DIY SOS - Spicery-style!

Recently, the Spicery staff split into teams for a competition - the task: redecorate 2 areas of the building that were looking a bit tired and no longer on-brand. There was a budget and a tight time-frame, but otherwise we could let our creative sides run wild! Now to decide who did the best job…

First up, the downstairs office area. This room was incredibly cluttered and dreary, with industrial metal features - no flair, very little colour (not the Spicery way at all!) and a rubbish layout that meant the space wasn’t being used effectively.

It was down to Kayleigh, Chris, Jess, Robyn, Luke, Jude and Jim to transform the office into something spectacular, and it’s fair to say, they did just that! Clearly inspired by the launch of our new Mezze Legend kit (well, it’s all we’ve been talking about for the last few months!) they transformed the area into an elegant Middle-Eastern themed space.

 

 

 

The walls were painted in a rich terracotta orange, complemented by sophisticated dark blue which was used to create intricate tile patterns, making up a feature wall. The old desks - which were practical but certainly not pretty - were sold to generate a bit of extra cash, and replaced with stylish new furniture.

 

 

 

Shelves adorned with dried flowers, photo frames, candles and golden trinkets took this office space from functional to fashionable and really conjured the feeling of being in a Moroccan souk, which was enhanced even further by the use of fragrant incense which wafted around the room, creating an aura of calm.

 

 

 

 

 

The layout of the room was also changed, with desks being pushed back to open up a huge area in the middle - this almost seemed like magic, as the room suddenly felt twice as big! The newly discovered space in the centre of the room created the perfect spot to place some Persian-style rugs, which added cosiness as well as being a very striking feature.

 

 

 

 

To top it all off, this team welcomed the rest of the staff to their big reveal with golden jugs of cold mint tea - a very welcome treat, as it was one of the hottest days of the summer! As well as feeling refreshed, everyone was thoroughly impressed by the way they had transformed a dull office space into a sleek and calming working environment.

Next up, the upstairs chill-out area. Meant to be an area in which you can sit back and relax before starting the working day or during your lunch break, this space wasn’t exactly welcoming! It was dark and bleak with no form of entertainment (except the permanently folded up ping-pong table), and had become a space for storing old boxes and hanging out the washing!

This time, it was Amy, Rob M, Sinead, Georgia, Marc, Rob S, Adam and Samer who were tasked with injecting some life into the area. They wanted to turn it into a space that was both relaxing and fun, where people would genuinely want to spend some time, and they definitely achieved their goal.

The theme upstairs was colour, colour, colour! The patchy yellow walls were given a makeover with a smooth coat of calming pastel pink, which provided a base for deep red and teal to go on top. Graphic designer Sinead used her eye for aesthetics to create bold, overlapping geometric shapes on the wall that spilled around corners and even up onto the ceiling (a handy way to cover up some grey, blotchy ceiling tiles!).

 

 

 

The old mis-matched leather furniture was covered with bright fabric, and dotted with colourful, patterned cushions to create a snug, comfortable space for those that just want to sit and unwind. In the centre of this space, a block-colour rug was placed to add cosiness and an old wooden table was given a new lease of life with a colourful, hand-painted leopard print, tying in with the colours on the wall.

 

 

 

The lockers were rearranged to create a partition, the other side of which is now the old ping-pong table which will hopefully be played with once again, and for those who want some entertainment on their lunch break, the addition of playing cards and rainbow jenga also provides some more options. The feature that got the team most excited, though, was a retro Nintendo console - a couple of comfy bean-bags create the perfect gaming area for some ruthless round of Mario Kart, complete with truly retro graphics!

 

For their big reveal, this group pulled out all the stops with some freshly-baked cookies (it helps to have the Spicery chef on your team!), the smell of which soon drew everyone to relax in the vibrant new chill-out zone. A few cookies even survived to make it into the brand new biscuit tin, which was one of the most popularly-requested additions to the space, where the whole team can now enjoy their breaks.