Need Office Interior Design Suggestions!

"Baber K. Khan" (beekay)
03/19/2014 at 16:57 • Filed to: None

Guys, my company (the largest local automotive platform) is setting up a new office (albeit small to suit a staff of 5-6 people) from which I will be heading the entire region. Now, I am left incharge of the entire office space selection and set up. I need some good, not too cost intensive (cheap), interior design suggestion for such an automotive company. Do you guys have some good pics or suggestions?

Should add though that I sort of like Google's and Skype's offices and something themed automotive along those line will be quite nice actually.

DISCUSSION (32)

The Dummy Gummy > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:00

Ikea.com

Arben72 > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:01

Hang up an exhaust or some wheels on the wall. Posters are an obvious, maybe a motor on a engine stand in the lobby. It depends how laid back you are and what type of automotive culture you guys are going after.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:02

IKEA Business has some good stuff.

Just don't forget to wrap the phone cord around yourself before you call for help with the assembly.

Kinja'd!!!

Baber K. Khan > Arben72
03/19/2014 at 17:04

That's the thing. We are the safe haven of all types of automotive enthusiasts. Vintage, classic, 4x4, trucks, jdm, tuner, muscle, german, hot rods, etc etc. Every type of enthusiast came together on our platform to form what we are today.

Yeah, posters. A must.

Baber K. Khan > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
03/19/2014 at 17:05

llulz. Well I, Roger that, but unfortunately, IKEA isn't here otherwise, it would've been a good stroll.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:06

Perhaps a foolish suggestion, but IKEA has an office layout planning tool:

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/rooms…

Mainly intended to get the user to purchase IKEA furniture, but may be good for developing ideas.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:07

My dad works for Herman Miller and I recall they have awesome cubicle dividers with pictures printed on them, perhaps you can get automotive themed dividers. Herman Miller is pricey though, but they make awesome furniture.

What area are you in? I have an interior designer friend here in the midwest.

Baber K. Khan > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
03/19/2014 at 17:08

Well, I am in Karachi, Pakistan. I'll check out Herman Miller, may get some neat inspirations. Thanks.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:09

Where are you that there isn't an IKEA close enough? That's terrible!

For furniture, you're looking at Staples/Office Max/Depot unless you're in some sort of civilizational vacuum.

Auto themed decor is easy to find online, though probably not cheaply. Etsy/Society6 etc should have some people's work. Amazon has stuff, and they deliver!

Good luck.

Have anyone local that can take some junk-yard finds into art for you?

Baber K. Khan > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
03/19/2014 at 17:10

This is a neat tool. Thanks.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:11

Wood and glass, lots of glass, ladies love all glass.

Baber K. Khan > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
03/19/2014 at 17:12

I thought people at Oppo already knew. I am in Karachi, Pakistan. Yeah, IKEA has been trying to develop a presence here but I think they have time to be operational.

Yeah, I will make out center tables out of engine blocks and pistons. That's a must. Thanks.

Baber K. Khan > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
03/19/2014 at 17:14

I have that on minds. Posters, automotive art, glass, brainstorming area, are on priority.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:16

Yeah...We tend to forget that we have Opponauts around the world. Sorry for being so automatically US-centric.

Does Amazon have any presence in Pakistan? Are there some local business printers, like FedEx-Kinkos in the US? You could make your own posters from professional photos.

Penthesilea > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:17

Hello! Here are ( 1, 2 ) a few ideas for inspiration!

Baber K. Khan > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
03/19/2014 at 17:19

Na'h no worries bro.

Yup, everything is available here. Just need ideas or inspirations.

jariten1781 > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:21

Floor plan first. Open floor plans are all sorts of en vogue now, but if folks are going to be on the phone for large parts of the day they get really annoying. Some sort of partition for the phone centered folks is a must IMO. If everyone has offices all the better.

