WESSEX Water was keen to give the existing staff restaurant and seating area at its head office a new lease-of-life with a fresh modern look that would encourage use of the space throughout the day.

Hambury Hird Design was commissioned to give the communal area a more friendly, welcoming atmosphere with multi-purpose facilities where staff would be happy to spend their break time and use it for working quietly and informal meetings with colleagues and visitors.

By introducing various furniture and flooring solutions to create different zones, Hambury Hird Design has created an emotionally engaging space where employees can concentrate, collaborate, relax and socialise.

Says Karndean: ‘Making the most of the flexibility Karndean flooring offers, a bespoke geometric pattern based on Hexa and Pennon tiles from the Kaleidoscope collection was created for the food and drink serving area. Utilising five stone designs from the Art Select range – Canberra, Fiore, Melbourne, Spirito Limestone and Washburn – this one-off hand-cut floor creates a sense of depth and interest.

‘The remainder of the cafeteria has been fitted with Lime Washed Oak from the Knight Tile range, with its contemporary grey-brown tones and sun-bleached driftwood effect. With an eye on the budget, standard full length planks were chosen and laid in a herringbone pattern, echoing the geometric tiles of the serving counter.

‘A border of straight lay planks serves to visually highlight the transition between the serving and seating areas and helps the flooring flow from the geometric pattern to the different angles of the herringbone floor.’

Rachel Hird, director at Hambury Hird Design said: ‘The existing fit-out was rather tired with an inflexible table and seating arrangement. To provide employees with plenty of variety to suit different activities and inject warmth and personality we wanted to use a range of options with interesting patterns and textures.

‘Wessex Water is a very ethically conscious company. While wanting to achieve a stylish look and feel they were also very keen to reuse and upcycle some of their existing equipment. So we had to think carefully how we could create a cohesive environment where the old and new would sit comfortably together.’

As a busy hospitality setting it was vital the flooring would be hardwearing and easy to maintain. As Steve White of Bath Contract Flooring explained: ‘Carpet can offer a soft surface but once something is dropped on it, it’s hard to remove stains and return the floor to a presentable standard. ‘Karndean’s surface protection system means that this is an option that’s waterproof as well as being easy to keep hygienically clean, something so important for a restaurant and cafe.’

Rachel concluded: ‘The two flooring designs complement each other and break up the different zones perfectly. What was once a dated and uninspiring cafeteria is now a bright and comfortable space that’s a hub of activity throughout the day.’

The renovated cafeteria provides a convenient mix of touch down workspaces, casual meeting areas and private work booths in addition to regular dining tables and soft seating. A bespoke flooring design clearly delineates the catering area and is complemented by a gentle wood herringbone design across the remainder of the space.
www.karndeancommercial.com