Cool Office Spaces

By Erica Tuggle and Carolyn Mitchell

The president of Derryberry Public Relations has taken the traditional look of an office and turned it on its ear with her orange and green walls and purple ceiling.

The large Chero-Cola outdoor advertisement painted on the brick wall at the entrance to Robin Derryberry’s firm is the first clue that the place abounds with visual surprises.

Derryberry had an artist recreate the sign from the original outdoor billboard. Her first clients, she recalled, gave her vintage Chero-Cola bottles for her office. "The story goes that a marketing guy bought two different formulas but only had the money to market one of them," says Derryberry. "Double Cola was his drink of choice and alas, Chero-Cola became a memory on a wall."

A second floor suite in Jack’s Alley between Market and Broad Streets seemed like the ideal location for a businesswoman who wanted to be in the middle of everything that was downtown Chattanooga. "You can’t get any more centered than Jack’s Alley," Derryberry said.

After many years in government service, Derryberry was also eager to drop the institutional drab of her former office digs for bold colors and creative decor. "I want clients to feel comfortable and at home here so they can talk about everything," she said.

Derryberry’s office is testimony to her support for local artists. She buys a new piece of art every time she acquires a new client. "It’s a good way to celebrate our success," she said.

A few blocks south in the Freight Depot, SRC Technology Solutions impresses clients with an array of green initiatives, ranging from reserved parking spaces for carpoolers to low-flow toilets to reclaimed materials galore.

All the SRC partner desks are reclaimed pieces. Managing Member Joe Alegre, for example, works at a desk crafted from the hardwood of a bowling alley. Michael Parham’s used government-issue desk is solid metal, and, Alegre laughs, "It weighs a ton." A classic 1950’s glass with metal frame desk is the second-timearound centerpiece of Geoff Norman’s office.

One of the most interesting spaces in the SRC office is the conference room featuring a glass garage door. In keeping with the green theme, the sliding showpiece is manually operated. The conference table was made from original wood used to construct the depot, while the used chairs came from Office Furniture Warehouse. The carpet was removed from a federal building in Washington, D.C. and cut into squares for easy installation and maintenance.

"We have had business owners, political candidates and community officials use our conference room," Alegre says. "They all say it’s a cool space and they especially love the ability to open up and close the conference room with the garage door. We’ve had events like Chattanooga Green Drinks in the space and leaving it open allows for folks to flow in and out of the space."

Another business space that delights visitors is Karen Collins’ office at MCA & Associates. The 26,000-square-foot MCA building is elegant – with a black marble floor lobby, furnishings in black and taupe designs and handsome pieces of modern art. A Monet print dominates the stairwell.

And then appears perhaps the most exotic workspace around, Collins’ secondstory corner office. The room is decorated with posters of ballroom dancers, a chaise lounge and lustrous throw pillows on a crushed suede bench. But what gives the office its magic is Collins’ use of the color red.

"People say I march to a different drummer," says Collins, part owner and vice president of the IT supply and maintenance company. "I didn’t want the traditional, austere, mahogany desk-look. And I like red."

And so the office, with beige wallpaper and carpeting and blonde wood as the neutral backdrop, glitters with crimson – from the overstuffed matching leather chairs to the wall clock to the mouse pad. "Most people’s jaws drop when they walk in," Collins says. "And they seem to like it. We give a lot of tours of the building and usually they save my office for last."

Down the hallway is a cubby Collins created with four comfy chairs, a coffee table and a view of crepe myrtles. "This is the Safe Zone," she says. "Whenever someone needs to take a break, make a private phone call or just chill out, they can come here and everyone knows not to bother them. They are off duty in the Safe Zone. If another staffer shows up needing a breather too, they don’t talk shop."

Collins’ theory is that the occasional break inspires productivity. In her case, the splashes of ruby in her office help her stay charged up. "And yes," she says smiling, "it’s called The Red Room."