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July 22, 2011
The Face of Your Business
Creating a brand image through interior design at the office…often overlooked! You start off with eager ambition of making a name in the world and becoming the pro in your field. You hire a marketing company to brand and create an image that will be seen on your company business cards, letterhead, brochures and the signage outside your business doors.
As vital to your business as the branding image, your clients will also perceive your standing in the business world by the look and feel of the office space where you conduct your business. It is essential to create a workplace that is pulled together aesthetically to illustrate to your clients the professionalism you provide and to stimulate and nurture the morale of your employees.
Start up costs for a new business are astronomical, yet improvements to an existing workplace are usually mostly cosmetic and even the on most modest budget you can definitely spruce things up. Your company is constantly under scrutiny by your clients; convey an image to show you mean business! Savvy interior design can help!
Quick Fixes on Budget
If you see anything mauve or teal colored in your new office, call the Salavation Army to come pick it up! This not only dates the space back to the 1980‘s it also dates you and your business. Another energy depleting color is white, add some life to your business space with color. Your new office space is a blank palette to establish your company’s image to the outside world.
The flooring is a major factor in the improvement plan for your office. Worn, tattered, stained carpeting must be replaced. A commercial grade carpet is available in a variety of price ranges. Even the least expensive will be an improvement over the old carpet. If the existing floor is a hard surface but dated, large area rugs can be a quick remedy. People will notice the floor they walk on, and it can improve your brand image in the eyes of clients.
One necessary improvement that is the least costly is replacing the overhead light fixtures with “daylight” fluorescent tubes, this will impact the entire office mood. The standard “cool white” tubes wipe out all color beneath it including skin color. Home Depot is a quick source for these types of bulbs. You will be assured the overhead color is uniform throughout which will shed a good light on you and your company.
Another telltale sign that an office is from another era is vertical and mini blinds. Replace them with solar roll up shades or, if privacy is not an issue leave the windows bare. Nothing says more about an office space than the institutional mundane look of these ordinary window treatments. Let your updated office show off your company’s sensitivity with a well-planned interior design.
How is the existing office furniture looking? Beaten up, beyond dated? Used office furniture warehouses are fully stocked with reasonably price items. Keep in mind, a well designed office space does not have to be filled with office-style furniture, a mix makes for an unexpected impression your clients will notice.
Storage is a must for keeping desks and work areas clear from mounds of papers. File cabinets are essential, keep in mind how other pieces of furniture such as armoires and chests of drawers can be utilized for storage and add some pizzazz to the work environment.
If your budget is limited for furnishing the entire office? Put your money where it counts, invest in the reception area first. You will be perceived as a well established business with a fresh image at the doorway. First impressions are everything to a new client, impress them!
Outside looking in
What does your company’s image look like from the outside? Sometimes an overlooked area but just as crucial for building a solid image of your company. The entrance to your business represents a cornerstone of your company’s image, make sure there’s a fresh coat of paint and clean sparkling glass. The plants, trees and bushes should look alive and thriving, replant tired looking areas.
Lastly, your companies sign is how new clients will first identify your business and the image it is portraying. A professionally designed sign is your logo, the symbol of the business you built from the ground up. Think of the business logos that have stood the test of the changing times… what images come to your mind?
July 22, 2011
Get your harmony created
Since ancient times, and since homes have been lived in, elements of interior design have been around in some rudimentary form or the other. Overtime though, developments in this field have changed, making large leaps and bounds to what they currently are today, and finding a qualified interior designer San Diego company that understands customers’ needs and desires is an exceptional discovery.
There are many keys to any interior design, and finding what strikes the cord and tantalizes the customer is what makes an interior designer successful and well sought. From color schemes that blend foreground and background designs to outdoor living with natural hard or lawn and garden seating, the decisions should be client driven while using the aesthetic talent of an interior designer San Diego company.
“Putting your home together should really be about making a personal statement and definitely less about what the current design trends are today,” says Kathleen Lilleeng, owner of HomeandOfficeMakeovers.com, an Interior Designer San Diego company. “Trends come and go, and no one really wants to be outdated. The best way to develop your home in a way that will bring peace to your daily life is to introduce items you truly love.”
