Modern wine merchant Flint has partnered with their upstairs neighbour, architects Mowat & Company, to redesign its headquarters in Kennington, South London. The once tired and overcrowded office space has been thoughtfully reimagined as an accessible, design-led environment that will allow the team to foster relationships and build connections. A physical expression of the company’s values, the new space is a celebration of Flint’s merited reputation as a trusted and established name in the wine industry.
Approaching their twentieth anniversary in business, Flint recognised that the business had outgrown its existing office on Stannary Street, unchanged since 2013 when founding directors Jason Haynes, Sam Clarke and Gearoid Devaney MS had decided to purchase the site. Alongside newly appointed Managing Director Katy Keating, they faced a decision to either relocate or reinvest in the space.
Prioritising stability, a logical plan was chosen to stay at the Kennington office. New design thinking ensured a cost effective solution without compromising footprint, whilst enabling Flint to strengthen existing connections in the local area.
After a period of industry-leading growth, the office could no longer accommodate the whole team of nearly forty people, lacking sufficient storage, and visually underrepresenting Flint’s identity in the field.
The new design reflects a workspace that meets more than just their standard operational needs, but also embodies the quality of wines, hospitality mindset and outstanding service that have defined Flint’s journey.
The office plan posed lighting challenges and layout constraints due to its deep and narrow format with glazing only along the short front and rear elevations. Curious to see how their upstairs neighbour, Mowat & Company, had approached the unique space, the directors turned to the architects for inspiration. The conversation organically evolved and Mowat & Company joined as the project’s architectural partners.
A new plan has been introduced entirely replacing its precedent, to make more logical use of Flint's headquarters, given its larger team, to improve circulation and increase functionality. Public and client-facing areas and back-of-house operations are now distinguishable. A sole meeting room no longer doubles as the tasting, kitchen and garden access. The tasting room is now at the ‘shop front’ of the office looking out onto Stannary Street, with the additional benefit of allowing for natural light while evaluating wine samples. As part of Flint’s commitment to hosting wine producers and clients in the comfort of their own home, an adjoining butlers kitchen and temperature controlled cabinets allow for uninterrupted and intimate tastings.
In the window, Flint’s bespoke spittoon from 2013 is proudly positioned. Carved from stone sourced from Burgundy, chosen for its significance to the company’s origins, it bridges Flint’s past and present.
A small garden hugging the rear elevation is a crucial light well. Previously this was overgrown with light-seeking climbers that blocked valuable natural light from reaching the ground floor office. Mowat & Company introduced a stepped planting scheme designed to open up light and restore a visual connection to the outdoors. Shade-loving native plants have been positioned where they can be seen from within the office. The scheme was delivered in collaboration with Walworth Garden, a registered charity and community garden centre located just minutes away from Stannary Street.
Service areas including a new kitchen and two WCs are centrally positioned, and shift into the wider workspace beyond. From here, a row of modular desks and comfortable chairs by Kennington-based supplier Very Good & Proper stretches towards the rear glazing, accommodating both hot-desking for sales teams and fixed setups. At the rear, the double-width layout allows for a second, shorter row of desks, bringing the team closer together with better access to natural light.
Closed-fronted oak cupboards run the length of the north-east elevation, providing ample storage throughout the office. An eye-level niche has been designed as part of the cabinetry, complete with evenly spaced, drilled circles and lighting for Flint to elegantly display the wine bottles themselves. These sampled bottles are proudly displayed, celebrating Flint’s first-hand knowledge and the connections built over many open bottles.
Formerly Flint Wines, the fine wine merchants recently rebranded, dropping the latter part of their name. Led by Sean Chilvers Design, they placed storytelling at the heart of the brand, with a new logotype for the logo itself created with curved character serifs mimicking the sloping shoulders of a bottle of Burgundy. The new brand colours were inspired by the natural materials and tones found in the wine making process. This thoughtful approach has been carried through into the office environment, a clear expression of the Flint brand, warm oak and textural finishes evoke the craft and terroir of winemaking.
Flint’s new HQ is a celebration of hyper-local collaboration and material resourcefulness working
simultaneously to prioritise the wellbeing of their team as the business continues to adapt and grow.
The result is a convivial, balanced workplace, reflecting Flint’s core values centred around genuine hospitality, which positions wine as the ultimate connector between people and place.
Team:
Local Authority: Lambeth Council
Architect, Interior Design, Landscape, Principal designer: Mowat & Company
Client: Flint Wines Limited
Form of contract/procurement: JCT Minor Works Contract 2024
Interior Design Mowat & Company / Flint Wines
Gardeners: Walworth Garden
Structural engineer: Full Circle Workplace (CDP)
M&E consultant: Full Circle Workplace (CDP)
Quantity surveyor: Storey Project
Lighting consultant: LAPD Consultants
Main contractor: Full Circle Workspace
Joinery: Gemini Bespoke Joinery
Photographer Tim Salisbury
Materials Used:
Paint: Dulux
Shelving: Gemini Bespoke Joinery
Kitchen: Worktop Corian
Lighting: Vibia (Knitted pendants); Lucent (bathroom lights); Optelma (office pendants); Lucent (track lights)
Windows + Doors: Gemini Bespoke Joinery
Furniture: Very Good & Proper; Herman Miller (chairs)
