Carlton Investments and Trademark Financial — Bloomington, MN

Carlton Investment Services specializes in providing strategic investment planning and management services, while Trademark Financial Management is an investment management and consulting firm that delivers focused investment management to financial professionals. The financially-savvy professionals called on PlanForce to help make the most of their new, shared office at the Olympic Place building in Bloomington, MN.

The two firms wanted a space that was brighter and lighter than their existing space, with plenty of storage and the necessary adjacencies to have good workflow. They also needed an impressive reception area and conference room, as these areas would be client facing. Most importantly, they wanted the new office design to have a clean, neutral base that they would enjoy for years to come.

Before starting the design, the space was a white box with no walls, and it was initially challenging for the finance-focused professionals to see how it could be built out to meet their vision. PlanForce interior designer Elizabeth Lari, CID, met their needs with a clean open design, while adding interest and depth with stone accents.

We wanted to feature a natural material to highlight their client areas, so we chose a split face stone for the front of the reception desk and as an accent in the conference room.

Elizabeth Lari, CID, PlanForce

The firms were excited to have a fresh space with added functionality and storage. In addition to increased storage, the reception desk is adjacent to the company owners, which makes communication easy. The new office also has a lot of natural light, which comes from a creative use of interior windows and office sidelights. Best of all, the clean, neutral palette won’t grow old and lets them add their unique branding and personality.