Ten Great Startup Offices

Stuffy suites and even stuffier cubicles: you’ll find none of these in a typical startup office. More than a few founders I know started their companies to crash their way out of cubicle hell with quirky, quixotic offices that embody their startup’s philosophy. A great startup office can not only boost productivity and employee morale, but also work as an excellent recruitment tool. From conference rooms named with names pulled from Batman comics to vast reading nooks and hangout zones, you’ll find them all in these ten startup offices.

1. AirBnB

Being part of the billion dollar valuation club allows you to afford certain luxuries such as a startup offices that defines ‘cool’. With conference rooms that look like gigantic Alice-in-Wonderlandesque mushrooms to a men’s room with a large antelope head sticking out of the wall, this is one office you’d definitely love to work in.

Reading nooks and dogs: The two ingredients of a successful startup office

This conference room resembles a mushroom. Others take inspiration from Berlin studios and Hong Kong apartments.

A giant antelope head stares back in the men's room. Nice.

See more pictures at BusinessInsider

2. 37Signals

The internet’s marquee SaaS brand moved into its new Chicago offices not too long back. Clean, efficient and understated, it’s minimalistic design with oodles of open space bears none of the colors and chaos that dominate AirBnB’s offices. This is a programmer’s office, where you can zone-out and code hard without any distractions. The use of glass, wood, and an open layout gives it a semblance of ‘lightness’ found in few startup offices. Me gusta.

Minimalistic design aesthetics and plenty of open space combine to create a sense of 'lightness'

This is a programmer's office with few distractions.

See more pictures at Officeal

3. Three Rings Design

Before being acquired by SEGA, San Francisco based game design company, Three Rings Design, inhabited one of the coolest offices in all of tech. Painstakingly designed to resemble the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, it is a tribute to steampunk and Victorian design aesthetics. In a sea of glass and steel offices, the Three Rings office stands out as an ode to inspirational, quirky, yet functional design.

The decor looks straight out of "A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". Yes, I saw that movie.

The steampunk design lends the office a lot of character and personality

This gorgeous window was originally meant to open onto a submarine walkway.

See more pictures at Wired

4. Threadless

Everyone’s favorite online T-shirt retailer has an office inspired by street art and gaming culture. Rows of old school arcade games line its walls, and you’ll find plenty of references to the art of Banksy et al.

Old school arcade machines line the walls in the game room

A creepy-happy fridge, mannequins dressed in Threadless t-shirts, and graffiti complete the game room. Question: how do you get to the fridge?

This trailer is used for social media production.

See more pictures at Officeal.

5. Seamless

Online food delivery startup, Seamless, has an office that abounds in high-tech gadgetry. From gigantic touchscreen LED TVs to conference rooms that can be booked through a central control panel, the Seamless offices should make any nerd go a little weak in the knees.

The Game Room: No startup can do without it

The reception area is vibrant and open with plenty of light

This display panel is made up of 4 touchscreen TVs. Very Minority Report.

See more pictures at BusinessInsider

6. General Assembly

New York based General Assembly provides shared office space to startups and entrepreneurs. A shared office space presents a unique design challenge – creating a sense of community without compromising on privacy. With its wide open spaces, private conference rooms, and custom-designed furniture, General Assembly rises up to meet the challenge.

The layout blends large open spaces with private meeting rooms

Rough wooden desks add instant character. The entire office is filled with such thoughtful touches

See more pictures at BusinessInsider

7. SoundCloud

The SoundCloud office has none of the sophistication or sheer design flair of some of the other offices on this list. Yet, the sunlit, open space looks particularly inviting with a fresh-out-of-college feel. After raising $50M in funding recently, SoundCloud might graduate from its current office very soon – which would be shame because the sunlit space just makes me want to grab a chair and hack the night away.

The sunlit deck is a great place to work until the wee hours of the morning. Or to party.

There's an unmistakable 'college startup' feel to the office space.

More pictures at Officeal

8. Facebook

Yes, it’s worth a cool $80B, but until Facebook goes public, it is still technically a ‘startup’. And when you are worth $80B, investing in cool offices that make other startups jealous is par for the course.

Rough wood and plenty of solid colors add a touch of drama

Long hallways accommodate multiple meeting rooms for Facebook's many employees

Smaller meeting rooms with lots of splashes of vibrant colors.

See more at Mashable

9. YummyGum

Just to ensure that this list is impartial to small home office setups, here’s YummyGum, a web design firm based in Amsterdam which won me over with its clean, minimalistic aesthetics and smart use of space. The contrast with the above entry, Facebook, couldn’t be any starker. The YummyGum office serves as a reminder that just working lean doesn’t have to imply working ugly.

The office embraces minimalism with wide open arms.

The overabundance of white doesn't make the office very spill-friendly, however.

More at: Officeal

10. SixApart

The SixApart offices find a mention on this list because of its emphasis on what I call “unremarkable functionality”. There’s nothing outstanding about the office; it simply works. It is the bare minimum of what every startup office should aspire to be. It is on this list because it serves as an appropriate template for founders who don’t quite have the design chops or the budgets to pull off an AirBnB, but nevertheless, want a comfortable, functional space for their team.

A touch of color in the lounge area

Exposed brick walls lend some character

The office embodies the basics of industrial design. Every startup office should *at least* look like this, if not more.

See more pictures at OfficeSnapshots