Blog

When fitting out your office for 2013, it’s a great idea to get inspired by innovative office designs and fresh ideas based on current trends. Here are the most interesting ideas for you to get inspired.

Go futuristic. Haworth Marketing + Media, with two offices in Minneapolis and LA have recently redesigned their offices. The new building features a three-dimensional two-storey white wall specifically developed for the project to give the office a futuristic look. Other innovative design elements include undulating walls, enclosures, clouds that hang from conference rooms, facings on interior walls and so on.

Be innovative. Most businesses just want modern offices and only a few companies allow designers to come up with more innovative and whacky or outrageous designs. If you want to have one-of-a-kind office interior design, without a total refurbishment, trust professional designers who are able to make an entire office fit-out “without having to hire carpenters and bring down walls”. Think outside of the box but don’t go too mad in terms of crazy office features, at the end of the day, employee productivity should be your priority in any new changes!

Push the boundaries. Create something unique, without having a detrimental effect on employee health and safety or the ability to work comfortably. For example, a zip wire to get you from office A to B may get you a lot of publicity but we are pretty sure it will not be legally allowed!

Use innovative and sustainable materials. Create architectural products from durable, lightweight, translucent, cost effective and sustainable materials. Office fit-out companies can help you use environmentally-friendly materials as part of the “reduce, reuse and recycle” programme. There is a lot of interest around companies appearing to be as ‘green’ as possible, so do your bit for the environment.

If you’re planning office refurbishment or fit-out for 2013, turn to professionals for fresh interior design ideas. Have a look at what other companies in similar industries to yours are doing and tailor your office layout in line with what works for others. Encourage your employees to give input with regards to what they want to get out of a new office interior. Getting a unique conceptual office is easier than you think.

Ho Ho Ho! Christmas, that wonderful magical time of the year will soon arrive and we don’t want to catch us all by surprise in December. We all want to make it special and memorable for family and friends. As this event approaches, we always think to do something different, bring something more interesting and more appealing than the previous year in order to create that shiny and bright holiday. It happens that sometimes we don’t have enough money to put everything we imagined into practice, other times it seems like we’ve done it all and we simply run out of ideas. That’s why we’re here to help you with fresh and beautiful ideas that will fill your home with the scents of the holidays in an original manner.

Photos © IKEA Life at home

For this Christmas, we thought you might try your hand with a Scandinavian-inspired theme, especially if you are among those who are drawn to Scandinavian design and love the way such home are decorated for Christmas. The perfect holiday takes some creative thinking, so feel free to come up with any suggestion you want as long as you keep this design style. The winter season traditions of Nordic countries inspire everyone with simple and understated nature-inspired elements, candlelights and their favourite color palette of wood tones, whites and reds, a charming combination inspired by the red color of berries which shows up gorgeously against the snowy white landscape. In Scandinavian Christmas decor, function is the most important which is above all other aspects.

Photo © West Elm

Photo © West Elm

Christmas trees and tables are usually embellished with simple baskets of berries, apples, decorated sugar cookies and garlands of candy and popcorn. Gingerbread cookies are also hung in the Christmas tree after they were cut into various holiday shapes, decorated with white frosting and red ribbon. Such cookies are given as a sign of holiday hospitality when guests leave. You can use plastic foam cones covered with fresh cranberries for making beautiful red centerpieces. Place them together on a tray and obtain an attractive effect by embellishing them with sprigs of holy. Little gifts wrapped in red wrapping paper can be placed around the table, gifts that shows up nicely against a white tablecloth. If you want a red tablecloth, then simply change the color of the others. Christamas crakers inspired by Scandinavian folk art are so much fun to add to your holiday meal. Warm and cozy candlelights are the perfect choice for cold and dark winter nights, as well as for dinners. Porcelain candle holders, mercury glass vases or nature-inspired heart lanterns will definitely add a bit of unexpected charm to the decor.

Photos © IKEA Life at home

  Photo © Pottery Barn

 Photo © Pottery Barn

Other elements that are part of Scandinavian Christmas setting are animals. So, for example, a perfect addition to this theme is a pair of papier-mache reindeer displayed along with some botthle brush trees. Faux-fur blankets are also such beautiful accents for this time of year which keep your home warm and welcoming. A special and old tradition in Scandinavian homes for Christmas is to honor the animals that were present at the nativity. To remember the animals, neighborhood children are invited to make different arrangements of seeds, grains and apples and then let them outside for the animals and birds. Last, but not least, welcome your guests with a Swedish star lantern with a folk art design, which you can hand it in a picture window or entryway. Here are some inspiring decors and ideas to spice up your home this season with little a bit of Nordic style that make you forget about the frightful weather outside.

Photos © IKEA Life at home

Simple and uncomplicated are two words that come to mind when thinking about this style. Born in the coldest areas, in the three Scandinavian countries ( Sweden, Norway and Denmark), Scandinavian design style emerged as a design movement in the 50s, when enjoyed a tremendous success and became popular again from the 90s.