A challenge for some homeowners is in finding the correct pieces that will not only blend but will physically fit into the space in the right way, and if done the properly, it can create a harmonious flow throughout a living environment.
July 22, 2011
Over the past few years, due to economic adjustments and gas price increases, there has been a dramatic increase in companies offering their employees the opportunity to telecommute.
Creating harmony in your work life
Telecommuting, simply put, is working from a remote location using computers, telephones, and other remote capabilities rather than commuting to and from an employer’s work site to perform the equivalent work. In 2008, nearly nine out of ten workers stated they now telecommute from home at least one work day a month. In the state of this economy people have reinvented their careeers starting businesses from home causing a flux in how their home office needs to function.
“We look at these statistics every once in a while and see the increase,” says Kathleen Lilleeng, owner of HomeandOfficeMakeovers.com, an Interior Designer San Diego company. “I think it’s great for business. There are a lot of people wanting to create a special place in their home for an office. They’ve probably been putting off the design of it for a while, but now that they are spending more time at home they need to find the right balance. They need a quiet, out of the way space where they can work in peace.”
There are many advantages to telecommuting such as; conserving energy, preserving the environment, enhancing family time, employee freedom, increases in productivity, and increases in long-term job satisfaction. Another great advantage is the available time to create a fantastic work space that represents the employee, and finding an interior designer San Diego company to help find the right balance is key to discovering a harmonious living and working environment.
July 20, 2011
How does color affect you?
Do you experience a calming peacefulness in the color called “Floating Lily Pad” or an overly anxious uneasy feeling when surrounded by the intensity of “Bonfire Flame”. Color definitely triggers emotional and physical sensations within each and every one of us. It is essential to become aware how certain colors impact us and to tap into those sensations we find comforting or exhilarating at home and in the office. Discover some fasinating history on color and the sensations it evokes within us.
B L U E Originally found in Europe during the 12th Century the combination of natural ultramarine and lapis lazuli made it an extremely precious paint limited only to picture painting. Blue conveys a comforting homey feeling. In its pure form blue can be overwhelmingly formal, best to use sparingly. Choose the redder or greener blues in “Periwinkle” and “Turquoise” that are warmer in hue and more soul stirring.
G R E E N Napoleon decreed a bright green he favored so intensely that it covered the walls of all his stately quarters. Green the most visually accommodating color of the spectrum is closely related to the color of nature. The yellow green of summer leaves and grass promotes new growth within us and rejuvenate our senses.
Y E L L O W A color that has spanned across history since the Empire Period of the 19th century. Varied shades of yellow became popular in the 20’s, 30’s and again in the 50’s contrasted with a trendy black and grey combination. Yellow is refreshing as a sunny day, it consoles the spirit. Paler shades of yellow are settling on the mind while the deepest of yellows envelop us in exotic richness.
O R A N G E Art Nouveau was characterized by the darkly saturated yellow oranges of color schemes from this time in the early 1900’s. The pop colors of the 60 also combined orange with hot pink and green, a punchy trio. The orange family has a vast tonal range from “Whisper Soft Peach” to an “Autumny Amber”. A people friendly palette, skin tones are enhanced with a healthy glow from an orange based color scheme.
R E D The Egyptians mixed varying shades of reds with earth toned pigments in the frescos they painted on walls depicting their daily lives. During the Victorian era, 1868 house painters combined crimson with burnt sienna and blue to come up with the color of the time, “ Maroon“. The color red will surely raise your blood pressure in its full intensity. When toned down to a deep “Cinnabar” or “Arabian Red” the room conveys a rapturous elegance.
P U R P L E Exemplifies the color of majesty and power since the earliest of times. “Royale Blue” a deep purple with blue undertones was found mostly in fabrics and objects of art. The popularity of purple became vogue with the color “Mauve” during the Victorian period and again in the 1980‘s. An unexpected off-beat color, paler purples have a restful glow of dusk perfect for meditation. The deepness of the purple palette is “Eggplant”, a color unmatched for its dynamic presence.
