In 2022, comedian Kevin Hart decided to move his production company to a new space that would prompt the staff of his entertainment company, Hartbeat, to be inspired to think creatively and collaborate on projects that would captivate audiences.
“Energy feeds off energy,” Hart recently told Architectural Digest. “I don’t want a bunch of wall. I want open spaces. I want a lot of glass. And if it’s an open space and you see people being collaborative and communicating and talking, well, guess what you’re gonna do?You’re gonna do the same thing.”
His chosen headquarters: a 40,000-square-foot West Hollywood office space once used by the Oprah Winfrey Network. Collaborating with Kai Williamson, founder of Studio 7 Design, Hart was able to create a space meeting his mission. The modern office space features glass walls and spacious seating areas that naturally lend themselves to creativity.
“She [Kai Williamson] created an amazing design, an amazing look, feel, and flow along the guidelines of what I felt the colors of HartBeat were and what I felt the theme of our company should be, which was an atmosphere of together, one of creative, more importantly, one of fun and funny,” he said. “It’s a fun space.”
Hart got his start in the entertainment industry as a comedian starring in films such as “Soul Plane,” “Little Fockers,” “Think Like a Man,” and the “Jumanji” film franchise. Hart’s standup comedy tours have also helped him garner fame and in 2015 he was added to “Time” magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World. Endorsement deals with brands such as Samsung, AT&T, Mountain Dew, Wrangler and PokerStars have made Hart a fixture in popular culture.
Today Hart has expanded his presence as a producer, actor and spokesman for several brands. With a reported net worth of $450 million, Hart is one of the highest-paid entertainers internationally. Ventures such as the Laugh Out Loud Network, a video streaming service partnership with Lionsgate along with HartBeat have solidified Hart’s presence as a leader in the entertainment industry.
In addition, Hart has made his presence in the food and drink industry. He opened Hart House, a vegetarian restaurant in 2022 and his tequila brand, Gran Coramino.
Oprah’s Energy, Hart’s Vision
When Hart decided to move Hartbeat, he knew he wanted to speak to his company’s culture — not the off-white, coastal mood belonging to OWN. However, he did know that Oprah Winfrey’s motivating energy needed to be present.
“There’s an energy in this room,” Hart told Architectural Digest. “Every once in a while, The Oracle herself speaks to me. I’m trying to get a real mold of Oprah’s hand so I can slap Oprah five every time I leave out. The question is, How am I going to get it?”
Visitors to Hartbeat are invited first to the HartBeat bar. Hart and Williamson’s created a modern space that includes seating and open space to invite ingenuity. There’s marble countertops at the bar area. The seating area includes leather-backed seating, black work tables and plush green upholstered individual chairs.
There’s an in-house studio that includes comfortable seating and lighting, inviting talent to relax and focus on storytelling.
And finally, there’s Hart’s office. There’s the traditional desk space as well as a sectional couch shaped as a baseball mitt for comfortable collaboration.
“This is how it happens,” Hart said. “I just showed you how the beat happens within the heart.”
