Verb: A New Back to School Furniture Essential

You can smell it in the air in Seattle. That time of year when children, teenagers, and adults alike eagerly make their way back into the classroom to learn important information like "who won the war of 1812?" , what is x = 12-4(3) / 8(27+45) , can our culture successfully embrace transformational leadership in corporate America?

Well, maybe not everyone is eager. However, there is always the possibility of getting to go back to class and having new and improved stuff to work with. Here is a great new product line to look for!

Verb by Steelcase 

Steelcase has created a great new table product that has installed what every student over the past 20+ years has most likely doodled on...a mountable, mini whiteboard. Verb is great for collaborating during class and sharing ideas, this line of products (which includes tables) "is an integrated collection of furniture designed to support... learning spaces and project team rooms". Find out more here!

Here's an interesting and quick youtube video that showcases the properties and capabilities of Verb for the classroom:

And for some fun, check out this great video from EM Strasbourg (France) taking complete advantage of the awesomeness that is the Node chair. 

 

Blog Favorites

Today's post marks number 65 for Bank & Office Interiors. Writing once a week (usually on Wednesdays) since March 18th, 2011, our topics have ranged from cool furniture products, ways to stay healthy at the office, and a list of songs about work. As the primary writer, I've enjoyed creating many of these posts and wanted to share what I think the cool/interesting ones have been so far and look forward to creating more witty, entertaining and educating posts in the future.

Please click on the title to link to the article

1. Gearing Up For NeoCon. - NeoCon for the furniture community is a big deal. And it is huge. I wrote this article to give tips to first timers or a refresh for veterans. Such a cool event!

2. Your Health and the Office - Don't Neglect Yourself - Last year saw a lot of awareness raised about the evils of sitting for too long in your office chair. It includes a great infographic from mashable's story.

3. One Lean Journey Leads To Another - Dana, our Director of IT, wrote a great blog on a project we did with Steelcase and the University of Washington to make them more lean.

4. Your Worklife Without the Copier? - Can you believe that the copier has only been around since 1960? What did they do before then?!? Well...another great article from Dana to let you know some cool facts.

5. Giving Hospital Rooms a Facelift - Looking Towards the Future - Oprah had a great article in her magazine, O, on the direction hospital rooms could be taking to help patient care. This was a review of that great piece.

Enjoy!

Kendal

B&OI Furniture Favorites

Bank & Office Interiors sells quite a few pieces of furniture to our customers - but I've never taken the time to find out what some of co-worker's favorite pieces are.

Personally, I'm a big fan of the dash light by Details. It's sleek. It has an LED light. It also comes in a variety of colors. You can learn more about it here.

Josh in IT chose Answer by Steelcase. "It goes together like an erector set - which every child should have played with". As a former installer, Josh would know about putting it together with a major benefit being the ease you can rearrange it. Check out more info here.

Lynda, a designer, loves the look of the Coalesse Enea Lotus Stool. "The profile is clean lines and doesn't obstruct the views" It is a good looking and versatile with a look and dynamic that allows you to put it just about anywhere. Find out more info here.

Claudia, an admin assistant, is a fan of the Steelcase i2i chair (which is my number 2!). "They're just really fun to sit in!". And she's right! The low seating is part of the collaborative collection which was designed to make teamwork easier. Definitely a cool product that would be great in any office! Find out more info here!

Kevin in contract sales had to choose two. First, he went with the Leap Lounge with Ottoman because it's a cool design and very comfy when you get to put your feet up. It does look really nice - find out here!

He then went on to say the media:scape (which is my number 3). "It's one of my favorites because of the ease in which you can share ideas with associates and clients". And he's right - now Steelcase has the mini and the mobile media:scape with allows for any room to become interactive and collaborative. Check it out here.

Answer - here it's a cube, but the possibilities are endless

The lovely Enea stool in action

Leap Lounge with Ottoman - I could definitely get comfy

media:scape offers easy collaboration and a great way to share info!

5 Office Friendly Fitness Tips



You can do push-ups in the office!

 If you live out on the west coast, specifically the Pacific Northwest, then summer is just starting to come through. When we're not outside enjoying the gray, 60 degree weather, we're inside the office, sitting, working hard for our jobs and neglecting our bodies. It's important to remember to stay fit for yourself, even when buried under mounds of paper work. I found two cool articles that offer some tips to staying fit...in the office.

From Parade.com, they offer 9 tips you can use (check out the article here) - here are a few:

* Need ideas? Take a walk: Brainstorm project ideas with a co-worker while taking a walk, either in or out of the office.

* Visit your coworkers: Walk down the hall to speak with someone rather than using the telephone or sending an e-mail.

* Save the Date: Schedule exercise time on your business calendar and treat it as any other important appointment.


Total performance offered two (out of five) tips I really liked for the office (check out full article here):

* Morning workouts - summer (normally) tends to get warm and working out at lunch or in the evening can be painful. However, there's something about a 5:30am run with the cool air invigorating your senses to wake up that gets your work day going!

