We were commissioned to create design concepts for a new head office space within a listed Victorian building in Edgbaston. Working with a property developer client, our brief was to design interiors that felt plush, traditional, and in keeping with the building’s heritage — while also functioning as a modern workspace.
The Brief
KML has been shopping for a new headquarters for some time now. When founder and CEO Daniel Kennedy finally settled on this stunning property on City Rd. Edgbaston, he was conscious to provide a space that could serve as an HQ, but also as an incubator for startups in the city.
The interior design language here is inspired by Joseph Gillott, the famous steel pen manufacturer and philanthropist who built the Victoria Works in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter in the 1840s. The wider context of this, is that the Gillott Estate (which spans the area between City Road and Hagley Road) was built in response to the wave of social mobility at the time, and the rise of the middle classes. If you look closely at the local period architecture, it encompasses everything from workers houses (for the once thriving M&B brewery), townhouses for the management classes and a few, tucked away, sizeable detached residences for those with new found industrial wealth.
The client wanted a workspace that captured the grandeur of the Victorian era, echoing the luxurious aesthetic of the time with ornate detailing, rich colours, and traditional furnishings. At the same time, the offices needed to be practical, bright enough for daily use, and designed to accommodate a variety of working styles, from focused private offices to collaborative coworking.
The Challenge
This project was all about balance, creating an environment that was elegant and timeless, but also practical and light enough to work in. We drew on Victorian influences such as patterned wallpapers, stained glass and marble, while carefully introducing brighter tones and accent colours taken from the building’s existing tiles to ensure the space felt open and welcoming.
The Solution
Respecting the brief, we decided to uncover all the original, traditional Minton tiles, and lean in with patterned wallpaper and wood-paneling with accents picked out from the tiles themselves. To add an element of class, we added brass fixings, and brought the electrics up to date (but with reverence) with sockets, switches and lights from the design-focused, industrial-inspired brand, Buster & Punch.
The Joseph Gillott theme is tastefully continued throughout, with murals, prints and old photography of Birmingham (in antique frames no less) – but set to an elegant backdrop of Wallpaper by Pierre Frey, reinstated ornate coving and bespoke desks. Floor tiles were provided by Solus, and wooden floors were supplied by Havwoods.
Our design concepts featured a blend of traditional and functional elements throughout: a minimal reception space incorporating the existing desk, Chesterfield sofas and bespoke shelving in the breakout lounge, and a fitted bar area to encourage social interaction. In the coworking areas, we designed flexible layouts with built-in desks, a divider for quiet calls, and space for 10 desks with the option to use centrally as a rentable meeting room. The overall scheme combined rich, traditional character with the flexibility and practicality of a contemporary office.
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