“Radhi Ahern is one of my closest friends and a huge supporter of our business, so when she mentioned opening a flagship workspace for their boutique real estate firm Outpost, it felt automatic that we would collaborate on the space together,” says Jennifer Tidwell of The Workroom Interiors. “Radhi, her partner Scott Kalmbach and I have a long history of partnering on development projects together as well, so I was excited about the opportunity of creating a haven for them to represent their brand and to bring their team together in a collaborative space in downtown Larkspur.”
They found the perfect location in a former botanical store, and while it had been previously upgraded, it needed to be reimagined for the busy, modern real estate professionals. “Outpost Real Estate is known for representing design-focused homes, so they wanted their workspace to be as special as the homes they present to the market,” Jennifer explains. “Outpost works with many architects, designers and developers who share a passion for great design, and so their workspace needs to reflect that commitment. We wanted the space to embody their brand while creating different casual workspaces for the team to work at a desk, at the island, in the living room or at the built-in banquette. We wanted the space to feel like a home but be multifaceted for work and for entertaining.”
The space is a long rectangle, so The Workroom design team had to first anchor the space with a focal point. Radhi had requested a show-stopping bar and kitchenette for the team to gather and host clients. A large archway introduces a sense of organic flow to the center of the space, with open shelving and Thin Brick Manzanita Tile from Clé drawing the eye up. To make the space cozier, banquette seating was installed along the front windows with custom oval tables that work well for quick meetings and cocktails alike. The kitchen pendants are from Ravenhill Studio, while they brought in Lawson-Fenning sconces for the lounge. Stools from local favorite Saffron+Poe complete the look with a stylish touch.
For added architectural interest, they brought in charred oak plank walls. The rest of the space is painted in Shadow White by Farrow & Ball. There’s a private office in the back for Radhi and Scott, enclosed in oak and glass paneling. To keep costs down, they embraced the existing beadboard in the bathroom but painted it in Tanner’s Brown by Farrow & Ball. All of the new cabinetry was done by Design Line Cabinetry. Richardson Pribuss Architects and Adamas Construction rounded out the team for a successful project.
Jennifer says The Workroom team was excited to apply their residential knowledge to a commercial space. “We had renovated our shop space in Mill Valley in 2019, so some of the requirements were familiar,” she recalls. “The ADA compliance portion was probably the most challenging. We designed the bar and kitchen with lower counters and utilized ADA appliances to account for the lower height. All of the aisleways have minimums for wheelchair accessibility. We also designed a bathroom vanity that a wheelchair could access. That was a bit challenging making sure it looked good and had the correct clearances underneath as well as the faucets at the right reach.”
The end result is an office that is as inviting as the homes that Outpost represents.
