Office Design Trends: Fall 2014

It's been an exciting year in the world of office furniture. The industries hottest brands have introduced an abundance of new products designed to improve aesthetic appeal while make those long days at the office a bit more bearable! In today's post we'll highlight the top design trends as we head into the fall season. Enjoy!

Trend 1: Gray Laminate Finishes

Whether you're making over your home or business work environment, you're bound to run into a wide variety of gray laminate finished desks this fall. Collections like the Mayline Medina line and the Global Total Office Zira line offer a wide range of gray tones that are trending in a major way. Finishes like Gray Steel, Absolute Acajou, and several others are ideal for creating office spaces that stand apart from the competition.

Trend 2: Metal Accented Desks

Desks with metal accents offer a cutting edge contemporary feel that's on a dramatic upswing in popularity. This modern yet industrial look is showcased to perfection on lines like the Napoli collection from Mayline. Additional collections featuring metal accented office desks include the e5, Zira, and Medina lines.

Trend 3: Metal Accented Conference Tables

Like with desks, using metal accents on conference tables has become incredibly popular. Lines like the Alba collection from Global Total Office and Mystic collection from Lesro Industries are sure to impress in professional meeting areas. Conference room tables with metal bases provide a more open feel and are often far less expensive than comparable models with drum and cylinder style wood bases.

Trend 4: U Shaped Reception Desks

In order to maximize worksurface and storage space in office reception areas, U shaped reception desk styles are becoming more and more common. Collections like Amber from Cherryman Industries offer modular U shaped stations that provide plenty of room to operate. Both single and 2 person reception desk styles can be easily configured. The U shaped reception desk design looks great from nearly every angle and is sure to boost your corporate waiting area appeal.

Trend 5: Ribbed Back Office Chairs

Ribbed back office chairs offer a sleek modern design with horizontal stitching patterns. This look can be seen in office chairs from brands like Ergo Contract Furniture, Flash Furniture, Offices To Go, and several others. The ribbed back look works great in meeting areas as the space saving designs allow businesses to accommodate more guests comfortably without looking over crowded. Ribbed back office chairs start around $150 for professional quality models and can be purchased in popular color options like black, white, gray, and brown.

Trend 6: Powered Boardroom Tables

Create a high powered multi media boardroom this fall and stay in line with out number 6 trend! Conference room and boardroom tables outfitted with power modules are sure to improve your meeting area effectiveness. Brands like Lesro, Global Total Office, Cherryman Industries, and Mayline are all offering popular conference tables with factory installed power ports. While basic modules with three prong cords and phone inputs are the most commonly used, custom ports can be installed with HDMI, Audio, and USB inputs.

Trend 7: Modular Training Room Tables

Using modular tables is just plain smart. While fixed leg training tables will always have their place, the trending modular styles of today are far superior. The ability to quickly connect tables together, flip tops to save space, and roll tables around to avoid lifting makes this trend one to worth following. If you'd like to see this trend in all it's glory, check out lines like the Sync collection from Mayline and Bungee collection from Global Total Office. You'll be glad you did!

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DIY Office: 5 Cool Desks Made from Doors!

Looking to create a one of a kind office space to conduct your business from? If so, today's post is a must read. In this DIY office article, we'll highlight 5 of the coolest office desks you'll ever see that are actually made from doors! These inspiring self-made desks showcase that with a little know how and design ingenuity you can create a unique workstation that sets your space apart from the competition.

First up. this rustic desk with mobile metal base. This workstation is made from reclaimed wood doors that were attached to a unique metal frame structure. Talk about a conversation piece! It's easy to see and appreciate the time that went into crafting a DIY desk of this quality. However, if one of a kind is what you're after, this inspiring station is sure to get the creative juices flowing. Simply add some cool accents like the retro chair and desk lamp and you'll be ready to roll. When it comes to office furniture and design, it's all about letting your individual personality shine. We think this space and desk do just that to perfection.

Next up, this simple yet sophisticated rectangular desk constructed from a folding style wood door. At first glance the folding top will catch your eye and wow with it's antique feel. The elegant straight leg design provides a table style look that's perfect for luxurious work environments. This popular look is trending for both modern and traditional office makeover projects. Beautiful DIY desks like this are not often for sale, but then again... wouldn't you rather make your own to showcase!

Next up, this cool door desk with books for legs! We love the design ingenuity booming throughout this conversation starter. A rectangular glass worksurface was used to cover the main desk while a separate door frame was used as a back drop for added appeal. The antique look is sure to impress, but the front legs steal the show. This one of kind station looks super cool, but we do question the stability. Can you imagine working on an important project and bumping one of the front legs? Talk about a bad situation. We image the weight of the main worksurface makes the legs difficult to move, or that the books are glued together for extra support. None the less, this is one neat DIY desk that's full of creativity. 

When we started writing this article on desks made from doors, we were fully expecting to stick with an
antique vibe. However, we came across this awesome modern ergonomic workstation built from the side of an airplane. Talk about unique! While this station probably takes up too much space to fit properly in the average office, it was just too cool to leave off. If this looks like a project that interests you, try contacting old air fields. You might just be surprised at the salvageable materials you come across to make your desk. From airplane doors to to wings, there's no end to what you can create.


