Office Tour: Inside a Modern Workspace with Castle-Inspired Charm

Calgary interior designer Elena Del Bucchia shows us a modern office space with traditional roots.

Arundel Capital might be a finance company, but this new office space from Calgary interior designer Elena Del Bucchia isn’t like any financial institution we’ve walked into lately.”I wanted to create a space that was reflective of their young, energetic company and incorporate some classic, traditional roots,” explained Del Bucchia.In fact, the name Arundel originated from an English castle, so the designer used things like wool fabrics, old architectural drawings, exposed concrete columns (to reference castle columns) and colours such as black, dark grey and white—all with a modern take. It’s an office, so function was another top priority, but also “fun.” This meant Del Bucchia opted for a chalk wall, splashes of colour, modern furniture and interesting art in her design that’s a far cry from the atypical office space.

Office Space: Arundel Capital in Calgary

“I wanted to create a kitchen that had a residential, gourmet, high-end feel, but with functionalities of a commercial space,” says Del Bucchia. We love the sporting rivalry on the chalkboard (what, no Canucks fans out in Alberta?)

“Orange is one of the main colours in the company’s branding, so I wanted to incorporate it into the space without going aggressive,” explains the Calgary designer. “The floor tile is something that I thought was a perfect way to blend classic (chevron pattern) with modern/contemporary by using four colours and doing a random colour pattern layout.” (Found in the kitchen as well as the front entrance.) “It was a risky move, but I think it was well worth it,” she says.

Back in the work station/collaborative area, Del Bucchia says she wanted the space to be open, fun, whimsical and reflective of the rest of the space. Ryker Pendants by TechLighting and Haworth stools brought in some edgy black elements, while plants add some life and fresh air to the space. The custom marqee sign—Arundel’s logo—is a funky way to punch things up.Open cubicles and a panorama of windows make for a bright and inviting work environment.Collaboration zone visitors get to face Eastwood and his signature sassy looks.Del Bucchia picked these chandeliers—in the house colours, of course—from School House Electric to add a whimsical touch to the space and make it look a little more dining room than boardroom.Front reception or living room? The designer sure fooled us with this cozy seating area featuring a mod squad of furnishings. The two chairs, a custom wool bench and concrete table were all part of a collaboration between Mtharu‘s Sumer Singh (Western Living DOTY 2015 Furniture Designer to Watch), and Del Bucchia. “I wanted the table to be concrete to yet again bring the raw castle elements into the space and also that it be modern and fit in the space.” The larger-than-life black SoHo pendant by Marset from Lightform was also a nice homey touch. Cool fact, the art piece in this shot is an architectural drawing purchased from the real Arundel Castle.