Characterized by simple, attractive and stylish shapes, minimalism and functionality, and generally low-cost mass production, this style was preferred by Norwegians, Swedish, Danish, as well as by the Finnish and the Icelanders, but over time it has gained increasingly higher popularity, receiving a great deal of attention from designers around the world. In fact, we can meet this design style into major trend setting cities all over the world, many people finding it very appealing. Why? You should only see some Scandinavian interiors and you’ll get right away all the answers.

Photo @stadshem.se

Photo @stadshem.se

As a blend of Danish, Swedish and Norwegian creativity, Scandinavian design stands today as a reflection of a timeless beauty which lies in a stylish yet casual look. Created in a fashion that fills up an airy and well-lit space, it exudes simplicity, tranquility, freshness of the outdoors and functionality: furniture pieces made of pine, clean and serious lines and tones inspired from fjords.  Maximizing light all year round. Color schemes lean more towards the the pastel light shades of beige, white, light blue etc., with an exception being made with the bright red that contrasts well with the remaining lighter shade tones.

Photo © Per Gunnarsson

Photo @stadshem.se

Central to Scandinavian design is symmetry and functionality, whether we talk about furniture, shapes, colors or textures: two chairs put side by side or the side of a writing bureau or a chest of drawers. Wood is also a strong presence within Scandinavian interiors, being the main material used for furniture items and decorating objects. Found with tables, chairs, benches, wardrobes, dressings, beds, floors, wood can be seen all over the house, its presence might be justified by its wide existence in the Scandinavian countries. Clean-lined furnishings are usually painted in pale colors in order to render more light, as painted furniture is very important in this design style.

So, if you want to achieve this look within your home decor, an interesting ideas is to buy a couple of stools at auction and applying them a couple of coats of paint. Its unique look is inspired by nature, so Scandinavian design is very concerned about natural appearances and light, because of the short days at the North Pole. The suspended lamps or the ones which have a support seem very artistic and cheer up the whole room where you place them in. All light essences, such as pine, oak or maple  are promoted, as well as some particular neutral materials such as stone, glass and leather. In order to get a real Scandinavian design style, you need to use light colors that suggest snow such as white, which is one of the key colors, blue, green.

Photo © Per Gunnarsson

Light shades of pink or ivory, sweet shades of gray are also ideal choices to go with. If you like contrasts, you are allowed to combine strong colors with the paintings, but keep in light shades the furniture. In fact, it seems that it’s becoming more popular these days to add in injections of color, any bold color you like. Texture is also a major component of the Scandinavian style, which ca be obtained with chunky knitted cushions in plain earthy colours. Long carpets or sheets of leather can sweeten the elegant line of the furniture, while an opaque painting on the walls   will make the natural wood in the furniture to stand out. Seen as a “modern classic” style because it make use of classic design elements with a modern twist, Scandinavian design is more a way of life that exemplifies simplicity, functionality and efficiency.

Photo ©  Magdalena Björnsdotter

Bathrooms has become more and more important over time, so important that these days it turned to be our ideal place for a relaxing retreat. If once the bathroom was the smallest room in the house, now we can go to houses where the bathroom is as big as a living room and its design can meet even the most sophisticated tastes. The huge range of bathroom furniture, tiles, textiles and accessories we can find nowadays go with every style and budget to create the space we wish, so we can make them as luxurious as we want.

Photo © Prestige Custom Building & Construction, Inc.

They are a significant component of the bathroom along with quality materials, murals, beautiful color palettes, plants, pots that make this environment more appealing and comfortable. It’s a universe of senses, where every detail counts and if you cannot do on your own, there are many professional interior designers who can help you to plan and arrange it. Furniture manufacturers specializes in producing a wide variaty of products for bathrooms to meet all demands of homeowners around the world. You can purchase bathroom furniture such as cabinets, vanities, space savers or bathroom racks from wholesalers, vendors, retailers,  from the manufacturers themselves or even online. There are various stores that sell RTAs  (Ready-To-Assemble) furniture, which is also affordable.

In you decided to remodel your bathroom and you want to get good deals, the idea is that, before purchasing, you pay a visit to a couple of stores to compare quality of the furniture and prices for the models you like. With the existing technological advancement, you have access on a global market and visiting stores is just a click away, you don’t have to travel long distances anymore to buy anything. Besides that, it’s also much easier to compare prices, materials, finishes, size, transportation costs, duration of deliver and so on. The choices are virtually endless. Other options to take into account is to get bathroom furniture at an auction, from garage sales or flea markets. If you buy at an auction, this kind of acquisition will need you to evaluate the quality of the furniture, especially for used items.

Photo © Macral Design Corp.

Photo © O Interior Design