Anderson Interiors Blog l Pittsburgh, PA Area

Shh… We’re Working Here!

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 19:00:00 GMT

Privacy in the Workplace

I have written before about the pros and cons of the Open Plan Office . One solution discussed with regard to privacy issues included demountable glass wall options . While those are still a viable alternative, other products that block the day to day distracting sounds and absorb annoying echo common in this workplace design have recently emerged in popularity.

An open plan office space is a floor plan designed so that most employees are working in the same room with separate walled offices and a few conference or smaller meeting rooms to facilitate privacy where appropriate. Most effective open plan offices also include a host of private areas for deep concentration. In addition to the topic at hand, consider strategically placing Caav Lounge Seating from JSI , Heya Lounge Seating from OFS or even the James Harrison Settee from West Elm Work . These quiet work spaces can be a great source for employees who may need to change their scenery throughout the day or escape the noise and chaos often prevalent in an open plan space.

JSI’s Caav Lounge Seating

OFS Brands’ Heya Lounge Seating

James Harrison Settee by West Elm Work

One idea behind the open plan is to increase communication and foster a collaborative environment in the office. It is thought that having easy access to one’s co-workers would mean more interaction and work would be performed more efficiently. I do see the point here. Whether you buy into this idea or not, the fact is that conditions in many office environments can lead to sensory overload. We have phones ringing , water cooler talk , computer sounds , or even conversations from across the room that you don’t need to (or want to) hear. We can’t control everything, but we can control the NOISE.

I will explain and give you the details on three ways to control the noise in an open plan office space. They include Sound Masking , Acoustic Panels and Soundproof Booths . Benefits include better focus and reduced distractions , error rates and stress .

Sound Masking . Sound masking is the technology we use to achieve speech privacy for a specific area that is plagued by distraction. This is done by adding neutral noise to the background so as to render the distracting noise powerless. Speech Privacy is when you hear someone talking but you cannot understand what they are saying. It is important because it offers not only privacy but less distraction which can lead to better productivity . It might seem odd to add noise to a noisy environment but white noise is non-repetitious broad band sound. No natural pattern exists. There is sound at all frequencies which makes sound fill the spectrum so that anyone can tune it all out. MPS (Making Privacy Simple) offers their VoiceArrest Sound Masking System with state-of-the-art technology to provide comfortable, precision sound masking attuned to the conditions of each office zone through patented, automated adjustment. A low-level background sound is produced by speakers placed in the plenum and includes an adaptive sensor placed in the sector with the speakers that is both adaptive and adjustable. The background noise emitted by the speakers will adapt based on the needs of the work place, fluctuating higher and lower as is necessary. Features include excellent sound masking, paging and music without compromising ceiling aesthetics with speakers designed to match a variety of ceiling conditions.

Problem: The Noisy Modern Workspace

Solution: MPS VoiceArrest Sound Masking System

Acoustic Panels . Large office spaces with high ceilings and hard floors can be filled with excessive noise. Echo can be heard when sound waves bounce back and forth between surfaces. Acoustic design is often overlooked when an office is designed even though it is vital to a peaceful office space. Adding acoustically-absorbent materials to surfaces helps capture reverberations and interrupts acoustic reflection to isolate sound sources and rid the space of excessive noise.

Kirei offers a complete guide that you can sign up for and download from their web-site called Understanding the Impact of Planning for Acoustics . It outlines how to conduct an acoustic audit, strategies for solving noise issues and budgeting for an acoustic design project. This is a great resource for architects, designers and company facility planners. You can learn more about this in Kirei’s three-part series that helps to demystify acoustic design. Acoustic options include wall panels, ceiling baffles, desk dividers and free-standing, hanging or rolling room partitions. Both Kirei and MPS have great options that not only do their job, but add great design to open plan spaces.

Wall Panels . The options seem endless. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. We know they will do the job of controlling the noise in an open space but you would have to agree that they also look good. There is an option for every office aesthetic.

Kirei EchoPanel Geometry Tiles

Kirei EchoLine Walls

MPS Addo Wall Mounted Panels

Ceiling Baffles. These are great for an open plan system that has high ceilings. Many companies are setting up open plan office systems in former warehouses where this can be a major issue.

