Category: office

5 Things You Need Before You Start Your Next DIY Project

DIY can be one of the most fulfilling hobbies imaginable. It can increase the value of your home considerably while also saving you tons of money. To start a new project is exciting. But MyBestWorkBoots says there are a few things you need to consider before you leap right in.

Design via https://www.millhavenhomes.com

1. Planning and Preparation

One of the most important things to know is that some mistakes cannot be corrected, so approach your project with caution. Take it slowly and plan as far as possible for what you will need to accomplish your objective.

It’s all too easy to think you can do it on our own and then meeting an obstacle you are just not prepared for. Be patient and be prepared to make mistakes. Just pause for breath when any mistake you make will be irreversible.

This planning includes reading any instructions that might accompany tools, materials, or methods. And it’s far safer to follow expert articles or DIY books than trying it one your on your own. Know your skill limitations and if you need to, consult a builder, a woodworker, or someone down at the hardware store. Ask a friend if you need help.

One of the best approaches to all of these is to watch some videos on the subject. Of course, YouTube is an excellent resource for this.

Design via https://www.millhavenhomes.com

2. The Right Tools

You may be mentally very well prepared and approach your project with just the right amount of skill and guidance, but when it comes to it, you don’t have the right tools for what you need to do. There are specialized tools for specialized jobs, so get what you need. And remember, it’s worthwhile spending more on tools that are quality than having a mechanical breakdown or blunt chisel in your hands.

And it is crucial to have a toolbox that is spacious and well-organized. It just doesn’t work well if tools are spread around the house and have no proper home. Tools will just get ruined or lost. Any portable electric tools can be kept in their original packaging and taken out as needed. Your toolbox can house screwdrivers, screws, hammer and nails, tape measure, ruler, pencil, drill bits.

The skills to need to handle all of these correctly will be developed over time. DIY is a learning process, like any other learned skill. Sometimes it will be tough and frustrating when things don’t work out as expected. This will happen. But get back to it, fix what you can, and leave the project only when you are satisfied with the result. You don’t have to be thrilled at first. Satisfied is okay.

Design via https://www.millhavenhomes.com

3. Stick to the Guidelines

Don’t make substitutions of methods or materials unless you know either well. Once you have knowledge and experience, this will be different, but initially follow the instructions to the letter just as you would a tricky recipe. If it says masonry nail, then use a masonry nail.

4. Take it Easy

If you rush your project, you are more likely to be dissatisfied at the end. Let the paint dry properly before applying a second coat! It is wise to allocate at least double the amount of time you think a project should take. Spectacular results take time to achieve — you may have to sand that table twice, or put on an extra layer of paint.

Design via https://www.millhavenhomes.com

5. Don’t Work to Deadlines

As far as possible, try not to work to deadlines. You are setting yourself up for failure and disappointment if you are not experienced and think you can easily make it on time.

In time you will be able to make professional-quality pieces, renovations, and upgrades that will save you money and increase value. It could just be sanding and varnishing, or it could be painting, or drywall renovating. Read it up, follow instructions, use the right tools, take your time, and don’t work to the schedule of anyone else. This way, you will end up with a fantastic result, both in terms of the project and your own sense of self-satisfaction. There’s little to beat the feeling. Thanks to My Best Work Boots for consulting!

September 18, 2019
DC Budget Friendly First-Class Moving & Storage Companies For Your Office Move
Moving always creates a mix of excitement and tension, and for a commercial move this is even more so than for a residential move. Particularly in DC where timeframes are often very tight and may include moving very confidential information from one office to another. You need to be able to trust the firm that you hire to move your office to not only move you to your new location with no breakages, but also to do so in the timeframe you need, and to keep your office secure at all times.

Design via Casework

Who To Trust?

No matter what your business is, you can’t afford for a filing cabinet or a box of papers to fall off the back of a truck in transit. Nor can you afford for a moving company to damage hard drives. These are two of the primary reasons to make sure that you are looking at reviews and looking at local firms to move you who have a physical office located in DC. Companies like All n 1 Stop Moving & Storage – Top DC Mover and Packers who have a lot of information on their website make it easier for you to know what you need to do before your big move. Look for a company that has experience moving a business in a similar industry as you.

