Picking the right colours for your office or interior can be a challenge. When faced with swaddles of swatches and an unending array of hues, making a furniture colour decision can be overwhelming to say the least. This, coupled with the knowledge that an incorrect use of colour may be detrimental to productivity, can lead to throwing in the towel and sticking to neutral, monochromatic tones.
June 2024
In a world that changes rapidly, businesses need to respond with agility, and being able to adapt to changing circumstances is more important than ever. The traditional nine-to-five workday is no longer the standard. Employees are increasingly working flexibly and outside of conventional office hours. This challenges managers to create new procedures for productive and efficient work environments.
February 2023
As we step into 2023, companies worldwide are still trying to figure out what way of working will be best for them. Businesses are switching from the traditional office-first, 9-5 structure to a more flexible working model, with hybrid working on the rise as this offers employees a better work-life balance. They are more able to develop a healthy relationship between their personal and professional lives in this new work situation.
January 2023
The workplace has always been more than just a place to work, and to support their job, employees require a variety of environments that allow them to collaborate, concentrate, learn, socialise, work and relax. The right arrangement of people, processes and places will enhance the office aesthetics, improve employee wellbeing, increase cooperation and help facilitate decision-making business processes.
December 2022
Imagine the following: you wake up in the morning and you feel good. You arrive in the office full of motivation and excitement for the day ahead. You work on projects you are invested in. You take pride in working with a great service or a product. Your work conditions suit your needs. By the end of the day, you have achieved what you wanted to do and then go home, satisfied and happy.
November 2022
The popular open plan office was once hailed as the solution to boosting cooperation and productivity. But as the number of open, collaborative spaces increases, so do the levels of noise, stress, and anxiety in the workplace. Noise pollution can lead to increased stress levels and dissatisfaction not just with the work environment, but also with the job itself.
October 2022
Selecting the right fabric upholstery for your office furniture can seem like a daunting task. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when selecting fabrics as there seem to be an infinite amount of options when it comes to colours, textures and patterns. Some of the most crucial components in the design and planning of a work space are the fabrics. To make the process a little bit easier, we've put together a useful guide on things to consider when choosing the fabric for your office furniture.
September 2022
More than two years ago, Covid forced employees out of the office and into their homes. Now the pandemic’s impact is steadily decreasing, businesses are actively trying to get employees to return to the office. But not everyone is equally eager to return. Getting workers to come into the office, even for a few days a week, may be difficult when work can be done from anywhere. Instead of being a location where employees must go, the workplace must now become a place where they want to be.
August 2022
The workplace has changed significantly in the last couple of years, and there’s unlikely to be any let-up this year. But amid a lot of recent industry noise about a future ‘metaverse’, there are plenty of more immediate priorities for businesses. The pandemic has already shaken up perceptions and expectations of what work should be, and most employees now expect greater flexibility over when and where they do their jobs.
June 2022
Whether you are redesigning an office space for your employees, or setting up a home office, navigating the world of office chairs can be overwhelming. The increasing number of products available on the market, in different styles, different materials, with different features and different benefits, makes it challenging to narrow your buying options and select the right chair for you.
June 2022
Creating an executive office requires careful considerations and meticulous planning. A new office concept has emerged in modern interior design with the aim of improving workspaces to meet the demands of today's leaders. Private offices must offer the top management a space that prioritises appearance and productivity in equal measure. A premium look doesn't serve the purpose unless the space is designed for efficiency based on the user's needs.
May 2022
Each of us has different working environments, work schedules, working styles, personal aesthetic tastes and physical limitations that affect our ideal workspaces. The best companies are paying attention to their employee’s preferences and needs by providing personalised workspace design that reflects their tastes. The concept has plenty of benefits for employers too.
April 2022
The pandemic and working from home have reinstated our desire for comfort and most workers don’t want to lose that when returning to the office. Because of this, many businesses are reconsidering how an office should be set up, what it should offer, and what employees are looking for. So, how would you go about making the office feel more cosy, comfortable and welcoming?
