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Elemental Blog...
Archive for the ‘interior design’ Category
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
July 23, 2011, the New Orleans Times Picayune featured “New family room leaves all smiling” highlighting Elemental Design’s Myers Eggleston Family Room project.
“I could never have come up with this,” Eggleston said, glancing around the now-finished family space. “Let’s put it this way,” Eggleston said with a smile. “I’m much happier with this room.”
The project was submitted to the 2011 IIDA Delta Regional Chapter Re:Awards Design Competition. The judges commented, “Fresh colors – good use of old and new. Fun space and great update.” and “Very creative use of the space, much better than what was happening before. The Art collection helps bring the rooms together.”
http://www.nola.com/homegarden/index.ssf/2011/07/new_family_room_leaves_all_smi.html
  
Posted in Library, Press Release, interior design | No Comments »
Saturday, January 15th, 2011
When selecting office furniture for our workplace, one of the first considerations that comes to most people’s minds is cost. In many cases, budgets guide our design process from start to finish. So how do you select furniture that will fit within your budget without sacrificing quality? How do you find affordable office furniture that won’t fall apart in a year?
It is important to avoid being sucked into the trap of believing the most cost effective furniture is the least expensive. Big sales, low prices, and short lead times can sound attractive but they can leave you with office furniture that has poor construction, a minimal or non-existent warranty, and little to no ergonomic benefits. Office furniture will ideally last a decade or more, so its important to make the necessary investment rather than settling for a quick, cheap option. Working with a reputable furniture dealer to order the right furniture for your needs will most times give your more value than buying retail.
Solid wood furniture is one of the most attractive and long lasting options for the office. It can also be the most expensive option, so if you’re on a strict budget, this should be reserved for the most visible parts of your office. Incorporate solid wood into the reception area, the offices of the most important executives (if they regularly have clients present in the office), and any other public area. Not all of the furniture even has to be solid wood. Solid wood guest chairs and a solid wood desk will be the most visible areas, while you can get away with laminate or veneer on the bookcases, return, and storage areas.
Laminate furniture is very durable and the manufacturing technology has improved greatly in the last several years. This is a viable option for a large portion of most offices. The visual look of “Wood” laminates have been greatly improved and is sometimes indistinguishable from actual wood. Laminate desktop surface are much more durable and not easily scratched.
Talk to your designer about what you value most so they can select the best furniture for you.
Tags: best value office furniture, cost effective office furniture, office furniture
Posted in furniture, interior design | No Comments »
Friday, October 8th, 2010
Whether you are decorating your home office or a commercial space, the color scheme that you select says much about your attitude in the workplace and the philosophy of your brand. In some cases, a logo or the company colors can dictate a color scheme, however, there are also times when you’ll have the opportunity and creative freedom to select colors all your own. When this opportunity arises, the best bet is to pick a color scheme that is versatile and timeless yet current, and colors that encourage productivity and concentrati0n. A backdrop of neutral pieces accented with the colors you love is always classic.
There are some colors which typically fare better in office environments than others. These colors have stood up to the test of time and are proven to enhance workplace morale.
- Beige – Steer clear of stark white and instead look for a color with more depth, such as a beige. This is a great neutral that can be accented with bolder pops of color.
- Olive – Olive is a warm, rich, earthy color that will keep you grounded and focused on the tasks at hand.
- Blue – Blues from a restful light blue to a bright royal blue to a serious navy are great in the office. Blue is the universal favorite color and most workers will be happy to see blue in the office.
- Oranges, Yellows, and Reds – These colors should not be the main color of a room because they can make people feel irritable or agitated over long periods of time, but they are great choices for accent colors. A bright color in small doses is perfect for keeping energy up.
- Pink – If you’re looking for a color to spark creativity and imaginative thinking, pink is your color. It’s perfect for those in creative fields.
- Brown – From light tan to dark chocolate brown, brown is a strong color that serves as the backbone of an office. It creates a cozy, yet studious setting.
Stay away from colors that are too bright in large quantities and color combination that contrast starkly. These distract workers and create a current of uneasiness.
When you’re choosing the color scheme for your office, keep in mind the choices that will stick with you the longest. Wood stains on casegoods and flooring should be versatile so that any future color fabric and paint changes will look just as stylish as the original scheme. Dark stained wood is always classic and looks polished with beige, brown, or gray as your base color in upholstery, systems furniture, carpeting, and fabric.
Once you have a neutral backdrop in your key pieces in the office, it’s time to incorporate color. As we covered earlier, colors that encourage energy and creativity are wonderful in office settings. Yellow is a huge color in design right now, and orange and red are always popular. Bright orange accent pillows in the lounge area, subtle yellow in a tackboard fabric, a well designed pink pen holder, these are all ways to incorporate color in a way that is not overwhelming yet makes an impact. If you’re looking for a more airy, soothing palate, try light woods and laminates with creamy off whites, light blues, and pale olive greens.
