Interior Design Scottsdale, AZ by S Interior Design

Premium Interior Design

  • Home
  • Design Services
  • Our Story
  • Gallery
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Press
  • Contact

Tips to Optimize Your Office Space

March 28, 2016 by Suzanne Lasky Leave a Comment

Below is a guest post on the subject of how to optimize your office space to enhance productivity and the overall feeling in the office for employees. Choices and flexibility are two key words to keep in mind.  Gone are the days of endless closed off cubicles and poor lighting. Spaces designed to encourage collaboration and social interaction are important elements to include.  More and more time is spent at work and the environment needs to support this reality.

Design tips to keep workers engaged and get the most out of your office space

The office space is one of the most important parts of your workplace, designing it correctly is instrumental to maximizing productivity and ensures your staff is happy. The better the environment for your staff the higher the rate of loyalty and the less likely there will be any issues regarding staff turnover. The following design tips will ensure your employees are well motivated and fully engaged:after engaged

Wiring

The first step to a productive office is to get the wires out of sight. Wires everywhere can make a room look cluttered and this can be distracting when you are trying to focus on a job in hand. There are also risks concerning trips and spills when cables are left exposed. There are many desks designed with specific areas to hide cables in or electrical trunking can be used.

Outdoors

The outside can be brought inside by adding a few plants and reclaimed wood walls or even artworks. These items will help to make the office feel more natural and user friendly as opposed to a work station. This has been shown to improve productivity and your employees will be a lot happier and satisfied.

Workspace

Offices are changing; there are no longer dedicated seats and computers. The portable computer has made it possible for anyone to work anywhere. This has led to offices which have benches and seating areas which can be used for working at, taking breaks or even multimedia presentations.

Flexible working arrangements and height adjustable desks are encouraging staff to make the most of their space, it can also ensure that people do not feel chained to a desk or seating position; they say change is as good as a rest!

pic 2 after good as a rest

Lounges

It is important to take regular breaks and relax in order to get the most out of your time at your workstation. To encourage this it is essential to have a place where people can relax, or talk business in a more informal atmosphere. This can make it a more enjoyable working experience.

Custom furniture

Customized furniture pieces make offices seem look original and modern. If your company loves a nicely-decorated open-space work environment, then you should invest in glass tables to welcome more light and add fluidity into the office. Glass is sleek type of material that comes in a wealth of types and models. Use it for coffee table as well, chairs, or desks, and your employees will become extremely fond of your unique sense of style.

Having a place to escape to can be essential to allow all staff the opportunity to distress and refocus their thoughts.  It can also be an excellent spot for brainstorming as a more relaxed atmosphere can free the mind to make the most of the options available.

Color

Color is an essential way of both stimulating and soothing your employees. Pale colors have been associated with soothing, relaxing atmospheres whilst brighter, bolder colors are stimulating. You do not need to completely repaint the walls! Colors can be introduced through chairs and office accessories to give the office a funky, trendy feel. It has been suggested that the brighter the intensity of the color the more effect it will have on your employees, whether it is designed to stimulate or sooth.

after smooth

Community tables

The community table gives all employees the chance to collaborate on ideas and to share work as well as providing a break from their regular working area.  It will encourage team work in the workplace and a feeling of satisfaction which will encourage both productivity and loyalty.

Textures

Using different textures in the workplace can create a more comfortable, homely feel.  This will help people to feel comfortable at work whilst they are stimulated and can even feel that they have a personal space; a home from home.

Offices are no longer set up and contained. Every item of furniture can be seen to have a variety of different uses and this can help to create a fun, exciting workplace for all employees. The more stimulating the workplace is the easier it is for people to feel productive and be willing to collaborate on projects.