March 2022
Remote working was already finding its footing in workplace strategies. But in 2020, everything changed and businesses were forced to shut their offices and switch to running operations from home. Even when lockdown restrictions were eased gradually, many companies preferred remote or hybrid working for their employees. But, with the pandemic now hopefully coming to an end and the government advising us to go back into the office, is the what employees really want?
January 2022
The office is often referred to as a second home to workers, spending more time than with their own family, and furniture is essential for smooth and efficient functioning of a workplace. It makes the office environment comfortable, pleasant and attractive, and the role of furniture in the productivity of workers and the efficient operation of a work environment is more important now than it has ever been
February 2022
In recent years there’s been a growing emphasis on supporting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace - and for good reason. With statistics indicating that one in six employees suffer from some form of mental health issue in the UK, prioritising staff wellbeing is becoming an essential part of working culture.
December 2021
We are getting closer to the end of the pandemic and companies are focusing on the future work arrangements for their employees. Workplace transformation has generally been a slow organic process, but Covid-19 accelerated that, with many employees having been working from home for more than a year who have grown accustomed to new ways of working and new methods of communication, motivation, and collaboration.
April 2021
The world has, of course, experienced widespread disruption over the past year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. With the successful development and distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine, the timeline for when the so-called next normal will arrive is clearer. Companies should begin to take steps to consider what the workplace will look like when it arrives.
March 2021
Many parts of the world are slowly re-opening and people are returning to their workplaces with ever-changing social distancing measures in place. In the midst of an accelerated trend towards more flexible working, offices are not dying out just yet. It’s becoming clear that office spaces offering safety, agility, and value are highly desirable in these uncertain times.
September 2020
It’s been several months now since a large number of us had to start working from home, and most of us were not prepared for such a drastic shift in our work life. While many adapted to the change easily, others struggled to find the right balance and working environment at home. If you’re lucky enough to have ample space, then you might have a workspace that you desire, or else your desk could be piled high with general clutter and a lot of dust right now. And it’s not just about cleanliness and organisation, clutter affects you negatively, more than you know.
August 2020
You might be surprised by the impact that back issues could be having on your business. One in every five office absences are caused by back pain and related illnesses – it’s the second-highest reason staff give for needing time off work, beaten only by minor illnesses like colds or stomach bugs. This all adds up. Leaves of absence cost the UK economy £14.4bn last year. But it is businesses themselves, and particularly SME owners, that really feel the impact of absent staff.
June 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact upon many of the habits and customs that underpin our society, with few places as disrupted as the workplace. Coronavirus has upended working life, changing how and where people do their jobs, and masses of us across the UK and across the world have been confined to our homes where we've attempted to maintain business as usual to the best of our abilities.
May 2020
The boardroom is an integral part of any office and it’s the room where it all happens. It’s the key place for strategic planning, where crucial business decisions are made and where important deals are struck. As such, the boardroom design needs to create the right impression for customers, employees, important business contacts, interviewees, and showcase the business in the best possible way.
April 2020
We are living and working through challenging times at the moment and this is requiring many of us to work from home to stay safe and ensure business continuity. With panic over coronavirus at fever pitch, many workers have been ordered to stay away from the office and do their day-to-day tasks from the comfort of their own home.
March 2020
The concept of the breakout area has evolved to become much more than merely soft seating in the corner of an office or a small, dated canteen. It is now a modern solution for offices that utilises comfortable furniture to give employees a break from their working day. But what are the tangible benefits for employers when deciding whether to create a breakout area in the office?
February 2020
From group outings to team building exercises, most companies all over the world are always trying out new initiatives in an effort to improve teamwork among their employees. While some of them catch on, others aren’t as successful. One such method that has become quite popular in recent years has been open plan offices, as more and more companies are tearing down the partition walls and are opting for bright open plan spaces.