Design via Casework

Although some moving companies are excellent at efficiently moving a residential household, the needs and requirements for moving a commercial operation can be very different. Particularly in an office situation there is often more ‘little’ bits. People have desks full of bits and bobs, and those bits and bobs need to stay with that individual. Filing cabinets are full of confidential information. Storage boxes are full of essential contracts. Every office has a filing system that seems haphazard to an onlooker but is perfectly organised to the people that work there. If you are hiring someone to pack up the office, then they need to be able to work in such a way that means unpacking at the other end will not cause months on disruptions as you try to establish the filing system.

Design via Casework

Timelines and Deadlines

The old adage ‘time is money’ is true when it comes to moving your office. Whether you have a staff of one or one hundred, the longer it takes you to move the more disruption is caused to your staff and your customers. Most companies will be able to cope with putting temporary systems in place to allow for a move, and most customers will be sympathetic to a short delay. This is why going to a moving firm that has a reputation for being able to work to a deadline and that is able to provide you with a precise timeline for pack, pickup, move, delivery and unpacking is important. It may mean that you need to move in stages so that there is never any downtime, or it may mean that you have a day of working from laptops and mobile phones or setting up a virtual office (see here). However, you do not want to hear that there was a problem or that there has been a delay.

Design via Casework

What You Need To Know

Whether your office is moving from one floor to the next, one side of DC to the other, or from state to state you should be able to consult with your moving firm to get an exact timeline. Other than establishing a budget, some of the questions when you consult the firm should include:
1. Will they do a complete pack-down, is it more efficient to have each employee box their own desk, what do they recommend making the process easier? https://www.business.com/articles/office-moving-packing-tips/
2. How much time to day allot for packing?
3. For local moves is it a same day service or do they anticipate storage? For longer moves what is their anticipated timeframe?
4. Do they unpack? What is their labelling system to ensure that you can find everything?
5. What packaging material do they use?
6. Are they insured for loss or damages?
If you hire someone who you can trust to give you good advice, then you are likely hiring someone you trust to move your office smoothly. Thanks to All n 1 Stop Moving & Storage for consulting on this post!
May 24, 2019
Coworking Conundrums – 5 Things To Consider Before Moving Into A Coworking Space

Coworking brings with it the opportunity to work in a fun and energetic environment with a diverse group of people. Coworking in New Zealand, whether working in Auckland or in Wellington, gives start-ups and budding entrepreneurs the chance to get their foot in the door. Furthermore, the coworking climate is such that innovation and industry are the catalysts to the evolving coworking scene.

While it might appear that coworking is an easy way to drum up business, choosing a space that adequately meets the needs of your business can be difficult, especially if not from New Zealand. The picture of attractive professionals mingling as they go about the daily grind can seem appealing, but to maximise your coworking space, you have to go in with a plan. When looking for a coworking space, the factors that can make your business grow should be a part of the plan.

Let’s take a closer look at what you should consider before moving into a coworking space in New Zealand.

Purpose

The first consideration relates to the purpose of the coworking space. Coworking spaces come with a variety of amenities, and knowing how you plan to use the space can help in determining which type of coworking community you want to join. If you want to use the space primarily for work, then consider a space where social interaction is not a priority, for example, a smaller fit out with a simple plan. Conversely, if looking for a foundation to collaborate, then a more social space might be the order. For example, one coworking space – Servcorp, can fit out your business with fine office space that allows you to build that kind of platform.

Work Place Culture

Work place culture is very important when choosing a coworking space. For one, you have to be able to understand the culture to thrive in it. Unfortunately, the only way to learn about the culture is to join the space, and while some spaces might offer you a test run, typically you have to be in the space to know whether the culture is a match. Fortunately, professionals who are unsure of whether they want to remain in a space they have joined will find the contracts are extremely short, so if they find the workplace culture not conducive to the kind of business they need they can always join a new space.

