The bar lounge in Shinesty’s new Denver headquarters features warm tones and cozy seating. (Photos courtesy Maximalist)
Office, lounge or playroom? Shinesty wanted it all.
When the irreverent apparel company moved its headquarters from Boulder to the fourth floor of the building at 2930 Umatilla St. in LoHi, CEO Chris White said he was ready to up the company’s game.
“We always had just kind of crummy, cheap offices,” White said. “We wanted this to be more social. So designing a space that’s really cool, is a unique experience for our employees and makes them a lot more likely to come into work and socialize.”
White founded Shinesty in 2014 with Chief Marketing Officer Jens Nicolaysen and Director of Operations Michelle Frey-Tarbox. The company sells bright, patterned apparel — such as swimsuits that look like jeans and blazers covered in four leaf clovers— that “forces the world to take itself less seriously.” And Shinesty wanted an office that showed that.
“I think it looks a lot different than any other office you’ve seen, which fits our brand really well,” White said. “Everything is irreverent and quirky and fun.”
The conversation pit “is set with tones of deep emerald and green and is framed by luxurious jade green, velvet seating and kiwi shag carpet,” per Maximalist.
The company hired Denver-based Maximalist to redesign what firm founder Abigail Plonkey said had been “a tech office that was bare bones.”
“They just came saying, we want something cool that we know you can create, so do your thing,” she said. “They set me free.”
The result, Plonkey said, is an office with a “ ’70s playhouse vibe,” complete with bright colors, custom fur wallpaper, cozy couches and a conversation pit. The 5,000-square-foot office has a pink carpeted board room equipped with a minibar, and a lounge area features a photo backdrop neon sign that reads “Shine On.”
“The concept was creating more of a residential type feel. The other big one was the spirit of their brand … that’s really where the fun began,” Plonkey said. “We really pushed the boundaries.”
Plonkey said Shinesty needed a space that would bring remote employees back to the office, whether that was during work hours or after a night out with friends.
White said while the space is used for collaborative work meetings and clothing fittings, it’s also meant for the staff to hang out. He said employees have had friends over for Passover dinner, hosted birthday parties and met people for drinks at the office.
This bar-height table and chair workstation serves as a central spot for employees.
Maximalist finished the space last year, about a year after starting due to supply chain issues. After it was complete, White said, the company had to add more desks since employees had returned to the office more than expected.
Shinesty has 85 employees, 35 of whom live around Denver and can work out of the office, White said.
“It reads almost like a bar or a lounge, which I think just gives people an awesome space to really be creative, which is a lot of what our company is,” White said. “We’re a little out there and the office is a reflection of our personality.”
Shinesty’s products, previously available only through its website, just launched in roughly 50 Zumiez retail stores across the U.S. and will be in Buckle stores come May, according to White.
The bar lounge in Shinesty’s new Denver headquarters features warm tones and cozy seating. (Photos courtesy Maximalist)
Office, lounge or playroom? Shinesty wanted it all.
When the irreverent apparel company moved its headquarters from Boulder to the fourth floor of the building at 2930 Umatilla St. in LoHi, CEO Chris White said he was ready to up the company’s game.
“We always had just kind of crummy, cheap offices,” White said. “We wanted this to be more social. So designing a space that’s really cool, is a unique experience for our employees and makes them a lot more likely to come into work and socialize.”
White founded Shinesty in 2014 with Chief Marketing Officer Jens Nicolaysen and Director of Operations Michelle Frey-Tarbox. The company sells bright, patterned apparel — such as swimsuits that look like jeans and blazers covered in four leaf clovers— that “forces the world to take itself less seriously.” And Shinesty wanted an office that showed that.
“I think it looks a lot different than any other office you’ve seen, which fits our brand really well,” White said. “Everything is irreverent and quirky and fun.”
The conversation pit “is set with tones of deep emerald and green and is framed by luxurious jade green, velvet seating and kiwi shag carpet,” per Maximalist.
The company hired Denver-based Maximalist to redesign what firm founder Abigail Plonkey said had been “a tech office that was bare bones.”
“They just came saying, we want something cool that we know you can create, so do your thing,” she said. “They set me free.”
The result, Plonkey said, is an office with a “ ’70s playhouse vibe,” complete with bright colors, custom fur wallpaper, cozy couches and a conversation pit. The 5,000-square-foot office has a pink carpeted board room equipped with a minibar, and a lounge area features a photo backdrop neon sign that reads “Shine On.”
“The concept was creating more of a residential type feel. The other big one was the spirit of their brand … that’s really where the fun began,” Plonkey said. “We really pushed the boundaries.”
Plonkey said Shinesty needed a space that would bring remote employees back to the office, whether that was during work hours or after a night out with friends.
White said while the space is used for collaborative work meetings and clothing fittings, it’s also meant for the staff to hang out. He said employees have had friends over for Passover dinner, hosted birthday parties and met people for drinks at the office.
This bar-height table and chair workstation serves as a central spot for employees.
Maximalist finished the space last year, about a year after starting due to supply chain issues. After it was complete, White said, the company had to add more desks since employees had returned to the office more than expected.
Shinesty has 85 employees, 35 of whom live around Denver and can work out of the office, White said.
“It reads almost like a bar or a lounge, which I think just gives people an awesome space to really be creative, which is a lot of what our company is,” White said. “We’re a little out there and the office is a reflection of our personality.”
Shinesty’s products, previously available only through its website, just launched in roughly 50 Zumiez retail stores across the U.S. and will be in Buckle stores come May, according to White.
