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January, 2010

Hello everybody!

This is our January 2010 design newsletter. Today I would like to talk about your business space and what you can do to improve it without spending too much time or money.
In our Green News, learn about living green walls and the advantages of having them!

Your business space is one of the most important spaces where you spend a large amount of time. A business, space is also a face of your company and a representation of the quality of your services. Read further to find out how you can shape it up in 7 easy ways this year.

Truly yours, EKATERINA KOHLWES principal / designer

 

7 STEPS TO SHAPE UP YOUR BUSINESS SPACE

We spend over 8 hours a day in our businesses. It sums up to almost half of our conscious lives. If your business space is not designed right, you may be a victim of how it effects your emotions and overall health, as well as your clients' behavior. You get stressed, tired, irritated or even sick without realizing that your body is trying to signal that something is wrong in your surrounding.

Being busy and not paying attention to these signals may be dangerous to your health and your business.

Did you know that we get tired much faster when working in a completely neutrally painted office? Our brain does need a healthy amount of stimulation to keep it going. Did you know that you can get allergies in a space with an old carpet stuffed with dust, or with some newer carpets with volatile plastics and organic compounds which release invisible toxic gases? We get eye fatigue in a space without windows or insufficient lighting. We get sick with no direct access to the outside fresh air…

What will YOU do to improve your business space, to make yourself and your employees feel better and to attract more clients this year? Make a wish list! We’ve picked some of the simplest and most affordable ways you can do this year to make a noticeable difference at your business space. Please let us know what you think.

1. Signage

Become visible today! You are paying for your rent, but does everybody know you are here? Signage is one of the first elements that people will see about your business. Millions of dollars are being spent by large companies to strategically design and locate their signs. Your business is not an exception. You need to get noticed by people driving or walking by your building, this is why you have your store here on the first place. Get the design and creation of your sign into the hands of professionals. Signage is something that should look sharp and be good quality. Mindful Design Consulting can design your sign and recommend an appropriate placement.

German Pfaff sewing machine sign is an example of a beautiful representation of the company's brand.

 

2. Become Pedestrian Friendly

Become pedestrian friendly - brighten up your outside and attract attention. If your business has a store front, it is an excelled idea to lighten up your entrance after dark hours. Add some string lights around your entrance, on trees or plants on the walkway next to your shop or overhead. (if you don’t want to mess with electricity, get solar string lights)

Even a dark street can be brought to life with string lights for your visitors. Photo by Declan Flynn

During the day, if your cafe shop or a restaurant is hidden from a main road, add bright umbrellas on a walkway or over your outdoor patio, it will grab everyone’s attention and attract passersby. These beautiful SkyShades tents can also be used as a substitute for umbrellas. They would give a more contemporary touch to your business.

Make your business more pedestrian friendly and attract more attention with these unique shades. Take a look at more bright shading ideas at Sky Shades website. You can talk about your project to a local San Diego Principal & Owner at SKYShades of Southern California - Diego Villamizar.

3. Change Your Wall Colors

If you have not repainted your business’ space for over 4 years, it’s probably time to do so! The best way to start picking colors is to look at your overall branding and logo colors. You want to be associated with your brand immediately and to be consistent. If the colors of your logo are red and blue for example, define what type of blue and red they are (on a cooler side or warmer tones) and pick complementary warm neutral or cooler gray tones. If you are not sure, talk to an expert. Mindful Design Consulting can help you to pick your space colors on an hourly basis!

If you need help picking colors, materials or furniture for your business, we can always work with you on an hourly basis.

4. Waiting Room Furniture is the King!

Make it a conversation piece! Spend a bit more money and get the chairs of your dream for your waiting room and see what your clients tell you. Make it fun and fresh. See if they tell their friends about your new unique chairs or a coffee table they just saw in your office.

Designs by Sylvia Colombini and Zoran Jedrejcic, Eklipse chairs push the boundaries between art and furniture.

5. Tidy up Your Desk

If in your office you have papers spread all around your desk, your shelves and maybe even on your floor, it’s time to rethink your organization and storage. Make a quick inventory of what exactly has been piling up. Can you create a designated place for it, create a file or place a basket. Make a trip to IKEA, the closest Containers Store, or any other storage store and see what they have to help you organize yourself. (Nowadays you can even do it online!) You may be surprised by all the new storage ideas that have been designed since the last time you’ve checked.

Get inspired by The Container Store storage design options to organize your work space.

6. What’s on Your Walls?

Is it something you found in your garage that has faded over time? If your space is painted in neutral colors, you can make a statement with one painting in your waiting room, cafe shop or your office. Did you know that a little stimulation in a neutrally painted space will keep your brain sharp and active for a longer period of time? Take a look at what fits your style best. You can make a large print of a photo you’ve taken on your last vacation. It can easily be done on-line and framed in your favorite frame store. If you like doing your own projects, you can print a picture on a canvas and wrap it over a wooden frame (or styrofoam.) Or purchase art pieces like you see on the image below. Try to choose colors that bring all your interior colors together.

You can make these beautiful art pieces yourself. Just print your favorite photo and follow the instructions HERE.

 

7. Connect to Nature

Healthy potted plants are not just a good decoration touch. Plants clean our air and connect us to nature, providing a nourishing feeling and thus relaxing us.

Here are some psychological benefits of having plants in your house or office noted by professionals:
• Instill a feeling of well being
• Help to reduce stress
• Help people recover from mental fatigue
• Improve productivity

If you can’t afford fresh cut flowers every week in a lobby of your salon or your office, make it a potted plant. Here are the plants that are highly recommend by landscape specialists for enclosed spaces: areca palm, mother-in-law’s tongue, money plant. These three plants are known to help with respiratory health problems, headaches, eye irritations, asthma and allergies. They remove CO2 and convert it to oxygen. The money plant is also known to removing VOC's and harmful chemicals from a space. So if you skip everything on our list, think about this one suggestion. Good luck on your business space improvement journey!

Any of these plants will clean air in your business or home. If you need to consult a professional about your plants selection, talk to a local San Diego company Good Earth Plant Company, founded by Jim Mumford.

 

 

 

GREEN NEWS!

Did you know that now you can grow your greens on your wall? San Diego based company Green Scaped Buildings will design and install it for you. Here are some benefits you will see with living green walls:

  • Conserving energy by insulating the building envelope
  • Creating biodiversity conservation opportunities
  • Absorbing and filtering storm water
  • Filtering air particulates
  • Interior plants clean the air in your office or home and also add humidity to the air when you have your central heating on in the winter.
  • Saving space

Read more on similar subject:

Influence of YOUR Business's Brand Design on Profitability of YOUR Business!

Design of Business’s Environment As Branding Support In Services Marketing

Save Money With Solar Lights!

Law of Attraction or How To Select Your Wall Art

Before and After Images - 2009 Projects

 

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