Privacy

Another consideration involves whether or not the space offers you enough privacy while working. If choosing a hot desk, the chance is you will work alongside other professionals, but at the same token, your work will be seen by whoever is in the area. If your profession involves needing some discretion, the coworking space does offer other alternatives, but the price does increase when renting a dedicated desk or private office.

Professional Development Opportunities

Another very important part of the coworking space is the ability to take advantage of conferences and other workshops that can help you as a business owner. Most spaces do include workshops, formal networking events, and other professional development opportunities, but to make sure that you can use these events to your advantage, double check the coworking space calendar.

Ability To Expand

In general, the coworking space can help your business transition into other spaces. However, larger outfits can also make it easier for you to relocate to places outside of your current location with some having offices internationally. Depending on the industry, those looking for a coworking space should consider whether the service provider can make it easy to transition as your business grows.

Coworking Considerations

Coworking is an extremely practical way to lease office space. Furthermore, it can be a valuable experience when in the right space. However, finding a space that offers the practical parts of an office but can be leveraged to maximise opportunity can only be done when making some of these considerations.

Thanks to servcorp for collaborating

October 25, 2018
Choosing furniture that will make your home stunning

Choosing Furniture

I guess it doesn’t really need to be said that furniture makes a room. Not every home has standout bones, so more often than not we use furniture to express our aesthetic. That being said, I tend to feel horribly constrained by the few chain stores from which I can furnish my home, and even more constrained if my budget is small.

An over scale piece of furniture like the wooden wardrobe adds impact to this room without being flamboyant. Since the walls are white it also helps to visually push the wall back a little. You can find pieces like this at antique malls and sometimes a little elbow grease is all that’s required to restore furniture and make it look like they belong in a museum!

Wow. What a statement that giant square dining table makes. Even though it’s a little bit rustic, the upholstered chairs with nailhead trim keeps it in luxe territory. Quality made wooden furniture is beautiful when implemented correctly. If you’re looking for custom made designs, take a peek at Anne Quinn Furniture.

via Carla Aston Designed

A giant metal trunk as a coffee table is sure to be a conversation starter and acts as an amazing anchor to the otherwise visually light pieces in the room . From this perspective it also leads the eye up to that amazing window and built-in bookshelves.

via stylebyemilyhenderson

If you want your space to have the appearance of being collected and put together over time. DO NOT buy furniture in sets (don’t do this anyway). And if you do have a couple of matching pieces, make sure you have at least two pieces that are different. This gives them an element of being special of precious in some way and is a great way to create the focal point of a room. No way anyone is glancing over that antique furniture at the foot of the bed!

via stylebyemilyhenderson

Keep in mind that you don’t have to limit yourself to furniture only available in your country. The internet has given us more and more options when it comes to international shipping. Even if a furniture site isn’t in your native language, you could possibly find a thorough guide for shipping furniture to Singapore if that is where you call home!

July 19, 2018
Upgrade your Infrastructure for Increased Performance

Older houses will have had generators which were sufficient for the devices of their time, but as we have produced more and better technology, we have seen our power demands increase exponentially. Sometimes our old generators and power fuses can’t keep up with the demand, and it is best to try and upgrade the old infrastructure, in order to get better service and power return. There are a number of ways to upgrade your infrastructure, but they all require outside help from qualified specialists.

via Apartment Therapy

It has a number of benefits

Upgrading means that you will move from an older generator to one which not only allows you to meet your new energy needs, but also will let you switch your older equipment for newer, which is in-line with modern-day regulations and controls. This means that not only will you be able to meet all of your energy needs with greater ease, you will also have a generator which is not a pollutant, and is less likely to put both you and your family in danger. Inverter generators are a quiet way to get power, so those are usually recommended. To make an informed purchasing decision, check out this list of the best inverter generators.