By Charles Goodwin and TomFaulkner.co.uk!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Commercial Design, Design and Organization, design budget, Design Plan, Office Design Tagged With: Office Design, S Interior Design Scottsdale, Unique Office Design

4 Design Innovations to Improve Workplace Satisfaction

May 22, 2014 by Suzanne Lasky Leave a Comment

Below you will find a great article about how to design for today’s office environment.  S Interior Design is currently working on a project for a company who has obviously read the research.  We are opening the work space up while still providing some privacy, and have added a communal break room- kitchen.  Here is a sneak peak of the break room design in progress

Image

4 Design Innovations to Improve Workplace Satisfaction

Henry Ford’s assembly line and Robert Propst’s cubicle were groundbreaking innovations aimed at increasing productivity in the workplace. While productivity is still one of the critical success factors in a work environment, many major companies have been shifting away from industrial designs towards the type of office that promotes employee satisfaction. The idea is simple: a happy workplace will attract top recruits, improve employee retention, and ultimately allow employers to build an efficient and cohesive workplace.
How does that work? Simply put, happy workers are more productive than their unhappy peers, and there’s now quantitative evidence to back up this claim. Economic researchers in the UK and Germany recently conducted a study revealing that happy people are 10-12% more productive than unhappy or emotionally neutral people.

The truth is, top companies recognized the importance of happy employees well before the results of this study came in. Many businesses have discovered that happy employees are more focused, get more work done, take fewer sick days, and stay at the company premises for longer. With that in mind, tech giants such as Google and entertainment leaders such as Pixar have introduced all kinds of in-office perks, including fitness centers, game rooms, and cafes with gourmet food.
Of course, you don’t have to allot an enormous budget for extravagant perks to boost employee happiness in the workplace. Here are 4 ideas to improve worker satisfaction and productivity through the layout of your office, with minimum investment.

Adjustable Workstations

In their 2013 Workplace Survey, Harvard Business Review found that workers whose employers gave them greater autonomy were more likely to be satisfied at work, perform better, and view their employers as more innovative than other industry competitors.
One easy way to give employees greater autonomy is to let them work from adjustable workstations. For example, Facebook lets employees at their headquarters adjust the height, layout, and configuration of their desks to create their optimal workspace. So it’s okay if you feel most productive and energetic working at a standing desk station all day, while your coworker does best with a seated corner desk – Facebook is happy to accommodate both of you.

Individual departments within Facebook are also able to rearrange their desks whenever they need to. If the marketing team needs to have a brainstorming session, they can easily circle their desks up in the center of the room, then move them back against the wall when they need to focus on individual projects. This freedom to create the ideal workspace improves employee happiness and productivity.

Image
Rotating Seating Chart

In a medium or large office, it’s all too easy for employees to become isolated within their department or even their immediate seating area. Research has shown that a worker’s immediate neighbors account for 40-60% of their interactions throughout the day, meaning that there’s frequently a disconnect between employees who aren’t geographically close together.
To improve company culture and encourage greater connectivity, some companies, such as inbound marketing specialist HubSpot, have adopted a rotating seating chart every six to eight months. Shifting the seat locations around gives employees the opportunity to get to know more people and to collaborate with people outside of their department. It also gives employers a chance to rearrange employees with work style and personality in mind, so that there are no major office clashes.

A Central Atrium

Image

The Pixar headquarters have a large, central atrium with bathrooms and a cafeteria set far apart from the work spaces. Their goal is to promote connections between workers in different departments and to encourage new ideas from casual conversations. While not every business has the building space to create this kind of grand atrium, smaller businesses can still set up a central space, such as a break room, for employees from across departments to meet in a relaxed environment.

Distraction-Free Workspaces

While the open-office layout has become the overwhelming trend in the US (70% of all offices in America now have an open-floor plan), some employees find this collaborative environment distracting and need privacy to be able to focus on their work tasks. Businesses that use an open-office layout can provide this by setting up areas that are blocked from the main floor. Even companies that don’t want to add walls can resort to couches, bookshelves, desks, and moveable walls to set up an area for employees who are happier and more productive when they’re not in a sea of people.
The key to designing any workspace is to take into account the individual preferences of employees. There can be many different work styles within a single workplace, and the more flexible companies are in catering to those different styles, the more productive and happy their employees will be.

About the Author
Lynne Lemieux, Founder and President of Alliance Interiors Inc., has devoted more than 20 years of experience developing and implementing growth opportunities for some of Canada’s leading office furniture dealers. Her ability to provide clients with inspiring and versatile interior solutions for both business and home office environments has garnered her title of Aboriginal Business Woman of the Year in the city of Toronto for 2012. In her spare time, Lynne takes an active interest in politics, public speaking, and philanthropy, but also enjoys gardening, interior decorating, cooking, yoga, and traveling.

