Redpoint Ventures

Project Highlights

• We delivered a selection of richly textured, colorful décor and furniture pieces, creating an environment of upscale hospitality, like that of a luxury hotel or high-end residence, in keeping with the aesthetic vision of the client.

• With inventive use of furniture from past clients and Redpoint Ventures’s previous office, we met budget and timeline constraints, while integrating quality pieces into the project’s themes.

• We designed and sourced custom locally-made pieces including the reception desk, a modular conference table, and individual workstation tops surfaced with white oak veneers. 

Redpoint Ventures knew what they didn’t want their San Francisco outpost to be: a conventional sterile office space. Instead, the venture capital firm, which partners with visionary entrepreneurs, sought a warm, sophisticated ambience with bold pops of color and playful wallpapers. To anchor this concept, we sourced unique furniture pieces that featured compelling details and evoked a cozy, homey vibe. Redpoint’s vision for their space took inspiration from interior designer Kelly Wearstler, internationally known for her extremely luxe, texture-rich hospitality spaces. However, her projects come with an ultra-high price tag, beyond a reasonable spend for this project. This was one of our main design challenges. Luckily, at two we are experts at value engineering to achieve each client’s design vision and budget.

For this project, we had to innovate on a number of fronts to achieve the desired upscale hospitality look at a cost and timeline that also met Redpoint’s needs. Standard contract pieces with a commercial, assembly-line feel did not appeal to their sensibility at all, so we had to value-engineer other solutions that better fit the project concept. We took a multipronged approach, bringing together creative design, sourcing of standout special pieces, and adaptive re-use.

Since 2020, we’ve collaborated with many of our partners to help with the radical workspace changes brought on because of the COVID pandemic, including downsizing or reconfiguring offices to accommodate hybrid working. To find solutions to unprecedented challenges, we transformed our own methods of working, finding opportunities for cost-saving measures along the way.

For Redpoint Ventures, we tapped into an inventory of high-quality furniture acquired at a heavily discounted rate from previous clients who either downsized or moved office spaces. Through these means, we achieved a win-win for partners past and current: former clients recouped some of the cost of purchased furniture they no longer had use for, while Redpoint reaped the financial benefits of items sourced by us at a lower price tag. Additionally, because we already had these reused pieces, we provided significant lead time and sustainability advantages.. Redpoint became a new home for top-tier pieces and avoided the need to manufacture or ship new pieces from far away.

For projects like Redpoint Ventures, conducted during the height of the pandemic, we had to reinvent our collaborative approach, since over the course of the project, we were only able to do one in-person review, with just three people present. As designers, we are accustomed to engaging with partners face to face to be able to show clients physical samples. This project’s emphasis on rich colors, patterns, and textures required ingenuity in bringing these elements to life remotely. The key to our success was to create powerful visuals and references that translated well on screen. We also worked hard to ensure we were on the same page at every stage of the process with all involved parties.

In outfitting this new home for Redpoint Ventures, we looked for ways to establish a hospitable setting that flowed through their many open areas and collaborative spaces. A case in point, Redpoint wanted their lounge area to evoke a refined coziness, so our design solution featured chic, comfortable pieces with defined lines in a muted palette, including a large sectional couch, upholstered swivel chair, and nesting coffee tables.

In the back of the lounge area, two smaller office-style spaces were designed to operate as multi-function rooms. Unassigned to any one worker, these rooms are intended for collaboration and small meetings. We sourced lounge chairs, side tables, and a coffee table to highlight and enhance this informal, fluid method of working.

The vibrant, elaborately patterned wallpapers in these smaller rooms are the star of the show. The furniture we selected pulled from the color palette and grounds the space with clean lines, avoiding visual busyness. Simplicity and balance were the guiding principles here.

For the desks, we brought together inventive design with the practical benefits of reuse. Although the previous occupant of this space left behind over 20 high-quality desks, they did not fit Redpoint’s aesthetic. To draw out a homier feel that better suited the project, we used the desks’ existing height-adjustable bases and incorporated custom tops surfaced with white oak veneer. Revamping these already-owned furniture pieces supports sustainability while helping Redpoint save time and money.

With a view of the open workspaces, the kitchen area is another spot where a luxe residential vibe is evoked through striking pieces. Here we sourced the elegant gold chairs poised beside the marble-top table. We also designed the banquette tables, bolting them to ground to suggest a built-in feature, which were custom-built by a local California manufacturer.

Throughout this project, we brought key custom pieces into play with other distinctive furnishings to harmonize with architectural details like the blond parquet flooring and exposed concrete wall, establishing a detail-rich, cohesive setting. The rectangle-block reception desk is the sleek statement piece of this area. We designed this custom item, which was built by California manufacturer Woodtech. Made locally with a marble laminate finish, this piece does not carry the cost, environmental impact, or long lead time that would otherwise be associated with a custom marble piece.

For the rest of the reception area, we selected furnishings with vivid colors and appealing textures, including a vibrant patterned rug, lacquered blue side tables, and green velvet lounge chairs. This ensemble of pieces is what you might expect to find in a chic hotel or luxury home. It clearly stands apart from the staid office lounge furniture seen in most workspaces.

The conference area centers on a custom piece; what appears to be an elongated conference table that seats 14 people is actually five custom-built square tables laid end to end. Rather than sourcing one extra-long table, we opted to create these smaller tables and arrange them lengthwise, giving the client flexibility should their function and layout needs change. Each of the five tables has a solid oak plank top and is power enabled, allowing individual users to charge phones or plug in their laptops in whatever configuration they end up working in.

Redpoint already had chairs from their previous office space for this new conference area. To integrate these more utilitarian office chairs into the overall residential aesthetic, we selected a warm-hued patterned rug, which brings out the warm tones of the wood table and wood detailing of the surrounding space.

This marriage of design innovation, adaptive reuse, and attention to details in sourcing beautiful pieces enabled us to deliver Redpoint’s luxe vision with practicality, sustainability and cost effectiveness. We at two are proud of this successful collaboration, bringing together a bold style with functional ingenuity.