We are always getting asked here at Hubble for offices in London with a little bit of flair and originality. Indeed, where you spend your working hours is incredibly important for business, creation and productivity.
So we thought we’d take a look at some office and workspaces of some of the most creative and inspiring people on the planet.
Everyone from tech CEOs to Prime Ministers to talk show hosts, we have managed to uncloak the veil behind how these extraordinary people work when the limelight is not shining on them (and hopefully might provide some ideas for your own workspace too!)
1) Steve Jobs, founder of Apple
We have all heard the story of Steve Jobs and the Apple boys starting off life in his Palo Alto garage, but by the looks of things some of his operations still happened there!
2) Arianna Huffington, founder & CEO, The Huffington Post
We like this office as it has a cozy, homely feel to it but judging by the screens through the glass, it is very much part of a bigger newsroom office. (Greenwich Village, New York)
3) Roald Dahl, author
The famous shed at the back of Roald Dahl’s garden in Buckinghamshire (UK) where the genius author crafted some of the most enjoyable children’s stories we know today. He often said there was always a copious amount of chocolate around to keep him going (you can see some on the desk) – no prizes for guessing which of his novels that inspired!
4) Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft
Yeah, we didn’t think he used an iMac either. (Mountain View, California)
5) John Lennon & Yoko Ono
The Upper Westside Apartment in New York, where Lennon and his wife found the creativity to write songs and poetry. Lennon would be murdered not far from this spot soon after.
6) Yves Saint Laurent, fashion designer
The desk space of the late, great fashion designer in Paris, France.
7) HM Queen Elizabeth II
Her Royal Highness chilling at her Balmoral Castle office, presumably after an afternoon having high tea on the lawn with the corgis. We hope they’ve upgraded that TV by now! (Balmoral Castle, Scotland)
HM The Queen’s ‘french desk’ at Buckingham Palace, London.
8) Rudyard Kipling, author
It’s not hard to see where Kipling went for reference whilst surrounding himself with a library of books. And, of course, it wouldn’t be right for The Jungle Book author to not be wearing a colonial hat. (Sussex, UK)
9) Mark Zuckerberg, founder & CEO, Facebook
Zuckerberg is known to keep it casual and this seems to extend to his desk positioning also. He does not shy away in a glass office at the top of the building but rather sits at an ordinary desk in the middle of the office floor. He seems to like Gatorade too! (Palo Alto, California)
10) Albert Einstein, scientist
A relatively basic setting for probably history’s most intelligent man. Clearly not a fan of ordering his papers, much like most offices today. (Princeton, New Jersey, USA)
11) Anna Wintour, chief editor of Vogue (US)
A modern, art-deco office in a high-rise New York building for the chief of fashion. Not really much different from how we would have imagined it to be honest (we’ve all seen The Devil Wears Prada!)
12) Prime Ministers of UK, Winston Churchill & David Cameron
Churchill seems to be an early-adopter of the standing desk concept that has started to float around startup offices recently. No doubt that’s an original hipster cigar he is enjoying also. (Westminster, London)
It is unknown how long Prime Minister David Cameron actually spends at his Downing Street desk everyday as he is always on-the-go. He might just be ordering a pizza in this picture for all we know (or a Byron for George)
13) Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
Buffet’s famously frugal lifestyle is reflected in his home office. He still in fact lives in the same home he bought in 1958 for $30,000. Does he always dress in a suit when working from home? (Omaha, Nebraska, USA)
14) Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights leader
A fairly simple and basic office where MLK produced some of the world’s most iconic speeches. Still trying to work out if that trophy was for winning the local public speaking competition. (Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
15) Oprah Winfrey, talk show host and entrepreneur
Apparently shades are absolutely necessary when in the office. Well, when you’re Oprah Winfrey, anything goes really. (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
16) Bill Clinton, former US President
Clinton and Obama just chilling like old buds in the former’s Harlem, New York office. We see he took the Presidential pillow from the Oval Office couch with him. Or maybe Hillary knitted it after she left office?
17) Hubble Team
The Hubble team, not quite rich or famous yet, but we hope we’re on our way, working very hard in our brand new offices in Shoreditch, London!
And there you have it. We know a lot of you startup folks will be rich and famous one day, so be sure to find your creative hub with us here at Hubble too!