* Summer diet - oh I said it (well they started it). They suggest Barley should be added to your diet (great for kidneys, keeps intestines cool), as well as fruits and veggies. I agree! Make this the summer you skip the muffins and croissants and cake Wednesdays and enjoy Greek yogurt, baby carrots with peanut butter and fresh salads with yummy trimmings and a light vinegarette.

Of course this isn't the end all, be all list of tips. If there's a coworker in the office your friends with, working together and making each other accountable for changes is a great way to stay motivated. But ideally, not neglecting your limbs and health for the sake of 10 more minutes of sitting in your chair (which really turns in to 2 hours and you know it) is what you're striving for.

Good luck!

Kendal

To Cube or Not to Cube



My phone booth

 Working in an office furniture showroom has shown me a lot of different set-ups and layouts for a company's work environment. My station has my back to the cube door (yes, my cube has a door) with super high walls and very muted colors (gray slate wall w/ this silvery green upholstery) which creates a sense of privacy, but gets pretty drab/dark. The rest of the showroom, for the most part, is open. Different heights of panels and spaces to create an environment that allows for more collaboration.

Some businesses still hold on to the 6ft high cubes for their workers (I know my old job did) - but with such an emphasis over the last few years to allow for more collaborative workspaces, the trend has been moving forward. In a recent Steelcase article, they write, "The shift toward collaborative work has dramatically changed the topography at many workplaces. More than half of the companies in the CoreNet/Steelcase study say they’re reconfiguring individual workspaces to make more room for team spaces". But by taking away more private space, you're removing the individual's ability to work in a quiet "me" space. Not everything is group oriented, and the noise and distractions can get overwhelming.

How do you feel about the more open spaces? Does your building still have private offices and higher cubes or has your company opened up the space? Let us know!



The center of the showroom (right behind my work area)



The big table in the back set up for group work



Top Songs About Work

This week's blog needs something fun - it is hump day after all. So to spice it up, I give you some top songs about work. Many of these come from Yahoo's "The 25 Best Work Songs for Labor Day" - so if you don't like my choices, check out there list and let us know which are your favorites!

Note: Links go out to youtube

In no particular order! And I apologize - most of these seem to be created before 1990.

Workin' For A Livin' - Huey Lewis and the News
"Workin' for a livin' (workin')
Workin' for a livin' (workin')
Workin' for a livin', livin' and workin'
I'm taking what they giving 'cause I'm working for a livin'. "

Working for the Weekend - Loverboy - you have to get through the intro
"Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody wants a little romance
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance, oh"

It's Not My Place (In the 9-5 World) - The Ramones
"But it's not my place oh no
No it's not my place no no
No it's not my not my not my place
In the 9 to 5 world
And it's not my place
In the 9 to 5 world"

Working Class Hero - John Lennon - probably one of my favorite songs in general
(warning - language may not be appropriate for work)
"A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be"

 

Finest Worksong - R.E.M

"The time to rise has been engaged
You're better best to rearrange
I'm talking here to me alone
I listen to the finest worksong
Your finest hour
Your finest hour"

So what do you think? Have a favorite I'm missing? Let us know!

Fabrics for the Office - Why You Should Care

From Architex International

It's not something I readily think about as the marketing rep for an office furniture company. I like to show cool pictures of technologically advanced workstations and executive chairs...not the type of fabric you should choose for a panel. But if you're going through the process of buying new product or possibly refurbishing / refreshing your classics, then investigating in the aesthetic you will have to look at day in and day out for the next few years is extremely important...so I'd like to show you a few of our favorite companies to look at.

Architex - with multiple lines in various shapes, colors and (rather importantly) prices, Architex offers a wide variety to make your office and furniture beautiful. Additionally, they have a line devoted to "the common thread for the cure" - a non-profit that combines the furniture industry with the fight against breast cancer.

cf stinson is another great, versatile fabric manufacturer that offers a wide range of products to choose from. The Jazz collection is Agion Antimicrobial. Bleach solution cleanable, GreenShield soil + stain protective finish, 100% Eco Intelligent (post consumer recycled polyester) and has a non-halogenated, no-brominated FR enhance moisture barrier. (i.e AWESOME!)

 DesignTex is a favorite here at the office (and not just because they're a Steelcase company). Another large selection of everything from handmade rugs to panel fabric, I'm a fan of their environmental designs. Though most manufacturers are already very green focused, DesignTex takes the time on their website to point out their mission, recycling options, stories and history. It takes it an extra step. As a green conscientious consumer, I appreciate that.

Maharam: 2001: A Space Odyssey

And last, but not least, Maharam. A fourth generation, family owned company, they originally started out in costume fabrics and then morphed towards commercial interiors in the '60's. They, too, have the variety need to make your space creative and fun...but they also offer quite a few eccentric pieces that could make for a wonderful conversation piece.

Fabrics help accentuate your office. It can brighten up, offer a creative outlet for your co-workers and keep the office interesting. It can also create a dreary scene or unmotivated work area - so choose carefully!