Kirei Echocloud Ziggy

K irei EchoSky

Kirei Custom Ceiling Baffles

Desk Dividers. Maybe your noise issue is a little closer to home, like in your personal workspace. Consider these functional and fashionable desk dividers.

MPS Intego Desk Dividers

Room Partitions. These are another great option. Not only do they help with the noise, they also offer areas free from visual distractions. They can be on wheels to make them easy to move around.

Kirei EchoPanel Wrap Partition System

MPS EcoPrivacy Acoustic Panels

MPS Addo Privacy Panels

Get loads of design and color inspiration by checking out these valuable resources:

MPS Idea Book

Kirei Project Inspiration Guide

Soundproof Booths . So, maybe you need to have meetings and/or conversations that are extremely sensitive or highly confidential. Consider a soundproof booth. They are free-standing suites that can be customized to fit any company’s aesthetic. Zonez and Oasis Berco offer great solutions in sizes ranging from phone booth size to meeting or conference room size.

Oasis Berco Linear Phone Booth

Oasis Berco Linear Pod

Zonez 8×12 Collaboration Suite

Zonez 4×4 Concentration Suite

Zonez 8×4 Concentration Suite

In summary, there is a viable option here for any size open plan office. They are affordable, attractive and most certainly in vogue right now. Call Anderson Interiors at 412-828-7420 for design options and pricing.

West Elm Workspace Pittsburgh – It’s Worth a Look!

Fri, 04 Aug 2017 15:12:00 GMT

For an appointment and tour, call 412-213-5330.

West Elm Workspace Pittsburgh

1133 Penn Avenue

Downtown Pittsburgh

412-213-5330

New from West Elm Workspace for 2017

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 15:47:00 GMT

West Elm Workspace was all the buzz at this year’s Neocon, the world’s premier show and networking event for the commercial design industry. Neocon is a great opportunity for contract furniture manufacturers and others to showcase new products, designs and innovations they are working on releasing in the next few months or so. Each industry leader creates a showroom that features all of their new products and West Elm Workspace went all out. They used their “unoffice the office” theme as inspiration to focus on humanizing the workspace with flexible and meaningful additions to their line. And who could do that better than West Elm , a brand of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. that focuses on supplying its customer base with modern design, affordability and community.

West Elm Workspace was awarded Gold in Furniture Systems and Silver in Furniture Benching for their new Conduit Benching System that will also be available with height adjustable work surfaces . Conduit is a collaboration with world-renowned design firm Gensler . Conduit is an office system that provides integrated power distribution and space planning flexibility to create different work zones from individual workstations to meeting tables. From shelves to coat racks to privacy screens, accessories can conveniently be integrated to the system for employee workspace personalization.

Also at Neocon this year, The Parasol Meeting Table was a HiP 2017 Winner for Workplace: Tables from Interior Design Magazine which honors industry people and innovative products. The Parasol Meeting Table uses light as a boundary to define its space, providing the same benefits and functions of an enclosed meeting area with the absence of walled-in meeting rooms. It comfortably seats up to six people and includes integrated power distribution.

Many other new products were showcased at Neocon by West Elm Workspace, including the Industrial Haus or the Modern Haus private workspace options for companies who use the open plan office concept. Haus offers varying levels of visual and acoustic privacy in many configurations that offer employees a space for solo work or small group collaboration. Other introductions included various meeting tables, lounge seating, guest seating, conference seating, task seating, stools, task lighting, and a media presentation board. The full line of new products can be viewed at westelmworkspace.com or in the gallery below. Just click on each picture for a better view. Explore what’s new and humanize your workspace!

West Elm Workspace New for 2017

Private Workspaces/Benching

Meeting Tables

Lounge Seating (Billow)

Lounge Seating (Array)

Lounge and Guest Seating

Lounge and Guest Seating/Task Seating

Guest Seating/Stools

Conference Seating

Task Lighting/Media Presentation Board

West Elm Workspace Pittsburgh Contact Info.