January 2020
Every office environment is different. Selection of office furniture not only has to take into account the available floor space and layout, including considerations such as access, lighting, power and ingress/egress, but it must also factor in the business function, culture and corporate style of the occupier, not to mention the influence of budgets.
September 2019
The average office worker spends the equivalent of 65-75% of their working hours sitting down, half of which is in prolonged periods of sustained sitting. Many recent studies have also suggested that prolonged sitting for more than seven hours a day contributes to negative health consequences. However, sitting at a desk is an essential part of the office working day, so selecting the right office chair is a very important decision.
July 2019
Increased comfort and flexibility in the office environment is a relatively new phenomenon because it has been proven to contribute to improved employee wellbeing and productivity. When you spend hours at your desk every working day, even the smallest features of your workspace, such as the position of your monitor, a cluttered desk, or the height of your chair, can greatly affect your working day and even your health.
June 2019
Lockers are the perfect storage solution to keep business premises functional and clutter free, whilst providing employees with a secure place to store their personal effects, clothing and possessions in all office and workplace environments. There should always be a safe space where people can store items in an office rather than stuffing them into a drawer or piling them on a desk.
May 2019
Theories about how we respond to our environment have influenced architectural design since the early 1950s and the work of a geographer-poet, Jay Appleton, has generally become accepted as being important enough to influence the way architects have designed our living spaces, both at home and at work.
March 2019
Office work is rapidly changing as new developments in computer technology come along which can make our jobs easier, but which also can present new problems for both management and employees. We have all heard about how sitting for long periods of time on a regular basis is not good for you, and the sedentary lifestyles of many of today’s workers are posing serious health challenges and costs to people and businesses across the country.
February 2019
Are you sitting comfortably? You might not be by the time you finish reading this, because spending too much time perched on your posterior could be seriously damaging your health. We are sitting way too much in our offices with desk jobs and medical experts are now declaring that ‘sitting is the new smoking’.
January 2019
Life for employees around the office is evolving faster than ever before. The modern workplace is a dynamic space, and one which has experienced great change over recent years. It’s no longer somewhere people have to go, clock in, do a job, and then clock out. Nowadays, companies are asking their employees to constantly innovate, be creative, embrace modern technology and drive change.
January 2019
The modern office serves significantly more people per square feet than ever before. With the current trend of open plan offices, the walls have come down and the barriers to communication have been dispensed with. The amount of personal space allocated to each employee has fallen in the last few years and while there some people who thrive in this atmosphere of openness, there are others that grumble about the increased noise and the loss of private space.
December 2018
It’s well documented that open plan offices now make up a large percentage of offices layouts, however a lack of walls and barriers in these spaces has invariably led to an increase in noise levels. There has been considerable research conducted regarding the best way to control sound and disturbances in the workplace and in particular, how this influences employee wellbeing and satisfaction. These studies have shown measured physical symptoms of stress and quantifiable loss of productivity when people are exposed to an uncomfortable acoustic working environment.
August 2018
Today the world is fast-paced and ever-changing, and the modern office is now a home to some of the most advanced technology you’ll see anywhere. Go back 10 years and the iPad didn’t even exist; 20 years ago, mobile phones were in briefcases executives had to keep in their cars, but now offices are smarter, more flexible and, ultimately, more user-friendly than ever before.
July 2018
At Dams, we understand that office furniture is an important, sizeable investment for any business. Office furniture and fixtures are an integral part of any workplace and they should be well taken care of and maintained regularly so there is no need to replace them for years to come. Below we have listed some helpful tips and advice on how to maintain and take care of your office furniture.
March 2018
he world is becoming a smaller place. Have a close look at many of the products in any retail or wholesale environment and the chances are that you’ll find many of them with a ‘made in China’ stamp on the bottom. Products from all over the planet are readily available in our retail outlets.
January 2018
