Oxford Communications

Describe your office space to us

A former suburban restaurant, Oxford Communication’s offices are eclectic; characterized by a funky, open floor plan that lets in plenty of light, fosters a communal atmosphere and helps to spark that all important creative vibe.

Where did the inspiration for your office space design come from?

The site of the office is sacred to Lambertville (and entertainment history). The former home to the St. John Terrell’s Lambertville Music Circus, our office location was the location of a well-reviewed summer stock theater company from the early 1950s through the early 1970s that hosted the likes of Louis Armstrong, Bea Arthur, Robert Goulet, Shirley MacLaine, Audrey Meadows and countless other Hollywood luminaries. The theater company drew people visitors from the entire tri-state area, while the building was a popular restaurant dating back to the sixties known as the Yellow Brick Toad. Mere mention of The Yellow Brick Toad to locals and visitors to the New Hope/Lambertville area prompts plenty of nostalgia and fond memories … weddings, parties, dancing, etc.

With the dynamic history of the space, and history of “inspired” work, we did not want stodgy desks, walls and workstations, but rather a clean, modern mix with some mid-century pieces and a feel that is uniquely Oxford. We believe, and our team agrees, we’ve created a place for people to come together to create and work in a pleasing and distinctive environment.

Interestingly, the lower level of our office served as the restaurant’s disco – complete with disco ball. As a matter of fact, our creative team housed in that space now still loves to crank up the stereo every so often when they’re in the zone of creating great work. Not your typical office space by any means.

All that notwithstanding, one of the other inspirations for the exterior of our office – with its beautiful and hilly green lawns and mature plantings – was Tuscany, with its darker stucco buildings and bronze windows. Where Tuscany is predominantly thought of visually with beautiful countryside grape arbors, we’ve played on that them with a dominant metal arbor that frames the main entry to our building. Just off of the arbor, next to the main entrance is our little courtyard garden – complete with fountain – that serves as an ideal spring and summer outdoor conference room and reminds some of our well-traveled clients and employees of the picturesque country gardens in Europe.

What is your favorite part/design of your office space and why? i.e. the arched window in the front office, etc.

I love the view of Oxford Communication’s offices as you travel along Music Mountain Boulevard … the acreage that surrounds the building has a peaceful, calming effect when we arrive in the morning while the glow from the office lights at night, when seen from a distance, is entrancing. I also like the main room with incredibly high ceilings, the Gilbert Café where we all meet over lunch and sporadic client meetings and the corridor of awards line our main hallway of offices.

Do you feel that having a well designed and inspiring office has changed the way you and your employees work?

Yes. For one, our space is calming. We’re busy people doing lots of things, but our space doesn’t feel like or reflect the hectic nature of our work. It’s a visual respite from the work of the day. The openness of the space helps foster the feeling of communal sharing of ideas across all departments. Our clients love our space and its history. We really do live our mantra that there is creativity in our soil.

Tell us about your company and what it means to you to have a well-designed office space.

Oxford is a creative marketing agency. To be truly creative, you have to live it in everything you do … from how you think, to how you work and the environments and people that surround you. Anyone can work in a white box … but does that inspire you? Does it inspire your employees? Does it inspire your clients to consider thinking a little differently or to act boldly? For Oxford Communications, we live as we work and our office space is a physical manifestation of our creativity. No one looks like us, no one has quite the same environment, and our clients love that on some level, our little “Music Mountain” inspires our team to produce brilliant work.

By the way, If you have a stylish, modern or innovative office you want to feature on TheOfficeStylist, or you need help transforming your space, please email us at hi@theofficestylist.com. Located in LA? We’d love to stop by and take photos of your space and profile your business. Love this Office Profile? Take a look at the other Office Profiles we have on TheOfficeStylist.

Sayeh

The Office Stylist