N E U T R A L S During the Palladian Period, 1720 the color “Stone” was ground in nut oil and applied in layers to woodwork and walls. It was the complimentary color to “Pea Green” the must have color scheme of the time. Beige, taupe, brown, white, grey, and black are the alternative to color. A palette using three or four neutrals in combination is for the most discriminating of tastes. The look is sparse, urban and understated, emulating the bare essentials of a minimal living space.
October 11, 2010
Giving and buying back
Donating to your local Goodwill, Salivation Army and other charitable organizations is a “good deed” towards those in our community who are in particular need of your support. Clearing out from beneath the clutter, we have accumulated and donating furnishings and clothing for resale enables these facilities to fund the programs that rehabilitate the drug-addicted homeless by providing opportunities in lifestyle changes and skill training. There are programs that nurture and create a purpose for the physically and mentally challenged individuals on a daily basis.
I have set out on a special mission with these organizations to provide adequate stimulating environments for the people who are in these programs. I personally am donating my interior design services to rejuvenate the rooms of these facilities with fresh coats of paint in stimulating colors and to replace the battered up furniture with newly donated pieces. Continued support is encouraged; it is a real need that every non-profit organization is depending on… the generous donations from all of us.
A treasure trove of décor ideas
What a better way to pull together an eclectic home and office than to stumble upon that perfect treasure in a thrift shop, consignment store or novelty shop. The treasure usually appears when you were not even looking for it. This is actually part of the fun when wondering through…it finds you!
Keep your eyes open!
Out dated side tables and end tables in wood, rattan or metal can be turned into a transitional wonder with a coat of spay paint in a crackled metallic or a zany color.
Wooden framed or rattan chairs with missing cushions; customize them with a fabric that is a jazzy compliment to your sofa or blend it in with a solid color and let the rattan and wood take dominance.
Look out for lamps that are classic in their shape, color or styling. A new shade is all that’s needed to create a stunning light source for your room. Pick a shade that demands attention in color or shape. Remember, shades make the lamp!
Always spot-check the walls; pictures are often hung all the way to the ceiling. Do not judge a picture by its frame or vise versa. Reframing can be inexpensive by purchasing a simple ready-made frame from Michaels. Occasionally, you will run across an older frame that has a less desirable print in it; buy it for the frame!
The knick Knack display shelves are always brimming with stuff, you will have to make sure you do not miss the hidden treasure. Hand painted porcelain dishes, old glass vanity and desert trays. Give a new look to tarnished metal trays with spray paint in an interesting color. Skim through everything with the idea of repurposing an item into another use.
Books, books and more books…it is an endless collection. If you are, an avid reader or looking for coffee table books this is a source not to be overlooked. Leather bond books that are older give a library tone to a room that has floor to ceiling bookcases. Stacking several books together and placing something on top is a unique way to alter heights in a display of accessories.
Enjoy the hunt!
September 29, 2010
Style in sync with function
Living space Incognito with office space must have an equalizing balance of function both to sustain the activity of a productive work day and the comforts of home to escape from the office. Adequate work surfaces to accommodate projects and the piles of paperwork must have a catch-all place to file and put things away after each days work and to be easily accessed the next day. Cabinets, chests and armoires that are chosen for their storage capacity must also be spectacularly wonderful in your space. Think of the dual purposing of every component, a functioning office does not have to look like a typical office.
Board room verses boring room
Is an opportunity to add visual spark to the tone of the meeting with an unexpected version of a conference table. Glass top tables have always brought to any room a modern slick element but with the great look has always been the high maintenance factor of endlessly cleaning smudges and dust associated with glass, an uncompromising trade off! The design possibilities with glass have become limitless, glass table tops that are obscured with texture and finishes now provide the ease of care in a commercial setting. Marvel your clients at the next meeting…seat them at your strikingly stately conference table.
Diversity in color…release it
What could be more non productive than staring at a white wall for inspiration all day at work. The office should appeal to the intellect of the workforce and clients with the spirit of color. Vivid or subtle, an abundance or just a single hue, our brain reacts to color. There must be stimulation to raise productivity and awaken ideas of the people who interact in this space. Create motley of color in either in the artwork and design elements of the office or with a specific paint color combination. Boost the morale of your workplace by establishing a visually stimulating work environment with the effects of color.
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