Office in Aberdeen | Created with Clippings

Project summary

Clippings supplied all furniture and lighting for amenity spaces and office floors
A dedicated procurement manager helped to create the furniture specification for each area of the office
We organised consolidation of all products, secure storage and phased delivery to the site
Our project manager oversaw furniture installation in Aberdeen in person

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Wanted: a partner who makes life easier

When Lindsey Hesketh from ABN7 Architects was approached to lead the renovation of an office in an old terrace mansion, she knew she would need reliable partners to deliver this project fast – the client, a wealth management firm, wanted to move in as soon as possible.

She asked Claire Canning, who she has worked with before, to help her practice with the interior design, and chose, for the first time, a dedicated procurement partner for all loose furniture, desking and lighting: Clippings.

With its dark blues and the statement lighting, the lobby of the office feels like the lounge in a city boutique hotel. All lights are from Flos, while the gently curved sofa has been made by Massproductions.

“This was pre-covid, so things were going at the normal mental rate,” Lindsey recalls. “We knew that all products would come from London or abroad and that the building wouldn’t be ready for a while, so we needed a partner who could provide an all-in-one package and deliver at one time.”

“We very concerned about the speed of the turnaround”, adds Claire. “On smaller schemes, Lindsey and I do the ordering ourselves. Knowing how much work that usually is for a little project, we felt very motivated to get Clippings on board.”

Arched recesses, brushed brass details and the grey terrazzo counter introduce contemporary materials and shapes to the office.

The design brief

The client didn’t just want a functional office, but they wanted it to be a space that would welcoming and friendly to clients, while offering a variety of places for his team to work. That’s why Lindsey and Claire suggested a mix of comfortable upholstery – for the break-out spaces – and functional yet elegant task furniture.

“The space was supposed to feel like a boutique hotel or private members club, but modern,” explains Claire. “The company founder is quite personable and likes to invite people”, says Lindsey. “He wanted a little bit of a domestic, comfortable atmosphere.”

The principal office features the green Sky chairs from Icons of Denmarks and a small round meeting table from Benchmark, which, like the rest of the furniture and lighting, were sourced with Clippings.

Platform perks

Claire and Lindsey used the Clippings catalogue to research furniture and lighting for the entire building and saved products they liked into the project on the platform. They also used the platform to review products and discuss them remotely.

Form…

To create the desired mix of intimacy and openness, Claire combined moody colours with clean-lined furniture and lighting from brands such as Flos, Gubi, Hay, New Works and Hem.

… and function

Claire and Lindsey also used Clippings’ connections to workplace brands and were able to source desks from German producer König + Neurath and task chairs from Herman Miller through the platform.

Transparent costs

“When you then start to specify and want to get a quote, you can see all product information in the quote, so you can make sure all the costs are in there,” says Claire. That's because Clippings quotes always show the delivery cost upfront.

*Left*: Even the desk area feels contemporary, as the functional furniture like the desks from König + Neurath and the Aeron task chairs from Herman Miller are offset with Margaret Howell's edition of the Type 75 desk lamp from Anglepoise. *Right*: There's also a break-out area featuring lounge chairs from Icons of Denmark.

Flexible logistics

This project kicked off before the pandemic hit. In the early phase, Lindsey and Claire were very time conscious as the client wanted to move in as soon as possible. So the Clippings procurement team helped make product decisions swiftly and place orders promptly to meet the original deadline. But when everything shut down, the installation on-site had to be postponed – and the duo could rely on Clippings logistics and project management team to sort everything.

Storage sorted

“Things started to get stressful because of the Covid delays and products already coming up to Glasgow to be stored, which made us quite nervous – a lot can happen to a parcel in a warehouse”, says Claire. “But Inga from Clippings was great at reassuring us by getting photographs from the storage companies.”‍

Managed delivery

When the site was ready for the delivery in late November, project manager Inga travelled to Aberdeen to inspect all goods and oversee the installation on-site.

*Left*: A constellation of the Arrangements pendants by Michael Anastassiades for Flos follows the staircase through the building. *Right*: Dark blue sets the scene in this meeting room featuring the Lantern pendant by New Works. The framed artwork is a tapestry from Lindsey and Claire's homewares brand Granite + Smoke.

Smiles all around

Due to the lockdowns, the new office is not yet buzzing with people. “The owner is absolutely loving the place and just wants to get clients in there,” says Lindsey. Looking back, she’s also very happy to have worked with Clippings to take out the stress of dealing with all the logistics. “It was better to work with a partner than doing it all by yourself”.

The office is located on a Georgian terrace in Aberdeen.

Images: David Barbour

A sophisticated office in Aberdeen