Spaces

A few months ago, Spaces reached out to me letting me know they were opening in St. Louis in the central west end. They offered me one free week working in their flexible office-space environment in exchange for a review on the blog. Although I can certainly do my job remotely, being out of the office for an entire week is difficult. So, while I wasn't sure if I was going to agree to the collaboration, I still thought it was a really interesting concept and I immediately forwarded the website to the 3 co-workers on my team since this is architecture and design related after all. All of them were intrigued, so I decided to ask if Spaces would be willing to give all 4 of us access to the space for a day, and they said yes!

Disclosure: Although Spaces agreed to sponsor this post and our visit, all views expressed are my own!

The best way to describe this is a community office. Instead of parking yourself at a Starbucks all day, you can come here, use their variety of sitting areas, or even rent a private office or conference room for the day or by the hour. I could see how this could be extremely valuable to an entrepreneur who works out of their home and needs a proper place for meetings. For someone like me whose job already provides them with office space and amenities, a space like this gives me the opportunity to work without the distractions of the office, i.e. people stopping by your desk just to chit chat, going up and down the stairs 38784 times to check your mailbox or get more coffee from the kitchen. Plus the networking opportunity is awesome. There was a fashion designer apparently with office space on the third floor here. I would have loved to run into him getting coffee!

Speaking of kitchen - they had this coffee area with snacks and such. Coffee is pay-per-cup, but they had every kind of espresso drink or coffee you could ever want. Snacks come with your visit, so you could help yourself to that, or if you prefer, you can bring your own snacks, which is what we opted to do. They did have an actual kitchen with a fridge and microwave and such for those that typically bring their lunch. Sometimes my team and I like to share a bottle of wine while we work - I swear it makes us more productive! And doing that here was ok as well. Sarah, the receptionist, brought us glasses and even offered us a wine opener if we needed it.

There was every possible sitting situation you could imagine. More casual seats like this lobby setting. Library tables for working or snacking or just discussing.

If I were working by myself, these booths would be my first preference. I like having the space to spread out, but I like the partially enclosed space for a little more privacy and focus.

Back behind the spiral staircase you will see more work areas. They're "shared" semi-private meeting and work spaces. You pay a little bit more since you're not in the common space, but since you are still sharing this space with other people, it's not as much as paying for a private office. They provide lockers for your personal belongings in this space if needed.

A better look at the semi-private work area

The four of us ended up working in a conference room. We needed access to a phone because we had a call to join, and we also wanted the ability to share our computer screen onto a big screen. The projection screen was wireless! You simply had to type the IP address into your web browser, enter the security code you were given and voila! Your computer screen was now up on the wall for everyone to see. We take turns sharing our screen as we meet, so this was extremely convenient.

I brought snacks for all of us to share while we met - a fruit nut mix, some crackers, bananas, and jelly beans. The amount of jelly beans we consume is pretty epic! I mentioned our wine already. Sarah brought us some bottled water also. All members also receive a swag bag with note pads, pencils, and a travel mug. We each got one for our visit, the only difference was that we didn't get an office key!

 

These are a couple of examples of what the private offices look like. I am lucky at my office and have a window to look out of, but I know not everyone is that lucky! The natural light is great, and I loved the views of the city. The simple but fun decor is just enough to help keep everything looking more lived-in and less sterile.

This was the cutest little touch for me! So clever! As part of your stay, you are free to take the bikes for a spin. Since this location is in the Central West End, it's really perfect for a quick bike ride! So many great shops, bars, and restaurants nearby. I was kicking myself for not having a change of clothes (heels plus a tulle skirt are probably not good for a bike ride....) That would have been so fun!

On top of the space feeling so great to be in, the staff was so extremely helpful! I've obviously had several collaborations before and been spoiled by other brands and services, but Spaces really went above and beyond. Sarah at the front desk was so helpful and friendly and knowledgeable. She made our stay extra hospitable.

Here are the rates at Spaces if you're interested! I think about what I spend buying food and drink at a Starbucks. Looking at these rates seems really reasonable to me.

--Normal membership rate: $197/month

--Pop-In Business club rate: $25 per person, per day

--Private office rate: $81/day or $21/hour

--Meeting space rate: 

----8 person - $108/day or $27/hour

----10 person - $180/day or $45/hour

Top: American Eagle | Skirt: Express (option) | Heels: Valentino "Rockstud"

And if you're just here for my outfits, here is what I decided to wear. I just bought the tank thanks to it being on crazy sale due to the 4th of July. I knew I wanted to wear it, but planned to wear it with jeans or pants instead. It looked a bit too casual with pants so I decided to tuck it into a skirt and loved it way better! Anything plus tulle and lace has got to be good, right?! I figured we would be walking to and from lunch, so I went for my Rockstuds. I know that seems counterintuitive, but I promise, these heels are more comfy that 99% of the heels I own! Very walkable and they didn't disappointment me even this day.

Thanks so much to Spaces for the opportunity to try out their new digs! I know we will find time to make it back there again. We all truly enjoyed it THAT much. 

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Linking up with: Oh, Hey Girl!, What I Wore Wednesday, Gina and Amy Ann for Style on the Daily