"God is on the details", stated Mies van der Rohe, and Charles Eames pointed out: “The details are not the details. The details are the design.” Many times a good design is distinguished from a bland one by the details that leave the author's seal, and that usually go unnoticed or are taken for something banal or inconsequential. Designing is a constant choice: colors, materials, shapes, textures… And all these choices have to be coherent and thoughtful, even the simplest ones. When we talk about detail we are not referring to something small or insignificant, but to that focal point that catches attention and adds a surprise effect to the project. Today we want to highlight those surprising details, which are, after all, what make a space have own life and personality.

The WOW effect

Using an element or piece of furniture in an exceptional way, due to its size, color or shape, It is a resource that seeks to create a shocking surprise effect on the visitor. There are multiple ways to achieve this, but one of the most effective is oversize an element to convert into the optical center of space. Lamps and sculptures are especially susceptible to this effect, as demonstrated by this spectacular which serves as a visual connection point between several floors of an office building. It is made with thousands of pieces of paper and wood of different shapes and patterns, which change modularly through floors until reaching the ground floor. Without a doubt, the WOW effect is secured.

Color code

The use of color is one of the most effective tools to create a identity seal in a work space. It can be applied directly to wall paint, colored laminates, textiles, etc. This is a good example of how to apply it not only to achieve an attention-grabbing effect, but also to zone and, at the same time, Acoustically isolate the space. The panels, Covered in an acoustic fabric, they create a highly studied mosaic of shapes and powdery colors, all of them in matching tones. The result is an attractive dynamic set and very modern that gives life to the space. 

Exploded surfaces

Wall coverings can enhance the aesthetics of the space, resulting in environments with movement and visual diversity. The cutting, or placement of the pieces in different directions, It is a resource that visually animates surfaces, avoiding the monotony of uniform coatings. Of course, this type of work requires good previous design, installation time and an extra budget, since in many cases specialized installers are required so that the pieces match the design. Wood, ceramics, panels, moldings and, ultimately, any material can be applied in a non-traditional way to create the desired optical effect.

Break with the established

The design of this spiral staircase, already with a surprising design, it has a surprising effect inside: its steps are covered with materials of different colors and designs, arranged like a sample book. The designers could have settled for traditional steps and avoided a complicated composition, while also being an absolutely surprising staircase. However, this is where the difference lies between a correct design and a brilliant design, that always goes one step further and raises the creativity to another dimension.

Contrast of materials

Combining materials that, by their very nature, do not seem very similar always gives good results if done with aesthetic criteria. Contrasts are always attractive, it is a point of attention, it awakens the senses and puts us on alert. How can wood coexist with concrete, glass or steel? Well yes, in this antithesis lies the beauty of the surprising combinations, that break with what is established and provide a emotional element to the design. Of course, the combination of materials is only suitable for experts who know how to assign the material to specific elements.

A touch of humor

There is often a tendency to think that offices should be aseptic and neutral spaces, without emotional elements that connote the decoration. Nothing could be further from current trends, which increasingly resort to “emotional design” to create pleasant, close and friendly environments. From this intention the details emerge with good dose of humor, those who bring a smile to the visitor when they see them. As an example of this, we have chosen these images of two offices: on the left, the wall of the restaurant area with a wall covered in pieces of tableware, all of this filtered by a layer of white paint. And on the right, an ingenious lamp with trumpet-shaped arms. And a touch of humor can make office life more fun.

let yourself be fooled

Paint, wallpaper or vinyl are historical allies to create amazing optical effects. Geometric patterns, for example, coupled with strategically placed mirrors, increase spatial depth to infinity, as demonstrated in the image on the left. On the right, we see a curious example of blurred geometries, that produce an ethereal effect in the room. They are just two solutions of the thousands that can be achieved in order to recreate a trompe l'oeil, which, as its name anticipates, means “to deceive the eye” (from the French trompe-the eye).

God is on the details

We close our tour with these two details, which prove the teacher right. Mies van der Rohe. The surprise detail can be anywhere and be applied in a thousand different ways. A desk leg painted with a furious orange or a railing carved into the wood are a kind of author's signature that brilliantly capture a fine and elegant intentionality that makes each project a unique space.

Photos: OfficeSnapPhoto