When you’re an established and thriving company with a desirable space in one of the tallest commercial buildings in town, it makes sense to invest in quality interior design.

Cape Flattery Silica Mines approached Peddle Thorp Far North to refurbish their entire corporate office space, working with Richard Field Constructions to demolish the existing fit-out and start afresh. The end result is immaculate, stylish and highly useful spaces for both individual work and meetings, including fantastic 180 degree views from many offices.

Peddle Thorp interior designer Sara Bending said the new layout, colours, furniture, signage and fittings work together to reinforce the mine’s brand and bring a renewed sense of excitement and purpose to the workplace.

“Cape Flattery not only produces the highest volume of silica sand of any mine globally, it’s one of the purest silica sands in the world – this crispness and vibrancy is now reflected by their corporate office.”

Sara said the company had been operating since 1967, and their offices had been located in the current building for around 10 years.

“For employees, the environment had become stale,” she said.

“The company’s investment to refurbish the space demonstrates their commitment to their team and their confidence in the future of the company. It also creates a more contemporary and lively atmosphere at work.

“Decisions about finishes and colours were aligned to the brand; because the white, black and orange colours used in the logo represents the product, people and landscapes the mine relies on to operate,” she said.

Sara said the fit-out included new meeting spaces and a generous boardroom to accommodate regular teleconferencing with the company’s owners based in Japan.

In addition, the design allowed for a secure un-manned reception area and plenty of storage.

“We included full-height cupboards, filing banks in all offices, a dedicated storage room and individual storage for all employees – this enabled the company to discontinue offsite storage arrangements, saving them money and improving convenience,” Sara said.

Because the improved spaces now have large windows and sweeping views of Cairns that complement Peddle Thorp’s contemporary interior design, the office feels more energised and is helping boost staff happiness and productivity.

Sara said that extensive consultation early on, including providing the client with conceptual 3D drawings of the proposed design, resulted in a design that was approved without delay. The project was completed within eight weeks – on budget and ahead of schedule.