Bringing Blue Cow to life...

So last week was an exciting one in the Blue Cow Shed!

Firstly we began our work with the awesome Household Designs!  Keith, Tom and Michael have been an amazing support to us since we met them earlier this year and it has been hugely exciting working with them and hearing their thoughts and ideas!

Household have won awards for previous designs and looking at the innovative solutions they have provided for clients such as Laboutin and The Shoreditch Rooms it felt like a very exciting proposition, at the same time projects like Poke demonstrate their ability to work on the lighter side of life! Working with them has already shown their ability to reach right to the heart of the work that we have done to create the idea of a Yoga and Pilates space that is dedicated to City professionals and their expectations.

Last week saw our first move away from the daily grind of time lines and contracts and into the creative process.  We spent a over two hours looking at different images which could create different atmospheres and relate different messages to our clients.  Some photos below:

There were some clear themes that we all agreed on, and as you can see from the post-its there were some very strong feelings about being too "zen" or cold and impersonal.

 There were definitely some favorite themes which instinctively felt right.  These photos will give you some idea of what we were looking at, but hopefully won't spoil the surprise as we update you on our progress!

It is really important to us that the space reflects our clients need to step out away from their business and social lives, but feels intuitive and not intimidating.  At the same time we want the space to reflect the fun and real side of Yoga and Pilates.

Wednesday bought even more exciting news.  CSTthegateworldwide have been looking at our visual identity and we got a first look at these on Wednesday evening.  Two immediately sprang out as the favorite choice, and discussions over a bottle of wine (or two) decided on a winner.  A few last moment touches are being put to it as I type but the new logo will be on full view next week!

It is very exciting to see the thoughts and plans that we have been talking about for the past nine months finally coming together in pictures!

Inspiration from the beach

Mark and I met in a  bar in 2009, he was on crutches on knocked me down the stairs on our way out.  An auspicious start...  He took me to lunch the next week to apologise and we soon realised that we have quite a bit in common.  Amongst other things we both enjoyed Yoga, which is not something you come across every day in a man.

I was based in The City, running a start up online recruitment company and looked to Yoga for an escape from my hectic job.  Mark had been introduced by another friend who didn't want to go to the classes on her own.  Recently back from a tour with the British Army in Afghanistan it offered him a much needed respite from the strain of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

A few months later we were both due some well earned holiday from our jobs and decided to take a trip to India to try Yoga in its birth place.  We ended up in the gorgeous Lotus Yoga Retreat.  Just about the Southern most point in Goa, Patnem beach is an idyllic location, far away from the hippy trail of Anjuna and the North it felt like a little piece of paradise!  Equally Lotus wasn't your typical Yoga/ Ashram experience of 5am meditation, cleaning rotas and austerity.  There was a bar, two Yoga sessions a day, and no one was going to give you a lecture if you spent too long in the bar the night before and ended up watching the dolphins rather than focusing on your sun salutations.

In short it felt exactly like the sort of Yoga that London needed.