I’m in the mood for something different this week! So I’ve decided to have a MOODY WEEK here on Stylejuicer, matching the weather (not my mood) and leading up to SPOOKY HALLOWEEN next week. Be prepared for dark, sumptuous and tactile interiors, design and photography. It’s going to be a feast for the senses!

Regular readers will know that I’ve got a soft spot for Jessica Helgerson and her team of interior designers. I just LOVE their work and have featured their successful remodelling and interior design of a 100 year old family home in back in August.

Today I want to make your heart skip a beat by introducing the transformation of a private office space in a 1870s Gothic revival building in downtown Portland, USA.

Jessica and her team initially presented designs ranging from clean, modern and bright to dark, moody and luxurious. To their delight the client decided against the current trend and preferred the dark and luxurious route which was more in keeping with the historic building.

After gutting the space and removing angled walls that created small cramped rooms they divided the space into lobby, conference room, open-plan office with two private glass cube offices and a lounge area.

To break up the open-plan office space and to fulfill the client’s brief of a ‘feeling of separation’ they commissioned Portland based glass artist Andy Paiko who designed a glass sculpture that divides the space in an elegant and playful way without closing it off too much.

As with all her projects Jessica and her team are masters at adding interest and texture with bespoke coffered ceiling patterns, luxurious wall paper in rich abstracted botanical patterns and cabinetry that cleverly hides storage and a kitchenette. However, my favourite detail is the exposed brickwork which works as a juxtaposition to all the refinery and sumptuous fabrics.

You can tell how much fun they had when they managed to stage a photoshoot with antique telephones and typewriters to create a glamorous, dark and moody office where it’s ok to read novels and drink whiskey at work. A perfect backdrop for Don Draper and team and a way of ‘working’ which continued well into the 70s.

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

More information | Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
Photography | Lincoln Barbour