This fall is a period of transition for the Amity Worrel & Co. team. We’re packing up our old studio space and saying goodbye to the circa 1901 bungalow that’s housed our team since 2020. It’s hard to believe we’ve outgrown our time here in just four short years! The move is almost poetically timed with the onset of autumn, as we dare to say the Texas mornings feel crisp before we start melting by mid-afternoon. 

Our old space, dubbed “The Studio,” offered warm, cozy charm with its period features and our 1920s inspired Farrow and Ball color palette. The new space we’re moving into, which we’re calling “The Workshop,” is a complete change. It’s a former industrial warehouse built in the 1950s. I decided to take inspiration from the Bauhaus style to design this new workspace. We’re transitioning from charming to functional while, of course, making the new space beautiful in its own right. 

Designing Our New Workspace

I wanted to share the process of creating our new workspace with you. Throughout this process, I’ve been caught up in the ways different people work. Everyone has a different process, depending on their job, their approach, and their creative mind. And as we grow, it’s natural that our creative workspaces must grow along with us to house all our new projects and ideas. 

Writing the Project Brief

I was struggling to choose whether to stay in our current studio and renovate or move to a new space. To move the decision along, I treated myself like one of my clients and created a list of my needs or a project brief. I knew we had issues in our current space, but I had to know what exactly I was solving to select the right approach.  

My list looked something like this:

• The team is growing and needs more space. 
• We need more storage space for samples, client orders, and to appease my hoarding tendencies for antiques. 
• Well, maybe we need less storage space for antiques to keep my hoarding in check. 
• More parking. 
• More natural light. 
• Room to spread out and think! 

Recognizing the Need for Function

When reviewing my brief, I realized we needed a space that provided more function. Function would be the key to success in our next chapter. Our working days are extremely busy, and our current space has us falling on top of each other. We need room to bring in client purchases, like antiques, accessories, lamps, and bolts of fabric. We also need space to house our ever-expanding collection of vendor samples, including countertop, tile, fabric pattern, and wood flooring samples. 

Besides just the stuff, we need room for ourselves and all the folks who come into our space for meetings and discussions. We have vendors dropping in mid-day to show us their wares and client presentations that we need to be presentable for. We also like to host parties and can’t always rely on our beautifully landscaped bungalow garden subjected to the Texas heat—our guests would melt away! 

Yes, I was sure we needed more function. And it became clear that my long list of demands couldn’t be met by our small bungalow studio. So, I made the decision to buy a new building and start over! 

Finding a New Building

I began the search for a new space back in the spring, and nothing felt like the right fit until my realtor called to say he found a space that was very different from our current studio. He was hesitant to say if I’d like it, but he thought I should see it. 

I fell in love immediately! Our new space is a 1955 cinder block warehouse that started its life as a stone-cutting shop—a lovely tie-in to our industry. It hit every point on my brief. It has 12 massive casement windows that flood the large open space with natural light. It has ample parking. In the back is a large loading deck with big metal doors that are perfect for receiving deliveries. There are two private office build-outs, but the rest of the space is an open loft style, reminiscent of 1980s SoHo. It is absolutely amazing in every way!  

Finding Design Inspiration 

“The Workshop,” as we call it, is all about function. So, what better way to style the space than with a dose of inspiration from the Bauhaus School? 

The Bauhaus School was established in 1919 by German architect Walter Gropius and ran through 1933. Bauhaus combined elements of both fine arts and design education, blending disciplines like arts and crafts alongside mass production. At one time, they held the slogan, “Art into Industry.” Bauhaus design believes form follows function, prioritizing simple, streamlined designs that maximize functionality while still allowing for beauty. 

Implementing the full vision of my design will take time. My design process is slow and complex. So, we will move into the space and design as we go—taking inspiration from the beautiful, simplistic forms of Bauhaus items while embracing the warehouse’s industrial history. I also want to mix some rustic inspiration from rural workshops in places like the Cotswolds, where the industry was weaving, and smaller artisans worked out of warehouse-type spaces crafting beautiful things.  

Like the Bauhaus, the thing we need to focus on in the next chapter of Amity Worrel & Co. is combining individual expression with production and function. I think our new space will do that for us just fine. 

Renovating and Moving In

We began renovating and moved in last week. Whew! What a difference having room to breathe makes. The team is still settling in well. I am sure this has been disruptive, but I know they are excited about a new space and the opportunity to make it beautiful! My hope is that the ease of working in a light-filled space with a more open vibe and a more neutral functional space will make everyone’s lives easier and allow room in our brains for creative thinking!

Wish us luck.