Trit House Chronicles with Nadia Bartel in the Henne Office

Step inside Henne HQ and you’ll find a space that perfectly mirrors the brand’s refined, understated aesthetic. Bathed in natural light and layered with thoughtfully chosen pieces from Trit House, the open-plan office balances creativity with calm. It’s here that founder Nadia Bartel and her team design, collaborate and dream up collections that have become synonymous with quiet confidence. We spoke with Nadia about how design influences her day-to-day, creating a workspace that feels as inviting as it is functional, and the role furniture plays in shaping the energy of a space.

Let’s start with the space itself – can you tell us a bit about the Henne office and how the space is used?

Absolutely! The Henne office is a big open plan space, it serves as our workspace for all our Henne designs, as well as the perfect place for creativity and collaboration with our team. We loved this space when we found it a few years ago as it has big windows with lots of natural light coming in at all times of the day and high ceilings.

Especially the area where a lot of the beautiful Trit furniture is, this is the area right in front of the windows where we spend a lot of time sitting on the floor working on designs, in fittings and creative brainstorms. We also do a lot of our content from here. It’s where the team comes together to align on vision, whether it’s planning a new collection or prepping for a campaign shoot.

There’s a mix of open-plan workstations and quiet nooks, allowing our team to shift between collaborative work and focused tasks. 

You’ll also find a lot of clothes everywhere, but that’s also a sign of how hard we work, so the office can sometimes look like a bit of a mess, we have almost outgrown the space.

Henne is known for its refined, minimalist aesthetic. How did that translate into the interiors?

To be honest, our office interiors are still a work in progress, but there’s definitely a strong connection between how we approach clothing design and how we envision our spaces. Especially if you look at our retail stores, they have a strong connection to our aesthetic. We are drawn to beautiful details and spaces that feel warm and welcoming.

We’ve noticed some bold picks from United Strangers at the forefront, what was it about this brand that caught your eye?

We love the pieces from Trit that we have included in our office as they have made our office feel much more welcoming and comfortable. The Tribecca Sofa is a beautiful timeless piece and really centres the space.

The Rudolph chairs are also great as they can be moved around easily, so they are great to sit on, but we also love using them in our content too.

^{Rainbow Magazine Rack, Rudolph Chair, Tribecca Sofa & Boulder Side Table all from United Strangers}

How do you want people to feel when they walk into the Henne HQ? Do you have a favourite piece in the office?

We want everyone, whether it’s a client, collaborator, or someone from our team to feel instantly welcomed and at ease. You spend so much of your life at work, so creating an environment that feels relaxed, inspiring, and comfortable is really important to us. That’s why we’ve chosen high-quality furniture that’s not only beautiful but functional and inviting.

One of my favourite pieces in the office is the curved US couch as I feel so relaxed and inspired on it. It’s also the space we work through our designs and do all our fits around, so it has a lot of good memories.

We also have a big marble table we designed in another area in the office that I love as it also has a lot of memories from when we first started and this piece was at our first office which was located on top of our Greville St store.

What role does design play in your day-to-day, do you find it influences your creativity or the way your team works together?

Design is at the core of everything we do, not just in the pieces we create, but in how we work as a team. A considered space has a huge impact on my mindset and energy. When your environment feels calm, and intentional, it naturally fosters creativity and focus.

It also shapes how we work together, we’re very collaborative at Henne, so having open spaces allows ideas to flow more freely. Design isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about creating a feeling. We want our customers to feel something when they wear Henne, a sense of confidence, and quiet strength. That same energy informs the spaces we build and how we move through them.

What does a typical morning look like for you? Do you have any rituals that help set the tone for the day?

I’m a morning person, and over time I’ve found a rhythm that really works for me. I usually wake up before 5am, I love having that quiet time before the day gets busy and the boys get up. I always start with journaling; getting my thoughts down on paper gives me clarity and helps me focus on what I want to achieve. After that, I take my supplements and either do a Pilates session at home or head to the gym for a weight’s workout.

That combination of movement and mindfulness really sets me up to feel centred, focused, and ready for the day ahead. I know this may be a lot for some people to get up so early, but because my days are so fast paced it allows me to feel in control as I get my time every morning.

And finally, any advice for other business owners designing a space that needs to feel on brand?

I think it really comes down to what feels authentic to you and how your team works best. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach; it’s about creating a space that reflects your brand’s values and energy. At Henne, we have a relaxed, family-style vibe because that’s how we love to work, and it brings out the best in our team. The most important thing is that the space feels genuine to your culture, when it does, everything else tends to flow naturally

Keep up with Nadia Bartel – https://www.instagram.com/nadiabartel/

See more of the space and keep up with the office on the Henne TikTok Account.