Kick Back in Style at Out of Office

Hong Kong-based interior designer and branding consultant Vinki Li designed Guangzhou speakeasy Out of Office as a Mad Men-esque space infused with the retro energy of 60s New York 

Design Anthology: How did you meet the client?

Vinki Li: I was first introduced to the client in Hong Kong in 2018. She’s a young engineering graduate, her family is from Guangzhou and she was born and raised in Hong Kong.

She also owns a big mall in Guangzhou, called China Plaza. The mall is more than 20 years old and so she wanted to create an F&B complex to draw in a younger crowd. She commissioned me to work on developing the entire complex, with a restaurant, cafe, bar, sports bar, nightclub and outdoor dining.

I was very lucky to land such a big project and the client gave me complete freedom to create this speakeasy concept, from brand identity to interior design and tableware, and even the cocktail menu.

What was the brief to you for the project?

Because my client and I both lived in London during our university years, we connected over that and I could relate to what she wanted to achieve in this project. The client has always been interested in the F&B industry and has always wanted to bring the overseas dining culture and bar scene to a Chinese city like Guangzhou, where she sees a lot of opportunity to open new restaurants and bar venues for the younger generation.

The main goal for this bar was to create an exclusive, unique whiskey bar. Most of the speakeasy bars in Guangzhou or other parts of China are either very Japanese or British in style, and she briefed me to create something rather different and unexpected.

What’s great about the neighbourhood and what makes the location unique?

Yuexiu district is the oldest central urban area in Guangzhou City and the mall is located on Zhongshan 5th Road. This area is known as the ‘old Guangzhou’ and there are many cultural sites and attractions in the district. China plaza is very popular with the locals, since it’s been part of the neighbourhood for so long.

How did you approach the project — what design references/narrative did you try to incorporate into the space?

Since my client wanted something different from other speakeasies and cocktail bars in Guangzhou, I decided to look to foreign films and television series and wanted to create a kind of time capsule. I’m a big fan of mid-century architecture and design, and was really inspired by the photo book Entryways of Milan and the TV show Mad Men, which follows the character Don Draper and his career in the advertising industry in New York in the 60s.

I was inspired by one particular episode of Mad Men, when the employees had an impromptu office party — after their boss Draper leaves the office — to watch the results of election night, which goes on until morning. I drew on the cinematography and scene setting, even creating a reception desk where a receptionist lets you into the bar.

Please tell us a little about the material choices for the space.

I wanted to create a space that really transports you back in time and the materials play a significant part in that. The materials palette throughout includes red chestnut stain on the walls, dark walnut, brass , velvet, mirrored stainless steel, marble flooring, and dark leather.

In the reception room, grey metro tiles line the walls and floor, with a brass and dark walnut bookshelf, and a metal, glass and wood desk that really set the office scene.

Do you have a favourite element or design detail in the architecture or interiors?

I love how the office ambience changes to a more relaxed atmosphere signalling that you can now enjoy cocktails out of the office after a long day at work. It really feels like you’ve been transported back to New York in the 60s.

What other features are you most excited about?

I really like that all the small touches and decor really evoke the golden era of New York, Mad Men style. It’s almost cinematographic. The bar menu is thoughtfully curated and celebrates classic American cocktails and snacks from the 60s with a modern twist.

Images / Hoshing Mok Photography