If you’ve been following along on our Instagram adventures, you may have noticed that Kelli and I were recently in San Francisco. At the beginning of the year, I had the opportunity to present alongside Nikki Bazzani, from Pinterest, at the Southern C. So we just had to connect with her while we were in the Golden City! She graciously offered us a tour of Pinterest, and I’m sure you can guess that we were quick to take her up on the offer!

We toured two of their three buildings. One of which was their newer building on Brannan Street, located just a couple of blocks from their original space. Their work space is as inspirational as you can possibly imagine. The relatively open floor plan facilitates collaborative efforts. The newer building also houses a quaint marketplace where employees can grab a quick coffee or sandwich while they are passing through. There are tables everywhere so employees can easily meet to discuss ideas and projects.

One of my favorite take always from their office, was these great signs that say “Focus”. When someone places one on their table, it’s their way of communicating that they are in the middle of working on something and don’t want to be interrupted. My only regret is not having snagged one of the ‘focus’ signs for when I’m working at the coffee shop (just kidding)! But it’s such a creative way to keep distractions to a minimum. The other component of their office that really caught our eye was the stage on the first floor of the building. When we asked what it’s used for, we absolutely loved the answer–on Fridays the employees gather around the stage for a quick Q & A session with one of the founders. What a powerful way to show that you’re truly invested in the overall company, and I love how motivating it is for the employees.

Another feature we loved were the small conference rooms throughout the building that employees reserve for their meetings. Each room already has all the technology needed to conduct meetings and maximize collaborative sessions. They also highlight a pinner in each meeting space, which is an innovative way to better understand the Pinterest community.

As we were leaving, we passed the Airbnb building, and figured we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to peek inside. It was nothing short of amazing! Conference rooms, modeled after actual Airbnb’s, are scattered throughout the office. I loved the originality of their space. They also have this great living wall that was absolutely gorgeous. Bellota is also in that same building! This was such a fun, unplanned visit and we popped in for appetizers and bubbles, which is always a fun and festive way to end an inspirational day. This was hands down one of the most refreshing and creative days I’ve had in a long time.

Kelli Boyd Photography exclusively for Lavin Label