OFFICES FOR PRIVATE CLIENT
INTERIOR DESIGN: TREND GROUP | PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHANN LOURENS | LOCATION: CAPE TOWN
When a forward-thinking global company approached Trend Group to design and deliver their new 8,500m ² office in Cape Town, the brief came with an interesting challenge: how to translate a bold, brand-driven colour palette into a workplace that would reflect corporate identity and support employee wellness and productivity.
At the heart of the client’ s visual identity are vibrant oranges and reds, chosen for their strong associations with passion, energy and innovation. While these tones can be powerful brand cues, they can also feel overpowering if used too heavily. For Trend, the task was to achieve a careful equilibrium: integrating brand personality without compromising the atmosphere needed for focus, collaboration and day-to-day functionality.
The Role of Colour in Creating Balance In response, the design team devised a colour strategy that used the client’ s branding shades as vibrant accents, anchoring them in areas such as the reception, feature walls and key transition spaces. These fiery tones were balanced with a more subtle and muted palette of blues and greens- colours associated with calm, clarity and mental rejuvenation.
“ The cooler shades work as a visual counterpoint to the bold branding,” explains the Trend team.“ They help soften the space and support emotional and cognitive well-being, which is vital in a high-performance environment.”
This nuanced use of colour went beyond aesthetics. In zones intended for deep work and concentration, blue tones introduced a sense of stability and trust. Green, with its associations of renewal and balance, brought a feeling of connection to nature- known to enhance creativity and reduce stress levels.
Designing for Culture and Connection One of the most distinctive spaces in the new office is the canteen and games area- designed as a multi-functional social
104 Private Client