Whichever colors you choose to use, make sure to base your color scheme around a grounded neutral. This way you can accent it with bright colors that can be switched out every 5 years or every decade. It is the more daring colors that will make an office look dated, so when those colors are easy to change, your office can remain timeless yet fresh.
Tags: accent color, beige, brown, business, Color, color scheme, commercial, fabric, gray, home office, interior design, laminate, neutral, productivity, space, wood, workers
Posted in Color, interior design | No Comments »
Friday, September 10th, 2010
When planning the design of an office, some clients are excited to try new colors and ideas and others would prefer to stick to the standard, neutral office scheme. Regardless of the approach to choosing office furniture, it is important to keep in mind that your design is not simply for function and a little bit of style, it should serve as an extension of the branding of your business.
Branding is a popular word these days. Every company hears that it is essential in today’s world to brand their business from top to bottom. Logos, letterhead, website, social media, all of these play an integral part in the branding process. Your company works hard and uses a lot of creative energy to meet all the demands of branding your business for success, but these efforts will be for naught if a client walks into an office that is bland and cold rather than the colorful, cutting edge environment they were expecting from your website and correspondence.
Keep the following in mind when incorporating your brand into your office space:
- To create a space that encourages participation and collaboration among all levels of the company, steer clear of closed offices and cubicles. These further feelings of a guarded hierarchy. Instead, keep the office open and use tables and chairs which transition easily from one purpose to another. Workstations should encourage productive dialogue between employees.
- Greet guests and clients with a reception area that highlights the company’s branding. Incorporate the logo and colors without hitting them over the head with it. Tastefully transition the brand you’ve created through your website and materials into the interior design of the space. Same goes for conference rooms. If you are on a limited budget, concentrate on the public areas first.
- Use the logo and colors in moderation. Your logo and letterhead may be red and yellow, but that doesn’t mean paint the walls red and spring for yellow carpet. For example, if you’re a company that focuses on tradition and stability, go for dark woods, classic furniture, and accent it with flecks of red in the carpet or yellow upholstery.
- If you’re a company who promotes green values and smart consumerism, make sure to express this through the design of your office. Use low-VOC paints, renewable woods, and recycled products.
- If you’re a forward thinking business, look for the latest in commercial design. Talk to your designer about the products that are cutting edge on the market. Make sure these products are adaptable to the changing needs of your company so that you can stay current with the trends without spending a bundle every time something new comes out.
It will be easier for your employees to fully understand the brand your company is trying to portray to the world if they are immersed it in every day. If you’re working in a hip, colorful, fun office, it’s easy to have that attitude when facing clients. A traditional, conservative office will remind employees that this is the way the company is view in the eyes of potential and current customers. Express your brand from the reception area to the mass of workstations to the break room to the CEO’s office and you will have a company that fully understands and relays the image of your business that you have created.
Tags: branding, business, Color, commercial, creative, forward thinking, function, furniture, green, interior design, logo, office design, style, traditional, website, workspace, workstation
Posted in interior design | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Are you thinking about an office renovation? Looking to spruce up the workplace? If so, you’ve probably toyed with the idea of introducing green elements into the new design of your office. Many people consider the idea, then dismiss it, wondering if it’s really worth the extra research and potential cost. Turns out, it may pay off to devote a little extra time or money on going green. As studies are showing, green offices lead to more productive employees.
In a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, it was reported that in a building with natural lighting where and when
available, natural ventilation to supplement air conditioning, and improved air quality, employees had, on average, an additional 39
hours of productivity a year.
To break this 39 hours statistic down, here are a few observations from the study: Allergy sufferers reported that the hours they spent affected per month by environmental allergies decreased by more than half. Employees reported the number of hours they felt stressed or depressed decreased by a little under a third every month. Decreasing hours lost to allergies and poor mental health led to less days lost to absenteeism and illness.
Some opinions argue that these statistics are simply due to a placebo affect, that employees feel better about their health and going to work when they believe that their employer is looking out for their well being. Regardless, the productivity hours speak for themselves. When employees are in a green workplace, they are happier and healthier.
Wondering how to most increase productivity with green changes in your workplace?
Use natural light wherever and whenever possible. Seat employees near windows and keep those blinds open. Turn off the interior lights when it is possible to work by natural light. When it is absolutely necessary to use office lighting, use energy star approved lighting. Knowing that their lighting is having a positive impact on the environment will improve employee morale.
Improve ventilation and air quality. Use fans, open windows, and use the vent setting on air conditioning units. While it may seem
counter-intuitive to let outdoor air in on the way to improving allergies and health, it actually has proven beneficial for employees.
By filtering the stale office air out, dust allergies are greatly reduced.
While the positive effects on the environment should be enough reason to go green anywhere, the improved productivity in the workplace is surely an added incentive. The best part about going green in the office is that you can completely overhaul your office with low VOC paints, sustainable furniture, and carpets free of chemicals, or you do something as simple as letting light and air in. Just knowing that you care about the environment and about your employees will make your office a happier, healthier place to work.
