Peek Inside Isabel Ladd’s Playful Spin on Workplace Design

Photography by Andrew Kung Photography

“Fun” often is not the first word that comes to mind when planning an office, but that's precisely what an ad agency client requested of interior designer Isabel Ladd for their office redesign. Christy Hiler, owner of the independent ad agency Cornett, had used Ladd for personal projects before and turned to her for a refresh of her company's Lexington, Kentucky, headquarters.

"The ad agency is very creative, and for years, the space was not reflecting that creativity," explains Ladd, who owns Isabel Ladd Interiors. Hiler said their goal was to have an office space that was "fun"—not commercial, not sterile, and definitely not generic. Above all, she wanted it to be creative, which was a perfect fit for Ladd's style. "I love to bring in magic to spaces and have really fun moments," she says.

Employees and clients entering the space are met with one of these big wow moments: The front door opens to a large foyer with exposed ceilings, which Ladd said posed a challenge. She tackled it by enlisting muralist Wylie Caudill to paint vibrant blue zigzag patterns on the foyer walls. She also outfitted this area with "heavier" pieces, like marble tabletops and commercial leather pieces from West Elm.

For the common areas and individual offices, she used various vinyl rugs from Spicher and Company and different colored and patterned carpet tiles in every room. "All of the ceilings and walls were just blasted with really fun colors that you wouldn't expect in a work environment," Ladd says. "The colors and patterns just give energy during the work day."

If that weren't enough to make the commercial space feel anti-generic, Ladd also added custom Zoom backgrounds on the walls of every office. No matter which client Cornett is meeting with—whether it's LEGOLAND North America, Busch Light, or GE Appliances—they're sure to present their brand as one that's fresh, fun, and never okay with the status quo.

—Dalene Rovenstine