Flax-Forward Details in a Studio Built for Creativity
IA Interior Architects Studio
- Architect: IA Interior Architects
- Vertical: Workplace
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Product: Ekoa in Graphite & Estero
- Installation: Reception desk & millwork
- Scale: 736 SF
Impact
CO2 sequestered
equivalent annual carbon uptake
The design challenge
IA’s San Francisco studio was designed as more than a workplace. Located on the ground floor, the studio brings designers, clients, collaborators, and the community into the creative process. The reception desk needed to make a strong first impression while fitting naturally into a space defined by experimentation, collaboration, and a rich mix of materials. Separately, a space designated for new parents needed to feel secure and private, set apart from the bustle of the studio.
Material solution
Ekoa in Graphite brings a sleek, grounding quality to the reception desk. Its deep charcoal color gives the surface a strong, modern presence, while the flax grain adds subtle depth and material character.
Experience in the space
At the entry, the reception desk sets the tone for a studio designed around creativity and connection. Graphite gives the desk a crisp, sophisticated look, with Ekoa’s distinctive fiber grain adding visual interest to the dark surface.
Separately, a smaller space designated for new parents needed to feel secure and private, set apart from the bustle of the studio. Estero, a deeper brown shade of Ekoa, was used on the cabinets in this private space, to pair with the warmer tones of the room.
Sustainability & healthy interiors
IA’s studio takes a resource-conscious approach to its design, incorporating adaptive reuse, restored and reupholstered furniture, archival pieces, and work from local makers.
Ekoa extends that thinking to the reception desk and cabinets with a surface made from rapidly renewable flax and plant-based resins. Ekoa is Red List Free and Clean Air GOLD certified, with an ultra-low VOC profile and documented material transparency through its EPD and HPD.
Durability & performance
At the reception desk, Ekoa stands up to frequent contact, daily activity, and the wear that comes with welcoming clients and collaborators.
In the parents’ room, the same durability makes Ekoa a practical choice for cabinetry in a space designed for everyday use. Impact, scratch, and stain resistance help the material maintain its refined finish across both high-traffic and more personal applications.
“Ekoa represents the future of sustainable design — where timeless aesthetics meet resilient performance. It’s a material that supports both human well-being and planetary health, which are core priorities at IA.”
Installation & detailing
Ekoa was fabricated as part of the reception desk and lower cabinets, with the material integrated into the millwork for a clean, precise finish. The natural fiber grain gives the deep tones a subtle variation on each surface that reinforces the material’s character without competing with the surrounding design.
Outcome
The reception desk makes Ekoa part of the studio’s first impression: a sleek, durable surface with a distinctly different material story. In the parents’ room, the richly colored cabinets ground the design and add to the sense of privacy.
In a workplace designed to question conventions and explore new possibilities, even small details like this can start the conversation.
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