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Visiting a person’s workspace is like taking a peek inside their brain. Whether it’s at home or in an art studio, Nice Work explores where creative people do all of their, well, creating, so that you can steal their on-the-clock style.
Name: Melanie Masarin
Occupation: Founder and CEO of Ghia
Where I work: I work out of a Tudor home in Beachwood Canyon. It has two bedrooms, two offices, a big dining room, kitchen, living room, and outdoor space. While we would have liked something more modern, we loved how familiar and warm it was, so we decided to bring it into our weird, colorful world.
Wait, bedrooms—in an office? We have a few remote team members who love to come and visit. Whenever we have a really busy workweek, they’ll come to L.A. to support, so we want them to always be comfortable. We constantly host friends of the brand, too. This office is closer to a hotel than anything else!
Why I chose the space: I really didn’t want a traditional office. I wanted the space to be an extension of how we started the company out of my house. I wanted to keep the same feeling of gathering at a table to collaborate in the spirit of Ghia.
Time I start: We usually start around 9 a.m. and leave around 6 p.m. I really support schedule flexibility as long as all of our work gets done.
How I get to work: I’m lucky to only be about a six-minute drive from the office, and I get there in my old ’90s Mercedes.
How many other people work here: Between five and 10, depending on the day.
Three words that describe my space: Colorful, welcoming, comfortable.
Why there is a kitchen: Everything we do is inspired by sharing a meal together. It’s how we came up with the idea for Ghia. We still cook at the house and host quite often. Just like a normal house, the kitchen really is the heart of our office.
Glasses we always have in the bar cabinet: Our Ghia x Sophie Lou Jacobsen Totem glasses and a lot of vintage eBay finds from my personal collection.
Story behind the rainbow sofa: The sofa is a 1972 Etienne Fermigier that we found at South Loop Loft. We loved the colors and that we could arrange it however we wanted. I really pride myself on the fact that about 80 percent of the pieces in the office are secondhand or vintage and usually very inexpensive—but the sofa was our big splurge. The house also has a number of pieces from my personal collection. As soon as I was able to afford it, I started buying myself a design piece every year for my birthday. On my 29th birthday I bought an Uchiwa lamp by Ingo Maurer, and on my 30th I bought the Perriand swivel chairs that are around the dining table. They all live in the office now.
What’s on the walls: Disco Nap [paint] from our friends at Backdrop, and a mural by Xavier Donnelly in the dining room.
How we stay organized: We have a clean-desk policy without assigned desks, so we move around a lot. We try to keep all notes digital and have lots of closet space for samples and physical things.
Desk chair that I could (and do) spend hours in: We use vintage Eames desk chairs that I bought at auction in 2020 when all offices shut down. We didn’t even have an office yet, but I couldn’t pass them up.
When I’m not at my desk, I post up… On my balcony, at Maru coffee in Los Feliz, or somewhere I can surf.
How I fight the 3 p.m. slump: A Ghia Lime + Salt Le Spritz.
Ideal office snack: West~bourne Togarashi Crunch; it’s addictive!
Preferred soundtrack: Carlos, my assistant extraordinaire, usually picks the music. He’s very into French indie, so Phoenix is always on rotation.