The office breakroom has the potential to be either the most popular place or the saddest space in the workplace. Investing in your breakroom can pay off in employee productivity, satisfaction and team-building.

 

We just recently renovated our company breakroom at VerHalen. Our goal for the project was to create a more welcoming and relaxing space where employees can go to relieve stress during the workday. In addition, we also wanted a space that would better accommodate workplace events. We approached this project with resimercial design in mind. “Resi-mercial” combines the words “commercial” with “residential” and its goal is to create an ambiance that employees will want to be in and work in due to its casual and comfortable make-up.

 

Before & After

 

From checking out our completed project photos, you’ll notice that our breakroom is fairly neutral, airy and light. We went with Sherwin-Williams’ “Anew Gray,” “Worldly Gray,” and “Mega Greige” for the paint colors. The flooring that we specified was Interface‘s luxury vinyl plank flooring from their Level Set Collection. The “Distressed Hickory” pattern adds warmth and texture to the room. Being vinyl, it is water-resistant and works well in a breakroom application. 

 

Thanks to Konop Companies, we now have a K-Street Café, a self-serve kiosk-based concept that provides fresh food, healthy options for snacks, and a large variety of beverages from which to choose. There are glass front coolers, open shelves filled with a variety of snacks and a self-checkout system. It’s completely customized to fit your space and style. So far, the feedback from employees has been great.

 

We specified Source‘s Jump Stools in the color “Olive” for a pop of color in the kitchen area. The new “island,” which is actually Logiflex‘s LINK Table, is a great location for a buffet and makes serving food during workplace events easy. The table has an inset modesty in a woodgrain finish that makes the top and outer surfaces resemble a waterfall edge. CB2‘s Firefly Pendant Light adds a focal point to the kitchen area and makes the space unique and modern.

 

 

Caesarstone‘s quartz countertops (in the color “Nougat“) pop against the charcoal grey cabinetry. The modular cabinets from Teknion are in the color “Granite,” which is ultimately a grey but also has a hint of blue (which we love!). We updated our faucet to Delta Faucet‘s Trinsic Pro (in the “Arctic Stainless” finish), which has a pull-down sprayer for easy cleaning. Because the countertops are quartz, we were able to specify an undermount stainless steel sink. Now when wiping down the countertops, it will be easy to simply wipe messes directly into the sink.

 

Majestic Tile provided and installed the backsplash, which aids in providing a cohesive look to the kitchen area. The ceramic tile is biscuit-colored with a beveled edge. It’s a finishing touch that gives the kitchen area a timeless, classic aesthetic.

 

 

Our new designated Coffee Station includes reclaimed wood shelves from Budzies Board & Beam. 

 

 

It was a no-brainer to specify Teknion’s Nami chair and stool for majority of the seating in the breakroom. The Nami is fresh, modern, and its sculpted back has a gentle, controlled flex that moves with the user’s body for a comfortable sit. For tables, we used Special T‘s Sienna X and Kingston, all with Wilsonart‘s “Shadow” laminate for the tops. For better flow in the room, we made sure to source several circular, round tables versus tables with corners.

 

 

What once was a long wall-mounted counter, is now a row of base cabinets for storage, garbage and recycling. Prior to the renovation, we had several garbage and recycling receptacles dispersed throughout the breakroom. Now, the garbage and recycling is designated to one main area. The same scenario goes for our cork and tackboards, which were mounted in several different locations in the room. Thanks to D.L. Couch‘s Cork Wallcovering, we now have one wall for all of the signage and flyers.

 

 

Booths were specified for the wall with windows in order to offer a variety of seating. In addition, booths offer more privacy for the user. We used FurnitureLab‘s Venus Booth, which features a flush front and fully upholstered frame. The seat fabric is Momentum‘s Polyurethane, Canter (in the color “Tusk”). Furthermore, the seat back is upholstered in HBF‘s Hipster fabric (in the colorway “Johnson Modern). It’s a modernized plaid that’s stylish and out of the ordinary… and definitely one of our favorites!

 

 

Finish Palette

Check out our finish palette for an overview of all our finish selections!

 

Thank You

We would like to thank the following contractors and to those who helped make the renovation a success!

   – Furniture Installation: Office Installation & Relocation, LLC

   – Electrician: The Stiegler Company, Inc.

   – Plumber: Beno Plumbing

   – Countertops & Installation: The Granite Co.

   – Paint & Cork Wallcovering: Gene Jonet, Jonet Painting

   – Flooring Installation: Koehler Flooring

   – Backsplash and Installation: Majestic Tile

   – Reclaimed Wood Shelves and Installation: Budzies Board and Beam

   – Micro Market / Self-Serve Kiosk: The Konop Companies, Inc.