Category: Fashion

IT’S IN THE PLANNING

Senior Interior Designer Caroline Flannery with Dublin based Interior Design Consultancy Level Design Solutions states that whilst your salon should certainly be chic and stylish it must also function as a working space. You will need to consider the layout carefully in order to optimise all available space and to ensure an effortless flow of people throughout. It is pointless after all to invest in state of the art equipment or expensive lighting and finishes if your staff are constantly tripping over each other or your clients are uncomfortable. Since salons normally offers a wide range of services it is usual to break up the floor plan into a number of separate spaces for example you may require some private treatment rooms for waxing and massage in addition to a more open plan area for nails. Consider the following elements whilst outlining the layout of your salon. Reception/Waiting Area The reception desk should face the entrance. Try to keep the desk away from the waiting area to protect client’s privacy. Consider using flat LCD monitors for a more streamlined contemporary finish. The number of seats will depend on the size of the salon but it is obviously not productive to have too many people waiting to be seen. Display and market product in the reception/waiting area. You should also provide a closed space for coats/bags if possible. Manicure and Pedicure Areas These sections should be close to each other enabling the sharing of common storage compartments and for ease of access. Clients should not be expected to walk across the salon whilst in the process of having a treatment done. Wash basins should be within close reach. Treatment Rooms Separate compartments should be provided for each treatment to ensure complete privacy, ideally these rooms will be sound proofed and should be positioned close to a WC/Shower. Storage Storage is an important element of the planning stage as units can be incorporated into the wall for a more streamlined finish. A sense of cleanliness and order can be achieved by storing products in closed cabinets or hidden shelves. Ensure that the therapists have all the equipment and tools they need within reach. Plumbing and Electrical Consider how many basins and electrical points you will require and try to incorporate these into your layout design. Written by Caroline Flannery BA(hons) DipHE LEVEL DESIGN SOLUTIONS – Dublin 15, Ireland www.leveldesignsolutions.com

Professional and Affordable Interior Design Consultancy

the persona of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives(Wikipedia)

The past decade has seen a considerable increase in brand development focussing on Corporate Identity.

Is a brand positioned correctly to reflect the corporate persona its culture, and cause the right reaction within the hearts and minds of the target market?

Is a brand unique, prominent and will it be recalled across communications channels?

These types of questions are given much attention from marketing and communications experts and often result in tangible enhancements to corporate signage, and messaging across digital, BTL and ATL channels, but they are rarely considered in depth during an office refurbishment or fit out.

Aligning interior design to accurately convey corporate identity plays a critical role in this process. Regardless of a companies size, its corporate space conveys persona and can substantially influence both employees and consumers in their decision making.

Small to medium sized companies that put effort and thought into their brand requirement when designing their office space have considerable advantage over their competitors. The impact of well placed branding, continuity on a branded color scheme, and well place reminders about a companies mission not only affirm to employees that they are in the right place, but they reinforce the company mission and purpose dramatically.

Does your corporate space meet the needs of your employees?
Will a consumer who enters your space for the first time, know without doubt what brands you represent?
Does your space convey credibility, trust, sincerity and other elements of your corporate culture correctly?

Interior Design is not just about refurbishing your space to be more functional, productive and cost efficient. A good interior design will vary and must accommodate the special needs and requirements of your corporate identity and business. And every business is different:

Are you a technology firm? Do you need to convey a cutting edge or post modern atmosphere? – here we understand such a brief to be about simplicity and ensuring that every element of the design has a role and function but that all components in their collective are not overwhelming.

Are you a law firm that needs to convey authority, power and control? – perhaps this brief could be translated by looking at more traditional furniture systems and fittings. A touch of leather, polished wood cadenzas and bookshelves hosting reference material.

Do you specialize in financial services where conveying stability and success are a pre-requisite to doing business? – perhaps this brief is about landmark features or installations, big branding and cadenza’s hosting photo’s of some of the more recognizable clients.

A good commercial interior designer can work with you to engineer an environment, to bring ideas to the table that accurately convey your brand identity while ensuring a functional, productive and cost efficient atmosphere.