Transforming the Dream Lab
The Dream Lab didn’t start as a dream. It started as a storage room.
Once intended to be a live coverage room, it quickly became a dumping ground for anything that didn’t have a proper home at STN: extra monitors, a server, cables that multiplied like rabbits. It was crowded, messy, and honestly, a little sad.
So when I was given the chance to reimagine the space, I knew I had to go big.
I pitched three moodboards to our senior team, each inspired by the types of work we do. The one we landed on drew from neon-colored California basketball courts. It had clean lines, dreamy energy, and just a hint of colorful, 90’s flair.
First, I had to clear the room. That took longer than expected, mostly because there was a lot to unearth. Then came the handyman work: closing up holes from old mounted TVs, removing what was no longer needed, and creating a fresh canvas in the room.
For the walls, I chose a neutral off-white called Aged Beige, a color which is now my obsession. It has this concrete-like quality, inspired by the surfaces around those outdoor courts, and it created a perfect backdrop for the rest of the room.
The couch became the centerpiece: a burnt orange velvet beauty that seats six and somehow gives the tiniest wink to Nickelodeon nostalgia. I paired it with an abstract rug, which was blue and teal blobs with an orange accent on it. Miraculously, it tied together the couch with the corporate-grade carpet we couldn’t remove.
Two outdoor chairs were used as accent chairs. They were aluminum-framed but perfectly suited to the inspiration, bringing an outdoors-meets-indoors energy. I added a few wood-and-metal accent pieces with the coffee table, shelving, and media console. But my favorite touch was the bright orange metal end tables that look like they could double as a cigarette stand or a Double Dare obstacle. (Thank you, Urban Outfitters.)
The final piece that brought the room to life was the custom mural, designed by one of our incredible graphic designers. I painted the new room’s logo in the same blues and teals from the rug.
When it was done, the room had completely changed. What was once crowded and chaotic became open, fresh, and inspiring. It was a space where you could brainstorm, meet with clients, or just sit and soak up the vibe. A room you’d actually go into the office to use.
The Dream Lab isn’t just a room anymore. It’s a reminder that even the most overlooked spaces have potential; sometimes they just need a little imagination, color, and a couch that you can’t stop talking about.
