NYDJ Office Makeover

A while back I worked on a pretty fun commercial design project for NYDJ redecorating the lobby of their NYC office in Times Square. While the project was finished a couple of years ago, I’ve never shared any photos of it here on the blog so I thought it would be fun to take a look back at and show you how the project came together. If you’re not familiar with NYDJ, it’s an LA based denim label best known for its slimming jeans that make you look a size smaller (they seriously do!). You can find them at major department stores like Nordstrom, Macy’s and Lord & Taylor. Here is what their New York office space looked like before I got my hands on it:

Before, the space was filled with heavy brown furniture and many of the pieces were too large in scale for the space. The design also didn’t reflect the stylish sensibility of the brand. The team at NYDJ wanted the space to feel sophisticated and feminine, they wanted to incorporate their signature color purple, their newest ad campaign imagery and their CEO at the time had an affinity for very sleek, modern furnishings. The company also wanted the space to have synergy with its in-store experience which features a lot of chrome and glass so these were the starting points in coming up with a design plan.

Here is the after! The biggest change was incorporating a much lighter and airy color palette and bringing in new furniture that was better scaled for the space. The new seating arrangement features a clean-lined sofa and two modern armchairs that opened up into the room vs the previous arrangement which had the 4 large club chairs and felt closed in. Instead of bringing in the exact shade of the brand’s signature purple which is quite bold, I played around with more muted shades to keep the look feeling feminine. Their old reception desk was  dark and heavy and felt far too large for the space so for the new design, I collaborated with Billy Cotton to create a custom reception desk in a white lacquer finish that was still very modern yet delicate. I also covered the entire area with a light gray and white rug which really helped soften up the room. Another change was replacing the three small pendant lights that hung above the previous reception desk with a large drum shade which now has a clean, modern feel and helps anchor the reception area. 

Another request from the client  was to incorporate some of the brand’s customer testimonials into the design. Previously, as shown in this before pic, they had some of their favorite testimonials printed on on small 8×10 wall plaques that were hung on a wall and the type was so small it was impossible to read unless you were up close. ..

In the new design I helped them edit down some of their best testimonials and blew them up in a large format that covered the entire wall which was very impactful. As for the wall color, it’s hard to tell in the photo but it’s actually a very soft purple color called Whisper Violet from Benjamin Moore. The color was actually chosen by the client before I started on the project and it brings in a subtle hint of color on the walls and reflects the light quite nicely which keeps the space feeling bright and airy.

We incorporated a chrome and glass element with the coffee and side table to give the lobby a sleek and modern feel.

To finish off the space, we styled the tabletops with florals and array of interesting art, fashion and design books that felt appropriate for a chic fashion office.

What do you think of the transformation? All fairly simple changes but the result is pretty dramatic, right?  Learn more about our commercial and residential design services here on the Nicole Gibbons Studio website! PS- Im wearing the NYDJ Alina Legging Jean in this photo and the fit is amazing! Below are a few more favorites from NYDJ that I’m loving! 

SHOP NYDJ FAVES