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Category: Millennium Storage and Interiors (page 10 of 17)

Getting The Most From Light In The Workplace

Lighting can have a big impact on employees’ sense of wellbeing in the workplace and also their productivity. This is why planning lighting is as important as anything else in the office fitting process.

Unfortunately, not every office interior is blessed with an abundance of natural light. Depending on the design of the building, natural light may be in short supply and parts of the office will need lighting so that staff have enough of it to do their jobs.

Artificial lighting comes at a significant cost. When the office is lit up 5 or more days a week for 10 hours a day the cost of this can really add up and without any measures incorporated in your planning to reduce the use of artificial light, this could be a missed opportunity.

Then there is the question of the type of lighting and how much of it is needed. Too much brightness from harsh flourescent lighting can cause migraines in some people while too little can be the cause of eye strain. This will also reduce productivity.

Today we can be much smarter about the ways we use lighting in the office including introducing task lighting. This directs light only to areas that need to be lit which saves energy.

Brief Guide To Breakout Furniture

October 9, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments

Ever heard of breakout furniture? If you haven’t then you’re probably not up to speed with the latest innovations in office furniture.

There’s a buzz word for most things nowadays and that includes a specific type of furniture called breakout furniture. Now before we go into breakout furniture we need to understand what a breakout area is in an office.

The definition is actually as the name suggests, a place to break away from the desk and hold informal meetings or take time out for a break.

So you may actually have a breakout space without even knowing it but for some or even most offices, the breakout space is little more than a battered old sofa someone moved from their house and a cheap coffee table.

Breakout furniture doesn’t have to be this way, however, when there is the opportunity to make these spaces livelier and engaging.

A well thought out breakout space complete with office pods or even booths where people can use their phones can make for a much more happy and relaxed work environment.

If you are planning to fit or plan a new office layout, give us a call today to discuss the options available.

There Is More Than One Type Of Office Partition

September 26, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments

Office partitions allow you make the most of your office space as well as reorganise and create new workspaces. It is, however, essential to consider which office partition will work best in your particular environment. Here are some of the merits of each type…

Solid Partitions
As the name suggests these are more permanent partitions. These are most suited to office spaces where confidentiality is important. Solid partitions can always be mixed and matched with glass partitions to brighten things up.

Glass Partitions
Glass partitions are great for smaller offices where you want clutter kept to a minimum. They also create brighter more collaborative workspaces which tend to keep staff happier in comparison to solid walls which can create unnecessary barriers in some offices.

Demountable Partitions
These are highly flexible and easy to move around if your office space is more fluid. With many old town centre buildings being transformed into enterprise hubs and business incubators, demountable partitions can provide a way to create separation between work spaces and allow plenty of scope to change layouts at the same time.

For more information or guidance on installing office partitions give us a call today or look through the range of services we provide.

3 Ways To Make Workspace A Happier Place

September 10, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments

Returning to work after the summer holidays can be a depressing experience for some people. You get used to all that sunshine and miss all that relaxation. Going back to work needn’t be stress however and there is a lot you can do to cheer up your work environment…

Add some greenery
Office plants are all the rage as people like to see a bit of nature in their workspace. Being amongst plants and trees is supposed to be good for us and it’s easy to bring a bit of that into the office with a few potted plants.

Get a personalised mug
Personalised mugs are great for adding personality and humour to your tea or coffee times. You can have your mugs personalised to your personality so nobody is left in doubt over who it belongs to. They also look a lot nicer on your desk than a plain old mug.

Tidy up those cables
Cables can take up a lot of space unnecessarily. You can banish this issue by purchasing some cable organisers so that they can all be tied up and stored out of sight. You could even invest in a new desk which has holes in giving the cables somewhere to go. So many desks don’t actually have this simple method of keeping cables out of sight.

The Do’s and Don’ts Of Office Fitouts

August 25, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments

Did you know that a quarter of the space in most office isn’t used at all? This can not only contribute to an inefficient use of space but also cramped areas and low morale among uncomfortable staff. You can solve these problems by having a professional office fitout, but keep these do’s and don’t in mind before going ahead.

Do have a long think about what you want from your office
Refurbishing an office can sometimes be done in a rush to save time and disruption. Unfortunately, this often ends in poorly planned layouts so it pays to have a good think about what you need before hiring a company to do the fitting.

Don’t forget about planning
Planning an office fitout takes time and is best done by a professional using the latest technology so you can see what the result will be before the work starts.

Do keep an eye on trends
Like anything else interior design fashions come and go but some are enduring. In today’s technology age provision should be made to future proof your spaces and prepare them for the technological advances of tomorrow.

