Our Office Essentials [and Sneak Peek]

In case you haven't heard, we've been working behind the scenes on the Not Your Standard office. While, initially, office space seemed like a bit of a luxury to have on day one, since we officially launched Not Your Standard two weeks ago, without a doubt, the number one question we've had is 'where is your office?'.

And, all said and done, we're so glad we took the plunge to have proper brick and mortar behind our name. Having a collaborative, creative space to come to each day, as well as a place we can, and are proud to, invite clients and contacts to has made the transition of employee to employer, and the first few weeks of 'official business', seem far more natural and seamless.

Having invited a few friends over for cocktails later this week, we spent the weekend finishing off some of the finer details – wallpapering [thanks mum!], painting, shelf hanging and styling the space. Here's a few things we learned along the way – and some of the essentials we couldn't imagine Not Your Standard #officelife without:

1. Location, Location, Location
Finding office space in Cayman is tricky. It can be expensive, especially for a start-up, but we're super pleased with our new digs at One Capital Place. The modest 600 square foot space had previously proved hard to rent – too small for many established businesses and too big for a solopreneur. But centrally located in George Town, we've found the newly renovated office space perfectly placed for nipping up to Camana Bay for a meeting, into town for lunch at Bread & Chocolate or happy hour on the waterfront [side note: we're also within walking distance of our new hip hop dance class, much to many's amusement]. Plus, it's a darn sight more affordable than anything along the Seven Mile corridor.

2. Natural Light Makes a Big Difference
When we first viewed the space, while it had a fantastic, well-lit office in the back, the rest of the room was a little dark and dull. Adding a just-about floor-to-ceiling interior window and turning the private office into a cozy meeting room has made a world of difference in filling the entire space with natural light [and said meeting room into a garden conservatory of sorts!]. Plus, the interior window was the perfect spot for Not Your Standard signage – a white decal from FastSigns against palm print wallpaper found on etsy looks particularly bomb-diggity, if we don't say so ourselves.

3. It Takes a Village
NCB Property Services cleared out the space, sorted the lease agreement and renovations, and had our name in the lobby and on two parking bays [read: feeling baller] within the two short weeks of viewing the office. Our lovely contractor, Ritchie, built us the sweetest little kitchenette and, to go along with our tiny kitchen, installed a teeny-weeny wine rack and fridge. What more could two girls ask for! Other halves and family helped us build all kinds of flat pack IKEA furniture, trawled garage sales and EcayTrade for the essentials [like a kettle], and donated the rest – and within a week we'd upgraded from a trestle table and plastic chairs to full-blown agency office.

4. We Cannot Live Without Coffee [and Wine]
We won't brag about our in-office wine fridge again, but without a doubt the second most-used appliance in the Not Your Standard office is the Nespresso machine. Now part of our morning ritual, pre-meeting pick-me-up and/or simply an afternoon treat, we've been playing barista and messing around with a shop-worthy array of Nespresso pods and PODiSTA capsules from Paradise Coffee as well as craft alternatives from our pals Roastworks Coffee Co. Feel free to stop by for a caffeine fix complete with frothy milk.

5. Every Agency Needs a Whiteboard Wall
Not to sound totally cliché but every creative agency should have a whiteboard wall! We did our research and opted for ReMARKable paint over other better known brands. A small investment, it's proved worth its weight in gold for brainstorming, strategising, planning and doodling till our creative hearts are content!

Let us know what you think of the new space in the Comments section below!