With everyone jumping on the “green” bandwagon lately, it’s hard to tell which products are truly safe for the environment and which ones are labeled that way as a marketing gimmick. For companies who feel it’s important to create a working environment that aligns with this principle, it can be very frustrating to sort through. Fortunately, there is an easy way to know whether the products you are choosing for work space are the real deal. Check to see if the products you choose help to qualify you for USGBC LEED certification. The USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) is a large group made up of various member [...]

If you have a client that wants to improve moral and their employees’ quality of work, take a close look at the layout and design of their workspace. Interior design can greatly influence the mood of an office leading to happier workers and a more efficient workflow. Using a strategic approach, pay close attention to the four key design factors outlined by the American Society of Interior Designers. Comfort, access, privacy and flexibility are the biggest influencers that can affect productivity among office staff. When designing an office for comfort, you need to look beyond aesthetics alone. Temperature can be a big factor when it comes to [...]

Fads tend to come and go very quickly in the interior design world, think shag carpets or macramé plant hangers that seemed to be everywhere during the 70s. Who remembers the bold geometric shapes or dense floral that adorned everything in the 80s? In the 90s, we were plagued with the overuse of rows and rows of non-descript gray office cubicles. Although fads are fleeting, true trends seem to have longevity and sometimes become the norm. Sustainability seems to be moving towards the latter. According to ASID, Sustainability in Design means creating spaces that are healthy for people & enhance productivity, have lower operating costs and use [...]

Every great interior designer knows when it comes to working with clients they need to think about more than just the right colors, fabrics and functionality. They understand it’s their professional responsibility to take the safety and health of those who will utilize the space into consideration. A large part of that consideration deals with the types of materials they use in their design. From furniture, flooring and wallcoverings, all of these can contribute to the safety of a workspace. Interior designers should be knowledgeable in regards to the laws and regulations that govern the types of materials they choose to use in their designs and which [...]

We all know colors can have a profound effect on attitude and behavior. Some colors help soothe while others can create agitation or nervousness. This is why choosing the right color for the interior design of different healthcare facilities is so important for their patients and guests. Before a color scheme is chosen, it’s important to understand what the space is being used for. If it’s a patient room using a mix of warm and cool colors is a plus. Blues and greens are common in nature and they tend to bring about a sense of calm and tranquility. If the space is used for physical therapy [...]

When planning a new commercial space, choosing the right wall covering is a good starting point for a great design. It acts as the backdrop for all other elements that go into making the space function at its best. Every type of working environment and business owner will have a different set of criteria to meet, but at the end of the day, the one factor that is always there is cost. Taking the cost of your wall covering into consideration while in the planning stage is important for the overall design budget. And as any good business person knows, it’s not just the short-term price, or [...]