Don’t forget about health and safety
Health and safety might be boring but it is so important to stick to the rules and avoid introducing anything that could result in you getting sued by someone for neglecting health and safety during works and afterwards.

Office Fitouts, Noise And Disruption – It doesn’t Have To Be That Way

August 15, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments

Office fitouts more often than not happen when an office is occupied and this can be disruptive and at worst annoying to staff and prospective clients alike. So how do you plan an office fitout that causes the minimum of disruption?

The first thing to do is to use a professional office fitout company to do the work. We will have the experience necessary to carry out the work required with the minimum of disruption.

Planning is of course the key to ensuring that disruption and noise from the work is minimised. A good office fit out company will understand that work shouldn’t be carried out in a haphazard way. Instead refurbishment work will be carefully planned from where the work will be done to the time it is scheduled. Both are essential to ensure minimum disruption to workflows.

The last thing you will need from your fitting company is the sound of their drills while you are on the point of closing important deals in the boardroom and this is where planning the time this work takes place is important.

You will find that hiring an office fit out company will achieve all these goals quickly and efficiently.

Why You Should Consider A Custom Office Design

July 24, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments

The workplace is evolving into something that would be unrecognisable to a time traveller from the 1980s where workplaces were all fairly similar and often as grey as the faces of staff forced to work 9-5 in them.

There are plenty of offices like this still around but this often says as a lot about those businesses who opt for old fashioned offices offering little to no joy for employees and prospective customers when they first walk through the door.

A custom-made office goes a step further than simply changing the layout, adding some furniture and a new paint job. A custom office will be designed and fitted around your business and the way your business uses the space.

So in this sense you are not getting a one size fits all office but one that is designed to enhance every area of your business from its image, to productivity and ideas as that space becomes more collaborative.

A custom-made office requires a detailed consultation not just on layout but what works best for your business. Only then can a truly custom-made design be put together with the choice of fixtures and fittings.

If you want to find out more about our office fitting services contact us today.

Points To Remember About Introducing Hot Desks

July 5, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments

Hot desks are part of a new way of working where no one member of staff takes ownership of a desk in the workplace. The hot desk provides a space that anyone employed or associated with a company can use to do their work.

Hot desking isn’t right for every business of course. Many business owners prefer their staff to be at the workplace full time occupying a space they can call their own. For others where being office based isn’t essential, hot desks are ideal and will save the expense of renting large office spaces that are only half full.

The main points to remember when introducing hot desks is to discuss this with employees first to make sure they are on board with the idea.
Some people like to have their own space and some permanence in their work arrangements while other staff who are in and out of the office a lot may not be too concerned.

Once introduced, hot desk areas should be kept clean and tidy and staff should be instructed on keeping hot desks clean and tidy. There should also be a booking system where people know when they can use the hot desk in advance.

How To Keep Your Staff Motivated On Hot Summer Days

June 20, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments

Most of us look forward to some hot sunny days in the summer but when you’re in the office it isn’t much fun at all particularly if you are working all day. So here’s some advice on how to improve the office environment to keep your staff motivated and productive.

Ensure Everyone drinks enough water
It might sound obvious but drinking plenty of water can limit the effects of heat. Access to clean cool drinking water is something every office should have. Mood, memory and energy levels can all be affected by dehydration which is something you may want your employees to avoid.

Keep the work place bright and airy
Nobody wants to be stuck in a dark stuffy office on a hot day and the type of furniture you choose can make a big difference to how bright your office is. Ensure enough natural light is allowed into the spaces around your offices and open windows if necessary.

Arrange some outdoor time
Why not arrange some time out of the office for your staff in prolonged heatwave conditions. A bit of team building will keep things interesting and if it is held outdoors, staff won’t feel like they are missing out on the sunshine.

Have Office Reception Areas Really Changed That Much?

June 1, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments

Considering the fact that reception areas provide people with the first impression of your business, it is surprising to find that there hasn’t been much change since the 1980s in some cases.

In the 1980s you might have been greeted with a reception area that was fairly sombre with a desk a row of chairs and a receptionist either typing or sitting reading a magazine. Fast forward to the 1990s and you have the more widespread and visible use of office computers and a more open plan approach to the reception area.

Perhaps even an old sofa would be provided for clients to sit and wait before they are welcomed in to the main building. You will still see plenty of examples of these 80s and 90s office receptions around to this day.

The modern reception is all about creating a warm friendly space where visitors can feel at ease. If we take the examples of Google’s office reception areas you have multi-coloured playful furniture or comfortable curved sofas which look more like a nursery than a grown up place to work.

This is of course the type of image Google likes to project of course and this is the secret of a good reception layout. It must fit with the company image and have your branding clearly visible to leaf a lasting impression on your clients and customers.