Case Study: NaughtOne Moves into New Self-Designed HQ in Harrogate, UK
NaughtOne, a British furniture designer and a MillerKnoll brand, just opened its doors to its new global headquarters in Harrogate, UK. Moving to their new headquarters gave NaughtOne a special opportunity to design an office that represents the workplace of the future. Managing Director, Nadean McNaught collaborated with Creative Director, Stephen Floyd, and MillerKnoll Design Manager for Branded Environments, Sam Davis, to create a sustainable and modern space that reflects NaughtOne’s motto: ‘absolute simplicity, infinite possibility’.
NaughtOne is a contract furniture specialist that helps clients all over the world turn their offices into better places to focus, collaborate, connect and reflect. So when the company decided to move to a new UK headquarters in nearby Harrogate, it was a unique opportunity to design its own workplace of the future.
Managing Director, Nadean McNaught, explains: “In 2022 we started thinking about how to expand and improve our own working environment to better support our growing team. The brief was ambitious: we wanted a warm, welcoming space that felt more like a home than an office – somewhere the team would want to come to connect and hang out. And it had to be sustainably built and accessible for everyone. Central House ticked all the boxes. As soon as I saw the space, with its huge windows, high ceilings and treetop-lined views, I knew it would be our new home.”
Over the last 18 months, Nadean has worked with Creative Director, Stephen Floyd, and MillerKnoll Design Manager for Branded Environments, Sam Davis, to bring to life the space. They have been careful to follow the NaughtOne motto: ‘absolute simplicity, infinite possibility’.
Sam explains: “NaughtOne is a global business with a hybrid-working model. We knew that team members were coming into the office for different reasons: some to collaborate and catch up, others to get their head down and focus. The space was designed to support both, filling the gap of what they felt they were missing at home”.
The design divides the floor into four zones to meet these varying needs and encourage movement and flexibility:
- A kitchen space to gather, chat and prepare food and drink with ample seating for breaks, lunches or informal meetings
- Glass-fronted meeting rooms in the centre of the space – an architectural intervention to divide the areas of focused work and collaboration
- A quiet space with sound-proof phone rooms for virtual calls and team members who prefer quiet working
- A workstation with 30 hot desks
On entering the office, people pass through a black-walled corridor which opens out to a relaxed touchdown space filled with NaughtOne lounge furniture and coffee tables, and flanked by huge windows overlooking treetops around the building. The corridor works as a transition from Central House into NaughtOne’s world.
Sam adds: “Interiors-wise, we wanted the space to reflect the brand: it’s a simple, contemporary yet industrial space. We opted for white walls with modern artwork and furniture bringing pops of colour. The ceiling is high with exposed M&E that is both an architectural feature and a nod to NaughtOne’s manufacturing expertise.”
The office is furnished almost entirely with NaughtOne designs with some pieces handpicked from other MillerKnoll brands. NaughtOne have made sure to use the products in the same way customers would: in the right spaces and in different formulations for various group sizes. The space will double up as a northern showroom for customers to visit.
Sustainability was also a hugely important detail in the choice of location and design of the space. The project team considered every detail, making sure choices were smart and future focused. The office is well-insulated and powered by renewable energy, with light sensors used throughout. Central House’s sustainability credentials were also a key factor in the decision to make it the new NaughtOne home. It is Harrogate’s only LEED-certified building with excellent public transport links and electric car-charging points.
Nadean was attracted to the greenery and outside spaces too. Sitting right on the edge of town by the countryside, there are plenty of places nearby for walks and a big courtyard for everyone in the building.
In addition, construction will soon be completed on a NaughtOne space on the floor below which will be used by the Design & Engineering team as a Research & Development hub.
Nadean adds: “Moving here is a huge milestone for NaughtOne and we’re very happy with the new space. It’s our vision of what the modern workplace can be.”
About NaughtOne
NaughtOne is a British designer and manufacturer of furniture for commercial spaces. We believe that designs should be simple, purposeful and useful – and that choice of colour, fabric and finish should come as standard. We make it possible for specifiers to express their creativity, tailoring our products for the client, setting and use.Founded in Yorkshire, UK, a region famous for its textile heritage, we are leaders in upholstery. The business has grown considerably over the past two decades, now employing nearly 100 people in the UK, Europe, Asia and the USA. Since 2019 NaughtOne has been part of the MillerKnoll collective of brands.For further information visit www.naughtone.com
