Durden & Hunt, Leigh on Sea

The brief:

As a returning client with a clear brand identity, the brief was the same as our last project for Durden & Hunt – install a shop front with aesthetic corporate continuity but create an interior design that sets the company apart from its competitors. With our designers given free range at its Colchester office, the Leigh on Sea branch was another deep dive into luxe estate agency.

Our approach:

Durden & Hunt’s Leigh on Sea office is the perfect example of a budget-conscious project that still delivers High Street impact. The new premises had fantastic bones and good condition existing flooring, leaving MPL to concentrate on the interior refit and a façade facelift.

The corner position ensured this office was a local community landmark, with scope to increase Durden & Hunt’s brand visibility. The entire shop front was repainted black, to match its Colchester counterpart, with an illuminated projecting sign and trough-lit acrylic bonded text to each of the three sides.

Prominence was amplified by the installation of double sided, A3-size display pockets – mounted on ceiling-suspended cables and framed in black. MPL completed the associated electrical reconfiguration to also allow for LED illumination, ensuring the display garners attention after dark.

The office interior continues the monochrome theme but with a modern twist. Warm beige and gold are favoured ahead of stark white, with bags of texture adding interest. The dramatic focal point is the triple aspect waiting area, which steps out of the ordinary with unique touches.

A bespoke round banquette seating arrangement – covered in tactile boucle fabric and with a faux blossom tree in the middle - creates a real focal point that draws inspiration from the retail sector. Suspended pendant lights add an eye-catching, overhead dimension and serve to separate this area from the rest of the office.

New sleekly-styled slab-end desks provide work stations for six employees, with contemporary occasional chairs for visitors, also in a soft boucle upholstery. Warmth is added to the neutral monochrome palette by a golden wall mural, its metallic sheen matching the waiting area’s drop pendants. There’s also a feature wall of textured wallpaper – its inky black hues contrasted with a white Durden & Hunt wall logo

The final part of the office to receive a refit was the private office. Here monochrome magic manifests as a wallpapered feature wall – a stylistic giant leaf outline giving classic botanical vibes. Opulence is added by four beige velvet chairs positioned around a cream meeting table.

Additional elements

MPL added black drum-style light shades to the suspended pendants outside of the waiting area, installed a wall-mounted screen in the private office, supplied and fitted blinds, and created a bespoke refreshment station.