Feng Shui at the Republic of Tea

Republic of Tea using feng shui in office
Location, layout improves business environment, productivity

By Paul Jones
Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 2:22 PM PDT

The Republic of Tea, one of Novato’s more recognizable companies, has created a successful niche purveying a product many use to relax and unwind. But for employees of the company, that state of mind isn’t a luxury reserved for after-hours. It’s an environment the Republic uses to improve conditions at work.

The strategy seems to have worked for the importer, which has grown large enough to move its headquarters from its previous location on Digital Drive to Hangar 5 at the Hamilton Landing. There, according to “Minister of Enlightenment” Meredith Post, who heads the company’s media relations, The Republic of Tea has used the ancient Chinese art of feng shui to arrange its office environment. Management believes the fastidiously arranged office space will improve conditions for employees and impress prospective and returning buyers, benefiting the corporation on multiple levels.

The location of the new office was the first step in creating the preferred atmosphere for employees, said Post.

“We just moved (to Hamilton Landing) on May 21,” she said. “We had just grown to the point that we needed more space, but we’re very committed to staying in Novato … (and) we loved what they’re doing at Hamilton.”

The office park, which has received recognition for its “green” design and mix of tenants, was a good fit, said Post.

“There are a lot of artists, and people who are creative for a living. Whether we’re talking about game designers at Take Two or Nihilistic, or (employees of) Birkenstock and Smith & Hawken, we liked the overall vibe and feel of Hamilton,” she said. “It was like a college campus, we could go on the grass for lunch, it’s a dog-friendly space. We like walking on the levee, and how they are environmentally-sensitive about how they run the complex.”

However, inside the company’s leasing space, The Republic of Tea’s design aspirations took charge.

“Barbara Lyons Stewart, who is based in San Anselmo, did our design and architecture for us,” said Post. “You can take and existing space and make it feng shui, but here, we were able to get more space to allow her to design (completely). Everything should be functional, comfortable and understated.”

From the basic architecture to the layout of furniture, the office has been designed to accommodate both comfort and functionality.

“This wall is sort of the core of the office, so it’s the color red, which means power, the fire color,” said Post, motioning towards a thick support structure in the center of the forward office space. “It means strength; it’s powerful. It creates a sense of foundation. Also, for example, this post here is green because it emulates a tree. Feng shui is connected to nature, so it’s kind of a grounding item.”

The different rooms are also designed in relation to one another.

“This is the power-corner of the office,” said Post, pointing to a room to the rear left of the main entrance. “So it needs to have light on it at all times, and there has to be something moving constantly, so we put a lava lamp in it. We thought that was funny.”

Antique furniture allows the office to stay simple without looking sterile, Post said.

“This is an antique piece,” she said, pointing to a bench in the office’s “Peach Tea Room,” where management meets with clients. “One of the things we did was to mix the modern with the antique … One of the guiding principles of feng shui is clean, uncluttered space. But you have to run an office efficiently and practically as well. So you’ll see a more modern boardroom table, but surrounded by vintage pieces.”

Ergonomics and etiquette also guided the design of office cubicles, she said.

“You can see here a mirror (on a desk top) which is a feng shui touch, because you’re back should never be to another person, So that gives you the option to face who’s behind you while working with them,” said Post.

If workspace organization has value for any company, it is especially important for the Republic of Tea. The high-art of aesthetic tea preparation is accommodated by the layout of their product-demonstration room.

“We have these cupboards with wooden poles (just beneath the counter-top),” said Post. “You can pull them out, and then you have a tray here where you can brew the tea and pour it, and it showcases the tea. And it kind of sets like this, where you have the leaves here, and you have the cups of tea here.”

In addition to selling clients on the merits of the product, tea-preparing is always available to employees, both for relaxation, and to keep them knowledgeable and interested in their business.

Post said the use of feng shui for layout had been very successful for the company, and garnered appreciation from employees. The company’s next move will be to expand the idea to encompass other locations owned by the company.

“We have a number of employees, including a distribution center in the Midwest,” she said. “ That will have similar characteristics (to the Novato office), like similar lamps and things like that to connect (employees’ environments). Our warehouse is even feng shui designed.”

Contact Paul Jones at pjones@novatoadvance.com.By Rob Mitchell