Topics
Commercial
Designing for commercial spaces is an exercise in balance: often there are tight budgets and timelines, but if you don’t get it right while staying true to your brand, you risk having uninspired clients who don’t come back in again, or employees who’d rather work elsewhere. We love designing inspired spaces, and here you’ll find all things commercial (projects, blog posts, recognition, and more) at Board & Vellum.
Our commercial portfolio projects.
TI Build-Out for a Modern Coffee Lounge
Armistice Coffee & Cocktail Bar
In the corner commercial space in the Lucille apartments, this hybrid coffeehouse/bar offers drinks and treats with the vibe of a European café.
Commercial Office Interiors
W.G. Clark Lobby
Inside a midcentury modern building with landmark status, this Pacific Northwest Modern commercial lobby is flush with natural materials and carefully-crafted details.
TI for a Wine Bar on Capitol Hill
Footprint Wine Tap
This wine bar on Capitol Hill in Seattle advocates for sustainable principles and the design of their new space reflects it with salvaged, reused, and rescued materials large and small.
Tenant Improvement for a Cheese Tea Shop
Atulea Tea Shop
This cheery tea shop on Capitol Hill in Seattle features dramatic wallpaper to catch your eye and draw you in to experience its perky “beach chic” vibe.
Our commercial posts.
Ask an Architect, Commercial
Immediate Solutions for Socially Distant Retail
It has been a tough road for small businesses over the last few months dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. For those small businesses fighting to stay in business, the opportunity to pivot and re-open in some form is upon us. Facing this daunting challenge, where do you even start? This post is for you.
Read more.
Commercial
The Rebirth of the American Workplace
Recommendations and trends in commercial office design shift in response to cultural norms, technology, and working styles. Following the 2020 pandemic, how might the design of commercial offices adapt this time? On the spectrum from open office concept, through vast fields of cubicles, to private offices, where will we land?
Read more.
Commercial, Interior Design, Third Places
The Personalized Hospitality Experience
Before Covid-19 shifted our world, personalized hospitality experiences, like private dining rooms and by-appointment-only shopping, were considered luxuries reserved only for an elite few. But, with social distancing recommendations in place — driven first by necessity and later by comfort — it’s possible some of these once-elite experiences become more common. Here’s a look at how some of this could evolve.
Read more.
Commercial, Interior Design, Third Places
Commercial Design in the Age of Social Distancing
As commercial spaces slowly re-open, businesses and clientele have to take extra precautions because these spaces were designed to operate in a pre-pandemic world. This post is part of a series on how design for commercial spaces may evolve due to the Covid-19 pandemic, either by requirement or by cultural shift.
Read more.
Commercial, Third Places
5 Things You Need to Know About Opening Your First Commercial Space
Especially if it’s your first, opening a commercial space is a big deal and takes no shortage of knowledge or planning to pull off without too much trouble, or too much time lost. Here are five things to keep in mind when taking your new commercial space from concept to doors-open.
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Commercial, Third Places
Creating Intentional Interactions Through Design
When we’re designing spaces like coffee shops, bars, offices, and even yards, it’s key to create a space where people can have casual and occasional interactions. Here’s a little about how we go about designing spaces that promote interaction between strangers.
Read more.Our commercial recognition stories.
Ada’s Technical Books & Café Featured at the 2014 Green Building Slam
At the 2014 Green Building Slam, Board & Vellum presented Ada's Technical Books & Café, featured as one of 10 projects honored.
2014 Residential Architect Design Awards Cite Ada’s Technical Books & Café
Ada’s Technical Books & Café was honored with a citation in the Light/Commercial category of the 2014 Residential Architect Design Awards.
Ada’s Technical Books & Café Wins 2014 REX Award
Board & Vellum's Ada's Technical Books & Café is honored with a Green Remodeling Excellence (REX) award in 2014.
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Our Story
Board & Vellum is a young and vibrant firm built on the idea that an informed and engaged team leads to better design and happy clients. We wouldn’t be where we are today without passion and hard work, and those same two things keep us going strong today.
Our Process
Bringing your project from “idea” to fruition is a little different at Board & Vellum. We give personal care to each of our projects, and you’ll be in the loop every step the way. The bonus: we are an integrated firm, so each project has access to plenty of great knowledge — and that leads to better design.
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Send us your questions about design, architecture, interiors, landscape, LEGO rooms… Anything, really. We’re always eager to meet new people, and we’d love to get to know you, your project, and your goals.