paint colour led

Leading Edge Communications

The concept for this client was based on a series of houses and baches.

With staff originally split across two locations, this project for Leading Edge Communications focused on bringing all staff together. Their new space was an open blank canvas, however the budget was very limited and was hugely dependent on the wow factor coming from the colours and finishes.

The concept for this client was based on a series of houses and baches. The main meeting spaces had old detailed style doors with letterboxes outside. Another meeting space was lined with bricks and these same doors. The collaboration spaces were reminiscent of a backyard with grass look carpet and green walls. The reception area follows the same concept with battened walls like the exterior of a bach, painted in a blue that matched the Leading Edge corporate colour.

The open plan areas held a large number of staff so it was important that the concept energised the staff while also making them feel at home. Leading Edge sees the importance of having well-functioning, vibrant and fun spaces so their staff can work more efficiently and enjoy their surroundings.

The main colour anchor of the space is the striped wall. The client had a real fondness of the Paul Smith stripe; this influenced the design for this main anchor wall. Using seven key colours – Resene Meteorite (dusky violet), Resene Golden Dream (strong yellow), Resene Cardinal (lipstick pink), Resene Ecstasy (tangerine orange), Resene Citrus (acidic green), Resene Sea Fog (greyed white) and Resene Alabaster (blackened white), this 20 metre stretch of wall is exciting and eyecatching. The colours selected represent the colours of the Leading Edge values.

The other inspiration came from the Kiwi house theme driving the selection of whites and greys – Resene Jet Stream (blue green), Resene Diesel (dark black red) and Resene Alabaster – for the meeting rooms. To make the space more practical part of the interior was finished in Resene Write-on Wall Paint providing a whiteboard style wall that keeps consistent to the wall colour scheme.

The blue of Resene Toto (soft sky blue) in the reception area is reflective of the Leading Edge corporate colour as well as being a colour often seen on a bach.

This fit-out is a great example that you do not need a big budget to get great results. Spaceworks knew that the walls needed to be painted anyway so spent any money there was on changing colours to stronger hues to create key paint features.

Most of the built spaces throughout Leading Edge are just walls that have paint applied to add character and flair. Painted white this space would be very average. Painted as it is, the space comes alive. This project has spunk and flair purely because of the colour scheme.

Architectural specifier: Spaceworks
Building contractor: Practec
Client: Leading Edge Communications
Client liaison and design contributor: Graeme van der Linde
Colour selection: Spaceworks and Leading Edge Communications
Lead project coordinator: Chantel Dykstra
Photographer: Grant Southam Photography
Project consultant: Lizzi Hines
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2013
From the Resene News – issue 2/2014

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