C.O Designs

Fun Fact Friday 🌀

Before Google nap pods, bean bags and privacy pods… there was the office bar cart. 🍸

Yep, in the 1950s and 60s, many offices had actual drinks trolleys that rolled through at 4 p.m. sharp. The boss would pour drinks, colleagues would cheers over sales reports, and productivity (and some of their handwriting) would rapidly decline thereafter.

Back then, it was seen as team building. Today, it would probably be an HR report waiting to happen. 😅

But here’s the fun twist, the drinks cart wasn’t just about drinks. It was born from the idea that relaxed employees worked better. The same psychology that led to free snacks, breakout zones, and yes… privacy pods. So in a strange way, your office smoothie bar has martini DNA. 🍹

Moral of the story? Work culture changes — but we’ve always needed a reason to say “cheers” before the weekend. 🥂

Fun Fact Friday 🌀

Ever wondered what the world’s first “office ping” sounded like? 💬

Long before Teams messages, Slack pings, and “quick Zoom catch-ups,” offices had something far more chaotic: the pneumatic tube system.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, offices (especially banks and government buildings) used pressurised tubes to shoot messages, memos, and even money from one room to another at high speed — like emails with air pressure.

Imagine your boss shouting, “I’ve sent you something!” and then THWUMP — a metal canister flies out of a pipe onto your desk. 🤯

Some companies got so carried away they built networks between entire buildings. It was the first version of instant messaging... only louder, faster, and far more likely to hit you in the face.

We’ve come a long way from pneumatic mail to Slack emojis — but deep down, office chaos has always been part of the culture. 😉

Fun Fact Friday 🌀

Ever heard of paying to add noise to an office? Sounds crazy, right? 👀

Back in the 1970s, designers realised open-plan offices were so echoey that workers could hear every cough, conversation and keyboard click. The solution? Sound-masking systems — subtle background noise designed to make the office quieter.

At first, everyone thought it was ridiculous. “You want to fix noise by adding more noise?” they said. But turns out, this gentle hum helps protect privacy, boosts focus, and keeps distractions at bay.

So next time you hear that soft whoosh above your head, remember — it’s not the aircon acting up. It’s science doing its thing. 😉

Side note: At C.O Designs, we prefer to tackle noise the old-fashioned way — by actually reducing it. 😄 Let’s just say we’re team acoustic treatment over team pretend-it’s-white-noise.

Monday Mention: Desks & Benching
From flexible benching to height-adjustable solutions, our desk collections redefine how workspaces function and feel. Whether it’s the clean lines of Adapt, the warmth of Earth Wing, or the innovation of Tekdesk and EasyDesk — C.O Designs creates workspaces that move with you.

🔗 Explore more at www.COdesigns.co.za

Fun Fact Friday 🌀

Here’s a curveball for your coffee break: The very first open-plan office wasn’t designed to boost collaboration at all… it was designed to control people.

Back in the early 1900s, offices were often set up like factory floors. Clerks sat in long rows of desks under the watchful eye of supervisors in raised cubicles or glass “cages” at the back of the room. The goal? Not creativity or culture — but surveillance. Managers could see every move without leaving their perch. 👀

This layout, sometimes called the “Taylorist Office” (after Frederick Taylor’s “scientific management” theories), treated employees more like cogs in a machine than creative thinkers.

Fast forward a century, and office design has flipped. Now, layouts focus on freedom, flexibility, and wellness — the complete opposite of those rigid rows. It makes you wonder: is your office today built to inspire you, or to keep an eye on you? 🤔

🌟 Monday Mention 🌟

This week, we’re celebrating Adele van Zyl, Director of the Johannesburg studio of .global . With over 23 years of experience in corporate interior design, Adele has become a driving force in shaping workplaces that are not only functional but also inspiring.

Her leadership at thinkspace stands out for its clarity, creativity, and precision — guiding projects seamlessly from concept to completion. What truly sets Adele apart is her hands-on approach and her ability to balance detail with big-picture vision, earning the trust of clients across a wide range of corporate sectors.

At C.O Designs, we believe in recognising the leaders who are pushing the boundaries of workplace design. Adele’s work reflects the same passion for innovation and excellence that drives us to engineer the evolution of workspaces.

Here’s to spaces that inspire, and to the people who make them possible! 👏

Fun Fact Friday 🌀

Meet Yoshio Taniguchi — Japanese architect extraordinaire, whose design philosophy subtly shapes how many modern workspaces aspire to feel. It’s not just about desks and chairs; it’s about how light falls, how walls breathe, and how layouts can flex as people and work change.

Taniguchi’s spaces are clean and minimal, yet deeply humane. Furniture and office layouts aren’t just placed—they’re choreographed: you find serenity in clean lines, transparency in materials, adaptability in flow.

So when C.O Designs helps you pick furniture or layout spaces, think: “What would Taniguchi do?” Light, clarity, flexibility, and detail make all the difference.

Fun Fact Friday 🌀

Here’s one for the office design books: Did you know that South Africa was one of the first countries in the world to embrace the “indoor-outdoor” office style back in the 1970s? ☀️🌿

Taking inspiration from our sunny climate and love of open spaces, architects began blending natural light, fresh air, and greenery into office layouts long before “biophilic design” became a global buzzword. Courtyards, sliding glass walls, and leafy atriums weren’t just pretty — they made the workplace healthier, more social, and better connected to the African landscape.

So, while spring reminds the world to open the windows, South African offices have been chasing sunshine and greenery for decades. 🌸

- Celebrating Local - thinkspace

Today we’re celebrating the incredible work of thinkspace, a team that continues to show how local design can set the standard.

Their latest fit-out blends transparency with structure—from enclosed meeting rooms to agile zones, softened with frosted glass, curated graphics, and greenery. It’s a reminder that great workspaces are both functional and inspiring.

We couldn’t agree more with their sentiment: smart planning and seamless ex*****on are what make workplaces thrive. Hats off to thinkspace for another project that raises the bar for office design.

Fun Fact Friday 🌀
Ever heard of the Bürolandschaft? Back in the late 1950s, German designers ditched rigid rows and hierarchy-built offices. Instead, they created organic, flowing office “landscapes” with curvy desk clusters, plants as dividers, and equal access for everyone.

It wasn’t just about furniture — it was about changing office culture. The goal was to encourage collaboration, remove the “corner office” mentality, and give teams spaces that felt alive and connected. 🌿

While open-plan offices often get criticised today, the Bürolandschaft was a genuine attempt to humanise the workplace and break down barriers long before “collaboration zones” or “activity-based working” were even a thing.

So next time you step into a flexible workspace, remember — the roots of modern design stretch back to some bold thinkers with a love for plants, flow, and freedom.