Name: Bradford Shellhammer
Job: Co-founder and chief creative officer of Fab.com
Creative whiz Shellhammer and CEO Jason Goldberg partnered to launch Fab.com, a social-commerce design site, less than two years ago. The business, valued at $600 million, has already won a variety of accolades, most recently landing on Fast Company’s “most innovative social-media companies” list.
Fab now employs 650 people on three continents. The company’s Morton Street office occupies 50,000 square feet of a former manufacturing building and is spread over two floors.
“Candyland” is what the 36-year-old Baltimore native calls the place. The name seems apt, given the office’s bold, near-blinding primary colors and young, upbeat vibe. A giant red-orange robot by AreaWare lounges in the lobby next to a foosball table, welcoming visitors.
Shellhammer fancies himself a “modern-day Pee-wee Herman.” The idea of a hyper, overgrown kid on a sugar high is reinforced by his auctioneer-fast speech and by the jars of green, red and yellow gummy worms lining the glass walls in his sunny eighth floor office.
Décor: Shellhammer’s industrial-style office capitalizes on its unobstructed Hudson River views, but mainly, it’s a showcase for Fab’s wares. Every item either comes from the site or was a gift, or both.
He points to a colorful kite with the face of Jesus. “It’s humor and function. It flies, it makes you smile, and it’s really fun when Jesus is looking down on you and you’re controlling his direction,” he explains with a laugh.
An array of rockets of various sizes and colors occupies one section of the glass shelf. (Everyone who works for Fab gets a personalized one after a year.) When Fab makes an acquisition, a rocket is fashioned with the acquired company’s colors and logo.
Desk: Shellhammer’s desk is made by Netherlands-based company Arré. It’s yellow plywood over white birch.
Colorful acrylic boxes in the center serve as a landing pad for pens and other small office supplies. Two candy-apple-colored chairs invite visitors to sit across from the creative director.
Routine: When Shellhammer’s in town (he travels frequently), he works out at 6 a.m. at Equinox, arriving at the office by 8 a.m.
The creative officer is a ruthless list-maker and a deleter. Shellhammer is diligent about keeping his e-mail inbox to a manageable number. The day ends around 7:30 p.m. when he heads to a neighborhood restaurant for dinner (he never eats at home) — Cookshop, Casa Mono and, on a special occasion, Blue Hill.
Commute: Shellhammer walks from his apartment in Chelsea. En route, he picks up iced coffee — even on the coldest days — from Ready to Eat on Hudson Street.
Detritus: Many items on the shelves are presents — including plastic sushi from Tokyo and a glass rubber duckie. “I get gifts sent here every day — mostly people wanting us to sell their stuff,” he says.
Shellhammer’s assistant, Tom, gave him a ringerless bell, so he’s forced to use a xylophone instead to summon his aide. Another employee got him a crown. He picks it up. “Why again?” he yells out into the corridor. “Because you’re the king,” is the reply offered. “Oh. Right.”