Are you renting or buying the furniture? I prefer rented furniture because office chairs have an incredibly annoying propensity to break and random replacements can totally screw with cash flow even if, in the end, they may be a bit cheaper. It's a lot easier to budget with a consistent bill rather than having to go scrounge up replacements while Joe bitches every day that his chair is slammed to the ground.

If it's customer facing you're going to want a consistent theme. That means limiting family pictures and cute cat decorations as well. That pisses people off sometimes, but a professional setting can make or break a sale. If customers are all dealt with remotely (or they're firewalled from the employee space) then the opposite works well. Assign personal space to everyone and encourage them to make it their own.

Natural light is great if you can manage it. Otherwise, don't neglect the lighting. Working in a sterile place with only overhead florescents annoys a lot of people.

Don't know if that's what you were looking for, but those are things we've struggled with when setting up remote offices here.

Baber K. Khan > Penthesilea
03/19/2014 at 17:22

Wow. I am definitely getting one of those tables.

Penthesilea > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:27

They're great, aren't they? I wonder if they're easy to DIY...

GTI MkVII > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:33

Browse through OfficeSnapshots.com. Really awesome offices on there. They don't really offer info on where to get the furniture or other components, but its a great resource for inspiration.

Baber K. Khan > jariten1781
03/19/2014 at 17:34

Thanks for the suggestion. We will be hiring a contractor to build up the entire office so no rentals, the office space would be rented though. Perhaps, it is the perk of living in the world's third cheapest city. (Karachi, Pakistan)

Good that you reminded me off it, I'll look for a place where natural light can be managed by the office design. It is refreshing as well.

This will be a strictly back office with a bit of customer interaction but since we're looking for a small space, we'll have to do it in a way that the conference room, will be treated as the guest room as well plus a brain storming area. So I plan to do it in a way that the whole office is pleasing.

Thanks for your suggestion and experience. Its quite helpful.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:36

I live in West Michigan / AKA the office furniture capital of the world. THere Is Herman Miller, Steelcase, Haworth and several other, those are a few of the bigger ones though, haha.

Baber K. Khan > Penthesilea
03/19/2014 at 17:37

Well, I checked sometime ago for the engine blocks because the process after that is simply straightforward. But the blocks alone costed a good amount and then furnishing and polishing it is more...but they definitely can done easily if you some engines blocks.

Baber K. Khan > GTI MkVII
03/19/2014 at 17:39

Thanks. In my city, everything can be built. You just need some "inspiration".

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:40

Sticker-bomb a wall. Or have a wall that people can sticker when they visit. If not a wall, then get a bunch and make it a framed piece. A very large wall-hanging, or several smaller ones.

Stickers are cheap to have made/ship and will give a wide variety of logos and colors.

I am going to have to do this now. Good idea, self. Thanks. I think so too.

Baber K. Khan > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
03/19/2014 at 17:41

Well here, if you can show it then they can make it. heh! Thanks though, herman miller has some good stuff.

AM3R > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 17:43

Kinja'd!!!

I could make you some of these if you'd like

Baber K. Khan > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
03/19/2014 at 17:48

Yeah, there are so many clubs that formed on our website. I could stick them all on a wall. Good idea. Thanks.

Baber K. Khan > AM3R
03/19/2014 at 17:50

This is good. Shipping and etc would render them beyond budget and unfeasible. See, I am in Pakistan. Thank you though.

AM3R > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 18:19

What is the budget? I could make them out of E36 M3 seats which are usually much cheaper, and I use rims that are cracked and no longer hold air (picked some up for $50 each).

I'm actually from the Middle East myself and I regularly have stuff shipped back and forth to family members, although it's never stuff this big.

Baber K. Khan > AM3R
03/19/2014 at 18:34

I'll get the budget in a day or two. Let's see if we can do this. Office would probably kill me for getting stuff in from US.

AM3R > Baber K. Khan
03/19/2014 at 18:38

If it'll make them feel better I make it to order! I'll start pricing the seats right now, any specifics you want (color, etc.)?