Check Out the Killer Brooklyn Offices of Film Tech Startup VHX
Editor's note: This is the first edition of our new content series Tuesday Tour. Every week, we'll take you behind the scenes at startups, explore creative spaces, and peek inside the homes of particularly awesome people. This week our friends at Homepolish take us through their recent project at VHX. Enjoy!
In just three years, Brooklyn-based VHX has helped redefine how independent filmmakers release their work to the world. As a platform that allows makers to sell content directly to fans, their mission is to empower creators to use the web to their advantage, helping to shepherd a diverse portfolio of projects that include Aziz Ansari's hilarious Dangerously Delicious standup special, an award-winning documentary about independent video game designers entitled Indie Game: The Movie, and "The Invisible Made Visible," a captivating live episode of This American Life that was filmed on stage.
Recently decked out by the interior design masters at Homepolish, we stopped by to check out what sort of work space begets the creative juices that keep the business thriving. Designer Casey DeBois headed up the project: "The space has great bones. It's in a landmark building that was originally a Benjamin Moore paint factory. We added details that accentuated the raw beauty like kitchen hardware to match the exposed copper, industrial lighting, and custom shelving that hugged the exposed brick."
A lot of the film and gaming ephemera that lines the shelves was already lying around, but some of the other gear that litters the space — vintage camcorders, cameras, video games — was plucked from Etsy.
"You need to create an environment that matches the energy and movement of the company, so we split the space into two areas, one for work..."
"... and one for play. The play space has vintage arcade games, break-out areas, and is perfect for entertaining clients and hosting film screenings."
To ensure the space stayed far from a typical office environment, they ditched existing workspaces for custom desks made with butcher block tops.
A lot of the other custom furniture in the space — from the bookshelves to the media console (seen above, in the background) — was built using reclaimed wood from a barn upstate.
The Beverly Hills Hotel-themed banana leaf print mural was created custom (using EazyWallz) by VHX's visual designer Chad Pugh...
...who spiced things up by tossing in some company logos, a parrot, and the office mascot Charlie.
Joe McGauley is a senior editor for Supercompressor where he heads up Home coverage and red hair-having.