Do you have an office? Whether it's a small part of a large Durham investment real estate firm or your own home office, the design and decoration of your business location sends a message to your clients. When they walk into your offices, what do you imagine they think? This place is messy, I don't know if I can trust her to handle my order properly? This office is so cold, I sure hope she doesn't design my living room like this? If one of these sounds familiar, you might need a little help from the experts. Here are some design schemes for offices and the impressions they make on potential clients.
Feng Shui
Asian decorating influences are all the rage right now. A Japanese or Chinese theme can be appropriate for an ethnic restaurant, an elegant spa, an import business, a therapy clinic, or even a company that deals in commercial real estate in Toronto. These schemes give off a feeling of calm, as if your employees are in control and taking their time. Create it with Asian art prints, Asian themed statuary such as dragons or samurai, rock gardens, Bonsai trees, painted divider screens, recessed lighting, and zen sand gardens.
Old Money
If you were a Hamilton, Ontario lawyer, important stock trader, politician, museum curator, university official, or manager, you might choose to decorate your office in a style suggestive of families that have been rich for generations (i.e. come from old money). This heavy, imposing style suggests a long family connection to the business at hand and most importantly, success. Achieve it by equipping your office with antique furniture made from dark wood, bookshelves with leather-bound tomes, thick patterned rugs, and British Empire style knickknacks made from brass or marble. Nothing new will do.
Futurist
This style of decoration is best for a technology oriented business, such as the Ontario franchise of a major computer graphics designer, a venture capital firm, a software company, or an engineering firm. Everything about this style says "we are the future," which can be useful in enticing tech heads to trust that your products will be state of the art. Create a futurist atmosphere with modern metal and glass furniture, black leather seating, technological devices like flat screens and new computers, fluorescent lighting, and knickknacks made of metal or glass.
Warm
A friendly and welcoming atmosphere is a trade mark Canadian decorating style and it can be appropriate for almost anything, including medical professions, decorating businesses, non-profit groups, and teacher's offices. You can achieve a homey feel by having incandescent lighting, squashy couches or chairs, carpeting, and home made knickknacks and artwork such as a painting your child has made or a photograph of your family.
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