Propped up on Boylston Street across from classy department stores and amidst a bopping bar scene sits Boston’s newest coworking spot, Idea Space. Before you jump to conclusions, understand that this isn't your typical community-crashing den; You’ll find no day-old pizza boxes or bright, cubed furniture here.
But sparkling wine glasses begging for a fresh pour? Sure. Buttery leather arm chairs, as handsome as they are comfy? Definitely.
Sounds like we could move in. For life. And that’s kind of the point.
“We wanted it to be a place people feel like home,” explained Idea Space Founder Lauren Mearn to BostInno. “We have more of an aesthetic that you would want in your living room, when you’re curling up on your couch.”
A fleet of fire-engine red counter chairs look out a large wall-sized window looking out over the Fenway neighborhood; one individual office boasts a postcard-worthy view of the blinking Citgo sign. Tables and desks are wood-cut, with a warm stain, while cozy cloth chairs in soothing colors sit scooped underneath. Einstein light bulbs dangle from the ceiling of the entryway, above a navy chevron carpet and an cushioned egg-white ottoman.
“Our location and our build-out are really high quality," shared the founder. On the service-side, "We call it, 'going back to basics,' and giving people the service they deserve and that they pay for."
Shell out for a membership (packages and prices are more flexible than the newly opened WeWork), and you’ll get a full-time receptionist, 24/7 access and a kitchen freshly stocked with coffee, tea and healthy snacks. ““We go above and beyond," explains Mearn. "If we have a member that needs wine glasses for a tasting, we’re going to be the ones that run next door to Crate + Barrel and buy wine glasses for the meeting.”
Though Idea Space is barely three weeks old, its unique value is more than apparent to entrepreneurs and companies already. Mearn said that in less than two months, all seats will likely be sold.
You can credit that quick market success to Mearn’s business savvy. After spending her undergrad at Babson and getting her MBA at Boston College, she worked for a few years in advertising at locally-based DigitasLBi.
Even at the agency, however, “I knew I had a vision, even though I never had a background in interior design or construction,” said Mearn. In fact, the innovator had been concocting the idea of a coworking company all her own for years before opening Idea Space, with all of its personalized flair.
Shared Mearn, “Instead of just filling seats in offices, we want to make sure people are happy, and that they’re getting the service they think they’re paying for." At Idea Space, you can receive that proper care – whilst nestled in cute, comfy seats, at that.
