Tracee Ellis Ross turned a stark West Hollywood office into a warm, design-forward workspace for her haircare label and production company by commissioning Design Within Reach to blend authentic midcentury pieces with contemporary accents. The result is a calm, highly curated environment meant to reflect PATTERN Beauty’s aesthetic while supporting day-to-day collaboration and creativity.
A cold shell, remade
The original suite was functional but impersonal: glass-walled executive rooms and echoing surfaces that felt too austere for a creative brand. Designer Alyssa Lewis kept the structural glass where it worked and rebuilt the rest — new flooring, upgraded lighting, and a fully renovated kitchen — to introduce warmth and texture without undermining the building’s modern bones.
Authenticity over pastiche
Rather than staging a period set, the team assembled a selective mix of originals and modern interpretations. Lewis deliberately pulled iconic silhouettes from the 1940s through the 1970s and paired them with contemporary pieces, aiming for a cohesive collection rather than a literal re-creation of any single decade.
- Color and materials: an earthy palette of ochre, caramel, toffee, mustard, sand and tobacco balanced by navy accents, walnut cabinetry and organic Carrara marble.
- Furniture strategy: authentic midcentury makers alongside current designers for a layered, personal look.
- Lighting and atmosphere: carefully chosen fixtures, dimmable lamps and fabrics to control sunlight and create a soft glow.
- Communal zones: a lounge with a living-room vibe and a café that doubles as a social hub and informal meeting space.
- Storage and sightlines: minimal open shelving and strategic placement of backless units to preserve the view and a sense of continuity.
- Artwork: campaign photography from PATTERN Beauty used as office gallery pieces, reinforcing the brand story.
The lounge and the meeting room
Located just off the café, the lounge functions like a residential living room: casual seating, room for town-hall gatherings and a ceiling-mounted projector for presentations. When not in use, the space reads as a comfortable break area intended to encourage impromptu collaboration.
By contrast, the main conference room is deliberately focused. One entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows demanded a solution that would temper glare while preserving daylight. The designers selected a tightly woven Maharam fabric for upholstery, paired with a dimmable glass lamp and slightly sheer curtains to produce a controlled, luminous quality during meetings.
Entry, texture and tone
The reception zone was treated like the front room of a house: moody, layered and tactile. Lewis says the intent was immediate and intentional — guests should arrive with a sense of being grounded and welcomed. The team achieved that through heavier drapery, deeper colors and a mix of sumptuous, organic textures.
Open shelving and the midcentury ethos
The central open-storage area is kept deliberately spare, a nod to the midcentury rejection of excess ornamentation. It fulfills practical needs — flat surfaces for samples, filing, closed storage — while using open shelving to merchandize products and maintain sightlines across the office. Placing backless shelves closest to the windows was a conscious choice to extend the visual horizon.
| Area | Design highlight |
|---|---|
| Lounge | Residential furniture, projector, flexible meeting space |
| Conference room | Maharam upholstery, sheer curtains, dimmable lighting |
| Entry | Moody tones, layered textures, welcoming reception |
| Open storage | Minimal shelving, backless units near the view |
One standout piece that drew Ross’s attention was a leather-wrapped executive desk by Geiger — a fashion-forward addition that complements the office’s overall intent. Rather than commission a separate fine-art program, the team populated the walls with PATTERN Beauty campaign photography, tying the visual language of the business directly to the workplace.
For brands and teams watching the office-design landscape, this project offers a practical lesson: authentic provenance and considered curation can bolster a company’s identity without veering into pastiche. By grounding the scheme in a defined palette and functional choices, the space works as both a studio for creative work and a tactile expression of the PATTERN brand.
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