People wanting to upgrade should talk to Mr Sparky electricians for ideas on the best fit for a replacement – you want a generator which fits as closely as possible to the older model, as this will make it less likely that other aspects of the wiring in the house will need to be changed to accommodate it.

via Southern Living

It will make everything faster

Easier access to electricity means that everything will work more effectively than it did before, because all the appliances in your home will have better access to power than they did before.

There will also be less chance of an electrical hazard developing because of the demands for power being placed on a generator which can’t provide for them all. If an appliance is striving to get the needed power, it could easily overheat, and therefore cause a fire. Upgrading your infrastructure can prevent this.

via HGTV

It is realistic

We have more technology now, and as it improves, it naturally uses more power over time. This is something which sometimes can’t be met by the output of an older make of generator, no matter how much it tries.

A new generator is rated for the regulations and controls which we impose today, but it was also built with the expectation of a certain power flow, as evidenced by our increased electricity use over time.

via south hampton design

It allows for peace of mind

Having all new equipment means that everything will be up to code, and will be as safe as the electricians can make it. This can mean that people will relax in the knowledge that their home is unlikely to have too many electrical hazards in it, because brand-new equipment usually doesn’t develop problems right away. Knowing that you have up-to-date wiring and generators in your home is something which can get rid of any fears about the possibility of it failing at a bad time, or of anything connected to it spontaneously becoming a hazard.

via Alice Lane Homes

February 13, 2018
5 Floor Lamps That’ll Change Your Office Space

Lighting is an extremely important aspect of setting the mood and influencing emotions. Studies have repeatedly shown that workers are more productive in well-lit areas, and that even the angle of the lighting can have an effect on the perception of a room upon entering.

Of course, an office space isn’t just any room – it’s your designated place of business, and is therefore a visual representation of who you are as a professional. As such, a disorganised or poorly lit office space cannot only be detrimental to productivity, it might also negatively affect the way customers and co-workers view your working habits and proficiency. With that said, here are 5 types of floor lamps that can drastically improve your office lighting situation:

1. Club Lamp

A club lamp provides a classy and elegant stand with a conventional lamp shade dimming the light to more tolerable levels. Thus, it’s perfect to have as a desk side lighting component, or to set in a corner to provide moderate lighting throughout the room. This is one of the most popular kind of floor lamps found in office spaces worldwide, and is a particularly popular option throughout Europe. The difference between a club lamp and a conventional floor lamp is often hard to tell, and so checking out some examples of standard lamps to compare can be useful.

2. Torchiere

A torchiere is similar to a club lamp with the exception that the top is open, and the bottom is shaded. This produces the effect of shooting the light towards the ceiling, where it is reflected around the room. Thus, this type of floor lamp is ideal for offices with standard ceiling heights. The style also makes it ideal for home offices, consultation businesses, physical therapy services, and other relaxed settings.

3. Adjustable

As the self-explanatory name implies, this type of floor lamp can be adjusted to various heights to accommodate fluctuating lighting needs in the office. This kind of floor lamp is great for workers who have transitioned into using a combination of sitting and standing desks, and is therefore a perfect companion to an adjustable desk. They’re also excellent for writers, inventors, technicians, assembly specialist, and anyone else who needs full control over close-up, precision lighting.

4. Multi-Bulb

Some floor lamps contain multiple bulbs for a stronger lighting effect, which makes them ideal for larger office spaces. However, in many smaller spaces these lamps can be a waste of electricity and/or excessively bright. On the other hand, you have the option of loosening some of the bulbs to dim the light as preferred, so they’re good to have around when you need flexible lighting options.

5. Tower Style

Tower style lamps are good for providing ambient lighting, with bulbs concealed in an assembly behind a vertical lamp shade that runs the length of the stand. Since these lamps usually aren’t extremely bright, they’re good options to have in creative spaces such as a music or art studio. They’re also good for boosting light in a particularly dark area of the office.

