When Style Does the Heavy Lifting 

Martha Mulholland didn’t design an office space. She designed a feeling. The Kentucky-born, LA-based designer was given a commercial project that would make most people sweat. Transform a National Register of Historic Places building, Charleston’s old city jail, into a headquarters worthy of the South’s leading lifestyle magazine. Not just a place to work, but a space for storytelling, hospitality, and gathering. History on the walls. Deadlines on the calendar. Cocktail parties on the calendar. 

She didn’t blink. 

The result is Garden & Gun’s new home at 21 Magazine Street, and it is stunning. Mulholland layered a warm, classic palette over those big, bright open spaces with rich saturated colors doing the heavy lifting against neutral walls and nineteenth-century windows. English and Early American vernacular meets modern function. Curated antiques next to built-in storefront glass enclosures. Artisan lighting that carries the room seamlessly from editorial hours into the evening. 

Every corner has a job, and every corner looks gorgeous doing it.

We’re proud that Crypton Home’s performance fabrics, much of it upholstered on Four Hands Furniture pieces, are part of what makes this space work as hard as it looks. Mulholland put it perfectly, “Elegant enough for a cocktail party and practical enough for an office.” That’s the bar. And in a real, working headquarters, that bar gets tested constantly. 

In the Workroom, Fenn Dining Chairs with plush bolsters pull double duty for heads-down work and evening guests.   

In the kitchen area, co-workers can gather on the banquette seating upholstered in Kitt in Smokey Quartz. You may recognize this high-performance fabric from the Heirloom Archives Collection available at United Fabrics.    

An accent bench upholstered in Crypton Home’s Sintra – Shark anchors the hallway, while the sectional was an existing piece they reupholstered in Crypton’s Branson in Sand available at Greenhouse Fabrics.  

All upholstered in our performance fabrics, which means spills bead up, stains don’t penetrate, and odors don’t linger (yes, we’re side-eyeing that co-worker who brings salmon for lunch).  

The magic of Crypton is embedded in the fiber, so it’s there for life and will never wash away. In a high-traffic space that doubles as an event venue, that’s not a nice-to-have; that’s a must-have. 

“Many fabrics claim stain resistance,” Mulholland says, “but only one has truly earned that reputation.” Well, shucks, Martha, you’re making us blush!  

High style and everyday life both get a seat at the table. Hop over to see more of this beautiful, hardworking office space on Garden & Gun’s website. We guarantee it’s worth the click. 

Photography By Shade Degges.