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For twenty years, 'serious' meant glass, chrome, and a table you could see your reflection in. That language is losing ground — not to austerity, but to warmth.
Why warmth reads as trust
Cold, reflective surfaces put clients on guard. Fluted timber, wool upholstery, and matte stone put them at ease before the meeting starts — and an at-ease client negotiates differently.
“The most expensive room in the building shouldn't feel like the coldest one.”
NextOffice Design Studio
None of this softens the room's authority. It just relocates it from the finish to the proportions.
