Privacy, Please!
I never realized how many possibilities there were with curtain-related products until I helped my friend Mal, the CEO of a small fashion-based public relations firm, complete her business’ move into a new loft location in a trendy New York neighborhood.
Mal and her 14 capable associates fell instantly in love with the wide-open floor plan in a renovated building. When she showed me the space for the first time, I couldn’t get over the modern fixtures and the picturesque view of downtown. We both agreed that the open layout would make conversation easy and cut down on the number of inter-office emails dramatically.
But, with springtime (their busy season) creeping up on the fashionistas, Mal feared that the noise and droves of people coming in and out of the office would prove to be quite a distraction to her staff, especially for the summer interns who would spend the majority of their days making phone calls to boutiques, designers, and models.
With the lease already signed and no budget for cubicle furniture, I helped her brainstorm how she could create some privacy between workstations, section off an area for meetings and storage, while also appointing a private space for models to change clothes prior to photo shoots.
Mal didn’t believe me when I told her she could find everything to do this at Curtain-Tracks.com. Nor did she believe me that we could assemble everything on our own, without compromising the modern look of her new headquarters OR her bank account.
After a little research on Curtain-Tracks.com, we were able to find several perfect solutions that eased her design worries and upheld her budget. Using a combination of durable fabric curtains, an array of curtain tracks, and easy-to-install matching hardware, we had instant room dividers and a chic way to conceal storage.
For starters, to section off the oddly-shaped and copy area, we picked out some oval curtain tracks. This shape ensures a custom fit and no wasted space when you’re dealing with awkward areas.
For the unsightly storage corner, we actually used bunk curtains, which were the perfect length for concealing just the shelves, hiding the office supplies perfectly.
For the model’s “changing room,” we used a black curtain track and a black light-blocking fabric curtain for the utmost privacy. Even I couldn’t believe how well the hardware was blending in with the surroundings.
And finally, to section off workstations, we used full-length fabric curtains to obtain the privacy and quiet Mal was looking for, while still maintaining the open, communal feel that lead her to pick the space in the first place. And because we used a curtain track and not a traditional curtain rod, her associates were able to peel back the dividers quickly and with ease in the event that they wanted to share lunch, a story from the weekend, or even a spare paper clip.
Moral of the story: I’ll have to keep this genius functionality in mind when considering seating arrangement at my family’s Thanksgiving dinner this year!
Emily