Tags: air conditioning, air quality, allergies, green, LEED, natural light, office, productivity, renovation, ventilation, workplace
Posted in Certifications, interior design | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
Congratulations on your interior design degree. The next thing on your agenda is to find a job if your internship didn’t change into one. I have been an interior designer for 18 years now. Here are some things that I have found useful while job hunting.
* Send your resume to any firm that even vaguely looks like it would be suitable for interior design or architecture.
* Look at the job posting at IIDA, ASID, AIA. Don’t only look at open posting, read all to see if the firm does the kind of work you are interested. Then send your resume to the ones that look like a fit for your personality and what you want to do.
* Do internet search for local interior design or architecture firms.
* Do internet search for facilities groups of corporations that do in-house design and reconfiguration
* Keep an open mind about what kind of work you might like to do. Usually after finished school and a few internships, there are still a lot of areas out there. You never know what you might fall into that you will love.
* Be willing to try many different areas of design. I have worked for many types of firms: single architect office, custom furniture design, furniture showroom, window covering retail shop (in store and in home), museum, architectural firms, big E little A firm in architecture department, interior design firms (often have technical side and FF&E side), custom cabinetry shop, furniture dealer, etc.
* Remember that at this point in your career, you could work as an intern architect doing cad work also. Great experience for an interior designer to have the technical background.
* I did get a relocation position through Zweig White which is an architectural / interior design recruiting firm. That was about 7 years into my career after I had passed my licensing exam.
* If you can’t find a position right away spend time educating yourself with the many online and often free white papers, webinars, etc. I have had time recently to do this and was greatly impressed by the quality of valuable education out there.
* Be actively involved in your local IIDA, ASID, AIA organizations. Volunteer on their committees and boards and get to know working professionals. Networking is the best way to find a position.
* Keep in touch with your local product reps. They are usually extremely helpful and know what is going on in the local firms and often who is hiring. I have got a lot of good leads from my reps.
* Use the power of social media to your advantage. Use your connections on LinkedIn or Facebook to network with local designers. Then set up a time to have coffee to meet them. Ask them to critique your portfolio or offer a practice interview.
* Consider working as an intern until you can find a paying position.
* Consider working for a non-profit until you can find a paying position. Even volunteering for Habitat for Humanity or other similar group would be very educational.
* Consider studying for the LEED exam. The industry is moving toward desiring this in addition to your degree. It could give you an edge over other potential employees.
If design is your passion, be open and something will come your way.
Design Links
IIDA International Interior Design Association http://www.iida.org
ASID Americal Society of Interior Designers http://www.asid.org/
USGBC US Green Building Council http://www.usgbc.org/
IFMA International Facility Management Association http://www.ifma.org/
NCIDQ National Council for Interior Design Qualification http://www.ncidq.org
CIDA Council for Interior Design Accreditation http://www.accredit-id.org/
The American Institute of Architects http://www.aia.org
The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) http://smpssela.org/
Louisiana State Board of Interior Designers http://lsbid.org/
Tags: business reading, Elemental Design LLC, interior design degree, internship, interview, job hunting, LinkedIn, self improvement, strategy, student, talent, talent retention
Posted in education, interior design | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
The southern parts of the country have lots of plants blooming. The snow covered north has a few hardy blossoms breaking through. Even Arizona is green and covered with colorful blooms. Here are some articles on various kinds of color for your enjoyment.
2010 Color trends by Sherwin Williams are great inspiration with eye candy photos. Archives to 2006.
Lost Greek city that may have inspired Atlantis myth gives up secrets
Color + Design Blog / Gods In Color: Painted Sculpture Of Classical Antiquity by COLOURlovers
Talking Turquoise. The story behind this cool hue, which is dominating the design world….
The Origin of Magenta. When your name is derived from the battlefield, its no wonder people pay attention to you.
Matte Black Is the New “Black” (always been a favorite of mine!)
Shades of Night: Why is Light Essential for Your Design?
Color in Unexpected Places - these are some fun ideas, try one out!
Textile Trends for 2010
Specialty paint ideas. I like faux chair rail and stripes. Have used lace-like stencil in stripes for accent wall.
Favorite colors test shows CEOs are different; take the test
Free Color Personality Test for fun. Ebook “Powerful Networking Secrets…” on same page is worth looking at.
HOW TO: Create That Amazing Avatar Make-up. Wow – add to your costume idea file! I need to have her over before my next costume party!
Happy creating!
Suzanne (Dummer) Stafford, IIDA LEED-AP
Elemental Design, LLC
Dedicated to improving quality of life through functional interior design.
QuoteActions – Inspirational quotes and actions
Tags: Color, color test, color trends, paint
Posted in Color, Decorating, art, interior design | No Comments »
Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Tags: branding, Chemical Awareness, Elemental Design LLC, green design, healthy design, inspiration, interior design, Kaboom, playgrounds, Repositioning, sustainability
Posted in Planning, interior design | No Comments »
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