Can Instagrammable office design lure young workers back? We call New York and ask the designer ourselves.
"Can Instagrammable office design lure young workers back?“
“Yes, provided the design is authentic, reflects the company’s values and is focused more inwardly on the team than outwardly on the media.” There is no return-to-office mandate at Magic Spoon. Many staff have continued to work from home, but significantly more have started to come in since the office was renovated, says Laetitia. “I think that even with the low budget, we’ve been able to pair high-end furniture with select vintage pieces from eBay to create spaces that people enjoy being in. The fact that we incorporated colours from the Magic Spoon range and reflected a different one of its cereals in each room makes it feel authentic, appealing on an emotional level.”
But does the Insta factor actually increase efficiency and concentration in an office? “I’m positive it does”, says Viennese designer Thomas Feichtner. “The showmanship of the Google gondolas, Facebook swings and Microsoft slides is long gone. That was yesterday. Today, employer branding is a much more subtle thing. And each little morsel of beauty you give your employees, every slight improvement over various shades of grey, is a visual and emotional way of showing them your appreciation. If you opt to bring in professional design advice and don’t make the mistake of simply streaking your logo colours across the wall, you’ve already taken a huge step.”
Traditional criteria such as privacy, well-being, ergonomics and workstation technology still have their place, no doubt about it. But with the emancipation of Generation Z, the strengthening labour market on the employee side, and the increasingly purpose-driven workforce striving for beautiful, fulfilling, meaningful work, experts like the auditors KPMG Advisory agree that employers cannot afford to ignore it. Comfortable and visually appealing office design that demonstrates your appreciation of your staff is essential. And if everything (including the phone camera) clicks and the photo ends up on Instagram like all the chicest bars, hotels and holiday destinations, all the better.
Wojciech Czaja
Photos: Masquespacio, Luis Beltran