Last but certainly not least, we thought we'd end today's article with a luxurious hand made desk that's full of class and elegance. This 4 leg table desk features an antique wood door with metal trim that's guaranteed to earn any space an abundance of compliments. We love that the antique knob was left on for aesthetic appeal. The base used matches the surface perfectly to create one of the best DIY desks we've ever seen. The simplicity of the design is not to be mistaken for an easy project. This is one upscale desk that's absolutely stunning.

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Office Design: Creating A Professional Conference Room

Designing a professional conference room area for your business can be a difficult task, but it doesn't have to be! In today's article we'll showcase helpful design tips and product suggestions sure to help you create a meeting area designed for optimal productivity. From space planning to design ideas, we have your every conference room makeover need covered!

As with any office makeover project, the first step to creating a professional conference room area is space planning. It's vitally important to measure your space effectively notating power outlets, entry ways, windows, and load bearing members. Create a diagram of your area and sketch a few simple designs of what you think will work best. Meeting with an office interior design team or furniture specialist will definitely provide valuable insight as to what products will work best for your space.

Once you've got your space measured, it's time to choose a furniture style. Do a simple online search for "conference room decor ideas" to get some inspiration. In addition to search engines, sites like Pinterest can also be a big help! The most popular style of 2014 is most definitely modern. Most businesses are looking to keep their office decor on the cutting edge with modern meeting tables for sale from the hottest brands. Those not in love with the modern look will want to focus on a more traditional theme for their space.

Now that you've got some inspiration and a desired style in mind, it's time to shop! As the most fun part of any design process, shopping for conference furniture online will provide you with ample product suggestions to meet your specific needs. Not to worry though, we've showcased some of our favorite lines below to keep you from getting overwhelmed!

Top Collections Include:

Napoli Series Conference Furniture

Verde Series Conference Furniture

Aberdeen Series Conference Furniture

Once you've chosen a line, take the time to comparison shop using various online resources like Google Product Search and other engines to find optimal savings. You'll be surprised how many vendors offer coupons, bulk discount packages, and free shipping to earn your business. The list below shows the essential products you'll need to get your space up and running efficiently.

Most Conference Rooms Need:

1. Conference Table
2. Storage Components (wall cabinets and credenzas are typically the best choice)
3. Presentation Board
4. Lectern or Podium
5. Seating

Next, you'll want to schedule a delivery day for your new furniture if you're planning to handle the installation process yourself. You may also choose to have your products ship to a professional installer in your area and most reputable online furniture providers will have a list of quality suggestions. In most cases, conference room furniture installation is pretty basic. Table tops typically connect easily to bases and can be assembled quite quickly. The most time consuming part of the installation process will be assembling your chairs. However, once you've done one the process picks up and you can use a team approach to get done faster.

Here's Some Helpful Product Receiving and Installation Tips to Remember:

1. Prep Your Area: Having your office ready to receive new furniture is very important. Make sure you allot the necessary time to remove old products from your space the day before you're new products arrive.
2. Designate A Staging Area: Creating a staging area to welcome new products will help you save time while eliminating the need to move items multiple times.
3. New Furniture Creates Debris: Your new furniture should arrive well packaged and often palletized. When the uncartoning process begins, a lot of packing materials and associated debris will be created. make sure you have the dumpster space or exit strategy to remove waste effectively.

Once the installation process is complete and all packaging materials are removed, it should be about time to host your first meeting in your new space. Be sure to share your design success with fellow coworkers to showcase just how great a job you've done!

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Talented Alex has designs on your next new car

A MERSEYSIDE dad has spoken of his pride this week after his son landed a dream job designing a Chinese car company's latest models.

Jeff O'Brien, from Thornton, told Life On Cars that after impressing car industry executives with his design flair his son Alex has now jetted off to Shanghai to help design vehicles for Qoros, a joint Israeli-Chinese firm which will be launching its first cars in the UK next year.

Mr O'Brien said yesterday: "Alex's designing and sketching skills are out of this world, and after completing the car design course at the University of Coventry he impressed a lot of design executives for different companies, who all saw what he'd come up with and wanted to take a look. One of them was a manager at Qoros, who spoke to Alex and was absolutely delighted with him.

"Alex wanted to work with Qoros because it's a new company, and they're really keen to use some of his design skills in their models."

The model which former Manor High School pupil Alex created to conclude his design course, a sports car design aimed at supercar builders Bugatti (pictured above), attracted attention from car industry executives at an exhibition, used to showcase the UK's latest car design talent, held in Coventry last year. Father and son worked together on the car, with Jeff, a retired Craft, Design and Technology tutor, helping to fashion the wheels for the model of Alex's sports car design.

Although work commitments in Shanghai meant Alex was unavailable to speak to Life On Cars, a Qoros spokesperson said of its new range of cars: "Qoros is a fresh, new brand without legacy. It is driven by a passionate international team of expert designers, engineers and marketers who are united in their desire to develop sophisticated and highly individual products.

"The company is dedicated to meeting an ever-increasing demand for cars that are highly differentiated from other products within a crowded automotive marketplace. In addition to design that is both elegant and functional, Qoros products will be distinguished by a strong focus on state-of-the-art technology, with high levels of user-friendly in-car connectivity and vehicle safety standards which compare to the best in Europe."

The first Qoros car to be sold in the UK, an as-yet-unnamed four door saloon, will make its European debut at the Geneva Motorshow next March.

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