 

Filed Under: Interior Design Tagged With: commercial design, Office Design, Office Design Innovation, S Interior Design, Work place satisfaction

5 Home Office-Small Office Design Ideas

January 30, 2013 by Suzanne Lasky Leave a Comment

More and more of us are spending time at WORK in our home offices (or away from home).  The lines are blurred between work and play and our office spaces need to support functionality AND comfort and even a bit of fun.  The guest post below highlights 5 uniquely designed office spaces.  One is sure to hit your personal ‘sweet spot’ of what you would want your office space to look and feel like.  Of particular interest to S Interior Design is The Pod, and the Rooftop Office.

Modern and Contemporary

Office Design

http://www.viking-direct.co.uk/images/gb/vkg/business/storefronts/eash_soho.jpg

If you prefer the minimal look and would like a crisp white office with a difference then add a splash of green and enjoy the twist!

All draws come with reversible fronts in a choice of colours and effects including striking lime green and traditional beech. Plus you can design your cube bookcases using the same interchangeable door fronts.

View the full range of office furniture and accessories at Viking from £49.99.

Comfy Cozy

comfy office 2

http://cdn.decoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cozy-tropical-home-office-design.jpg

If you like your home comforts and prefer to feel at home in your office then this traditional office décor may suit your style. Everything about this space says “comfort” from the dim lighting to quality wooden furniture.

The office looks busy yet homely and is perfect for those homeowners put-off by minimal and new-age designs. Avoid the clinical look and opt for a more cosy office look for the winter months.

Designed by Willman Interiors.

Warm and light

warm office 3

http://cdn.decoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Blue-Girls-Lounge-Eclectic-Home-Office-Mineapolis.jpg

This room is bright, light and great for both desktop working and chilling in your break.

The plentiful storage space guarantees to keep your desk free from clutter and makes you want to work from home! Add quirky pieces and wall fixtures like inspiring pictures or quotes for encouragement too.

Keep bang on trend with designer pieces such as Verner Panton’s S Chair and add a touch of modern glamour to your warm interior design.

Designed by O’Hara Interiors.

The Pod

pod office 4

http://media.techeblog.com/images/officepod.jpg

When your home is overcrowded with your partner, room-mates, kids and pets it’s sometimes nice to get away from it all to concentrate on work.

Thankfully, the Office Pod is here to help and advertises itself as a great way to “separate your office from the home; an easy to construct shelter that provides both style and functionality”. Although quite a tight fit, you will comfortably squeeze everything you need to work from home in one compact booth.

Read the full story.

Rooftop space

rooftop office 5

http://blogs.hbr.org/hbr/hbreditors/assets_c/2012/05/roofttop-workplace-garden-thumb-300×200-1766.jpg

Although the English weather doesn’t usually permit it, the Royal Horticultural Society made a rooftop workplace perfect for the summer months.

Sponsored by RBS, the modern design from Patricia Fox was inspired by the abundance of underused roof space in London’s most popular business districts.

The ‘office garden’ has various sections depending on staff needs; hanging chairs for making calls and browsing the net, a “pick your own herbal tea bar” for thirsty office workers and a canopy complete with projection screen for conference calls and presentations.

Read more about Patricia’s designs here.

Filed Under: Commercial Design, Design Elements, Home Office, Interior Design, Modern Design, Multi-function rooms, Office Design, Redesign Tagged With: Home Office, Office Design, S Interior Design, S Interior Design Scottsdale Arizona, Unique Office Design

6 Eco-Friendly Options 4 The Office

November 30, 2011 by Suzanne Lasky Leave a Comment

I am pleased to share a wonderful blog post from a guest blogger Angela Taylor a blogger and aspiring designer.   While there is a lot of information focusing on green/eco-friendly options for the home, this is a wonderful focused look at what we can do specifically for our home or small office spaces in that regard.  Take a read and implement some of the great ideas!

Bamboo Dry Erase

 

6 Simple Eco-Friendly Elements for a Visually Striking Home Office

Green products for an environmentally-friendly work environment

The home office combines your professional and personal life—so it should, rightly so, be a reflection of you. Unfortunately, the home office is usually an after-thought and designated to a corner in your kitchen or living room. If you’re concerned about the environment, there are green products that you can incorporate into your home office to make it more environmentally friendly and more visually appealing as well. Considering this home office will be where you spend the majority of your day, it would make sense to make it as comfortable, functional and attractive as possible.