The Open Plan Office: Pros, Cons and Solutions

Thu, 18 May 2017 20:10:00 GMT

According to Wikipedia, “‘ Open Plan ’ is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan which makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms such as private offices.” These designs have been all the rage in the office furniture industry in the last twenty years and this trend shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. Many businesses here in Pittsburgh and across the country are renovating former warehouses into fabulous and functional workspaces. As with most things, the good usually comes with a little bad. Because of this, we tend to see and even encourage a hybrid of the open plan where most personnel are in some sort of benching units and the managerial staff maintain private offices surrounded by four walls.

Open Plan Office Spaces featuring

West Elm Workspace Benching

Take the Good with the Bad

So, let’s break it down. There has to be some sort of equilibrium between the collaborative benefits of the open plan and the privacy issues these designs ultimately create. These aren’t the only relevant issues but the following list summarizes the major benefits versus the pitfalls.

__________

Pros Cons

Enhances Communication & Interaction Affects Concentration & Focus

Encourages Collaboration & Teamwork Lessens Privacy Audibly & Visually

Facilitates Camaraderie among Personnel Compromises Confidentiality

Reduces Construction & Operating Costs Leads to Poor Acoustics

Improves Flow of Air & Light

Allows for Greater Flexibility to Accommodate Evolving Personnel Needs

Aesthetically Appealing

__________

Ultimately, the pluses out-weigh the negatives. For example, it is widely recognized that collaboration and communication are monumental keys to increased productivity and innovation. Aren’t these paramount to the ultimate goals of business? Increased productivity leads to cost reduction and innovation leads to growth. And, even more importantly, there are cost-effective and viable solutions to eliminate the disagreeable characteristics of the open plan concept.

Inspiration

Many of the fixes involve a little creativity. Why not set up specific areas where employees can gather in an inviting and comfortable setting when collaboration is necessary? Maybe a lounge area or a screened in section of the workspace as pictured below? Divider screens can also include white boards or other functional collaborative tools. Or even smaller concentration areas where just one employee can migrate to when solitude is required?

Lounge Seating and Divider Screens from West Elm Workspace

More obvious solutions are separate private offices for those who deal with confidential materials or separate large or small conference rooms that allow for private meetings or phone calls. Clear or frosted glass walls allow the light to filter through but also reduce the echoing sounds of chatter, typing and general shuffling about the workplace.

Inscape Walls with West Elm Workspace

Desking & Conference Pieces

Product Solutions

Problem: Privacy – Solution: Glass Walls with or without Doors

Inscape Solutions offers four glass wall systems including:

– Acme 50 – Space Defining Seamless Glass Walls with European Styling and Powder Coated 18-Guage Steel Construction.

– Aria – Italian Designed Minimalized Partition Walls with Low Profile Aluminum Frame Available in Multiple Colors.

– Reform+ – Functional and Versatile Walls that Support Technology and Furniture Integration.

– Interval – Smart Walls with a Post & Beam Architectural Framework that Accommodate Data, Power, Lighting, HVAC, and even Water.

Inscape Solutions Wall Options

NxtWall offers two glass wall systems including:

– Flex Office Wall Series – Removable, Movable and Reusable Modular Office Partitions that can Expand or Contract.

– View Glass Office Wall Series – Movable, Simplistic and Flexible with Minimally Seamed Glass & Frameless Glass Sliding Doors.

NxtWall Demountable

Architectural Wall Options

Problem: Traffic Flow/Acoustics/Aesthetics – Solution: Movable Screens or Dividers

LOFTwall offers many solutions for these varying issues.

– FRAMEwall – A Modern Room Divider that Offers Privacy.

– WEBwall – Overlapping and Connecting Elements that Add a Unique Visual Appearance.

– WAVEwall – A Visually Dynamic Divider that Offers Aesthetic and Function.

LOFTwall Divider Options

Problem: The Need for Flexibility – Solution: Flexible Screens or Dividers

LOFTwall offers added flexibility with the above products and more.

– FLEX – Lightweight, Flexible Partition Screen that Maneuvers Effortlessly.

– FLOX – Like FLEX with Acoustic Benefits.

– BLOX – Modular Acoustical Panel System for Sound Control.