Considering Bulb Style and Other Features

Another aspect to consider would be the type of bulbs that the lamp uses. Many professionals insist on using LED lamps because they’re both energy efficient and more common in office environments. Although incandescent lighting will work to illuminate the space, some studies have shown that blue lighting increases worker productivity. Thus, it may be worthwhile to use special LED bulbs that emit a higher range of blue spectrum lighting. Likewise, depending on the type of mood you’re trying to set in the office, you may want to consider multi-coloured bulbs or coloured lamp shades to radically change the appearance of the office space altogether.

This post in consideration with Pagazzi Lighting

December 4, 2017
Handmaid’s Tale Set

Whether or not you were a fan of Handmaid’s Tale, the use of color in both costumes and the set are amazing. The house is perfectly on point for the show as well. I actually wish I had been able to find better photos from the set, so if these wet your appetite I recommend watching the show just to see the home.

The commander’s office is very masculine.

The lighting in the set is also on point as you can see. It’s dusky and secretive. Furnishings are traditional which also speak to a major theme of the show.

The wives wear teal and that is really the only pop of color you see used in the commander’s home.

Another shot of the commander’s office.

The kitchen and dining room are my favorite areas of the home, and probably the rooms you see the most of.

I wish I could have found better images of the kitchen for you. The exposed brick is homey but it also has a slightly industrial feel.

These last two images are the commander’s office again.

Are you a fan of the show? What do you think of the set?

November 17, 2017
Living with Less

As most of you know, clutter can make your overall home decor design seem a little off. If you feel like the amount of things in your home are not showing the true value of the design that you want in your home, maybe it’s time to live with less.

via apartmenttherapy

Decluttering can be a huge task that seems quite overwhelming, especially for those who have a hard time letting things go. My suggestion for those who are struggling is to do one room! It’s amazing how one room can boost your motivation and really show you what decluttering can do.

via stylecaster

First, start with a plan! What is your style, your color scheme, and your purpose for the room. Now take everything out of the room. If you need to paint or do any big changes, now is the time. Once the room is exactly how you want it empty, add one piece at a time.

via brit.co

Just because you want a simpler room, doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! Make sure you add your personality in it, but do it in a way that doesn’t involve a lot of small pieces that will need to be cleaned, dusted, moved, and rearranged later.

via mydomaine

You might be surprised when you feel like the room is complete, how many pieces you have left! Here’s the decision you’ll have to make. Either get rid of everything you didn’t put back in the room, or go through it and decide what to keep and what to throw or give away. But whatever you do – don’t put it back in the room you just finished!

via home-designing

For rooms that require a lot more things to be kept. Consider closed storage with drawers and cabinets that you can’t see through. It will create that sense of less clutter while maintaining the items you need to live.

via stylecaster

Do you think you can live with less?

September 12, 2017
Office Inspiration: Office Spaces that Stand Out

Office Inspiration

At times we can get carried away with what we want in our home office. Whether it’s tons of storage or inspiring photo’s all over the wall, it can get a little overwhelming. A simple office space leaves your mind clutter free and ready to create a new masterpiece.

via brit

If you are a naturally creative person, you know that most times you don’t need much to be inspired! Sometimes it’s the blank wall that makes our mind imagine what should be there so we can create it.

via petitemodernlife

Maybe the room itself doesn’t even matter. Maybe your view outside the window is what you need to get your brain moving.

via gewoonstijl

Stick to the basic necessities. A chair, a table, a plant, a light, and a calendar may be all you really need.

via ruemag

You may be surprised that living with less actually keeps you focused and gives your room to grow.

June 19, 2017
Imperfect interiors: Sometimes it’s okay to be messy

Imperfect Interiors

With most of my home decor experience, organized is one thing that is a requirement. An organized, clean, crisp room is usually what’s most pleasing to the eye. Let’s get realistic though, if we are going to be living in this room, it’s bound to get messy!

Today I am letting it go and embracing some of the chaos, because what is creativity without a little clutter?

via designsponge

via laurenconrad

via mixandchic

via johanna-vintage

via myscandinavianhomeWhat room in your house do you let get messy?

April 27, 2017