Here are our 6 simple Eco-friendly product recommendations for a visually pleasing home office that you can get inspired in:

1. Eco-friendly wall décor: Green wall décor is offered in various patterns and textures—plus it’s better for your health than conventional wallpapers that can contain chemicals. Look into attractive wall décor and coverings like:

  • Glass whiteboards—or glass dry erase boards provide a natural and safe surface for brainstorming
  • Eco-friendly wallpaper— made from natural renewable bamboo, rice paper, flax, cork, arrowroot and a mish-mash of recycled papers
  • Reed, cattail and paper weave murals—make beautiful wall décor with delicate dried leaves and natural grasses twisted together and making unique wall art
  • Ceramic and mica photo frames—are constructed from natural sands in the soil and formed into a beautiful variety of colors and sizes

2. Recycled office furniture: You can find some really great eclectic pieces of second hand office furniture at your local thrift shop or Salvation Army. A lot of large companies also throw out their office furniture rather than repairing it during an upgrade so you can salvage some top quality ergonomic office chairs and desks and save it being thrown into a landfill site.

3. Eco materials for your home office: You can find an abundant of environmentally-friendly and recycled materials for your home office, for instance:

  • Wheat board – for the walls (and it can double as a posting board) as well as floors
  • You can buy 4GB bamboo flash drives as opposed to the plastic variety
  • Moleskine notebooks (made of bamboo pulp) are waterproof with washable covers
  • Sustainable timber – for your desk and storage units
  • Recycled aluminum – again, for office desks, storage units and office chairs
  • Recycled glass – ideal for walls and attractive office desk tops
  • Recycled upholstery – great for throw pillows, stuffed bean bag chairs and desk chair coverings

4. Harness the power of sustainable energy: Look to natural resources with these really aesthetic pieces of office equipment:

  • Solar-powered cell phone chargers
  • Water-powered calculators
  • Solar LED bottle light bulbs

5. Recycled or refurbished electronics: Akin to finding used office furniture from large corporations, you can often buy refurbished electronics for a fraction of the cost. Many large companies will host a used electronics sale when it is time to upgrade their computers, laptops, fax machines, photocopiers, printers and office telephones. You can feel good rescuing that refurbished laptop from a life in the scrap yard. Keep in mind that your home office electronics give off VOC emissions as well as other chemical vapors that pollute the air in your home. Try these additional energy-savings tips for a greener home office:

  • Use a laptop instead of a desktop computer—laptops use less energy
  • Unplug the printer, fax machine and computer when your day is over
  • Plug multiple electronics into one power bar so that you can turn them all off with one switch
  • Leave office equipment on timers so that everything automatically shuts down overnight
  • Minimize the number of office electronics you use by purchasing all in one photocopier/printer/scanner/ fax models
  • Use online fax and telephone
  • And when you are finished with your home office electronics, donate them to local schools, shelters or for reuse where needed

6. Refillable/reusable office supplies: When you look for office supplies—such as pens, pencils, files and ink cartridges for your printer—seek out refillable and reusable varieties. And also:

  • Look for recycled plastic products such as pens.
  • Buy pens and printer cartridges with non-toxic inks like vegetable- or soy-based ink
  • Buy multiple packs of pens, Post-it notes and staples to cut down your packaging waste
  • Reuse all of your elastic bands, thumb tacks and paper clips
  • Set up a recycling bin so you don’t throw used up items away

 

Filed Under: Accessories, Commercial Design, Design Elements, Design Plan, DIY, Eco-Friendly Design, Minimalist Design, Modern Design, Susatinable Design Tagged With: eco friendly design, Eco-Friendly Materials, Home Office, Office Design, S Interior Design Scottsdale Arizona

Call today to schedule your design consultation.

480-220-4659

57 Reviews for S Interior Design

Best of Houzz Service 2018Best of Houzz Service 2018Best of Houzz Service 2017Best of Houzz Design 2016Best of Houzz Design 2015Best of Houzz Service 2014

Click to see over 60 of our latest interior design projects.

S Interior Design Featured on Houzz
Houzz

Yelp Reviews

S Interior Design

Top 3 Interior Designers Scottsdale, AZ

Best Interior designers in Scottsdale

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,056 other subscribers

sign-up



Copyright © 2019 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in