– GLIDE – Overhead Sliding Partition System Designed to Open up or Close off a Space.

More LOFTwall Divider Options

In conclusion, the open plan office is here to stay. Combining it with glass walls and various divider screen options can help to minimize the pitfalls of this popular design. Anderson Interiors offers all of these products and more. Call 412-828-7420 to find out how your company can benefit.

Workspaces are for People…

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 18:51:00 GMT

West Elm Workspace – Mid-Century Private Office

Workspaces are for people. They should be personal. When West Elm , a Williams-Sonoma, Inc. branch, wanted to furnish their offices in New York, they searched the contract furniture community for something that would speak to their corporate culture. They couldn’t find it. And West Elm Workspace was born. Showrooms are popping up all over the country, including ours in Pittsburgh , supplying business professionals with the same style options and functionality they desire for their homes. Jim Brett, West Elm’s President, says “As a lifestyle brand rooted in home, we’re uniquely attuned to what people want in their daily lives. That knowledge gives us a powerful lens on how to make work environments more personal and meaningful.”

Started in Brooklyn, NY in 2002, West Elm focuses on supplying its customer base with modern design, affordability and community. West Elm offers items to furnish and style your home from comfortable and affordable furniture to decorating accessories, and everything in between. And now, West Elm Workspace with Inscape is doing the same for office spaces.

Benching for open office plans has become very popular in the contract furniture industry in the last few years, but the private office cannot be ignored. Executives and managers are searching for options that not only fit their work needs, but give them the opportunity to express their personal styles through their work spaces. West Elm Workspace has choices that will speak to each person’s tastes, including Modern, Industrial, Mid-Century, Truss, Spindle, and Beam. Of course, extra surfaces and storage solutions can be added to desks to increase functionality.

Private Office Collection from West Elm Workspace

Modern Private Office

Dover White with Pecan Finished Legs

Industrial Private Office

Natural Oak with Hot Rolled Steel

Mid-Century Private Office

Walnut Veneer

Beam Private Office

Natural Oak Veneer

Spindle Private Office

Maple Veneer over Solid Wood

Truss Private Office

Graphite Laminate Surface and Hot Rolled Steel Frame

Expression of style shouldn’t stop with the desk. Think about all of the possibilities to add a pop of color and design flair with task and guest seating. West Elm Workspace’s task, guest and lounge products are upholstered with the highest quality textiles from Designtex , a manufacturer that focuses on sustainability and performance while following new trends, using hand-crafted inspiration, and portraying luxury through fabric basics, solids and beautiful patterns.

Designtex Fabrics

Slope Chair

Retro Wing Chair

Lucas Swivel Chair

Task Seating

Guest Seating

Lounge Seating

Visit West Elm Workspace Pittsburgh on Instagram at westelmworkpgh or call our showroom on Penn Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh, at 412-213-5330 to see the products in person.

Modular Carpet Tiles – The New Choice in Flooring

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 20:12:00 GMT

West Elm Workspace x Interface

West Elm Workspace has partnered with Interface, Inc. to provide business clients with functional modular carpet options that add style, performance and flexibility to any office space. The line is exclusive to West Elm Workspace dealers and currently includes six styles with three to six office appropriate color options in each.

The advantages of using Interface’s modular carpet over other options are many.

-Performance – These tiles are designed to stay on the floor and will not up-curl, tap or ripple.

-Flexibility – You can cover the entire floor with them or just make an area rug by combining as many as you want for your size specification. They can also be mixed or matched by style or color and/or installed in different pattern layouts.

-Easy Replacement – Individual tiles can be replaced by in-office personnel easily and quickly. Who knew? Carpet replacement without moving all of that furniture!

-Easy Maintenance – Just vacuum! No mopping, buffing or polishing. Interface carpet tiles are stain resistant by holding spills on the surface where they can be easily cleaned.

-No Mess Installation – No glue needed! The flooring is installed by Interfaces’s own TacTile connectors that eliminate the need for glue and essentially create a floating floor.

-Indoor Air Quality – Interface’s modular carpet tiles meet CRI Green Label Plus criteria for Indoor Air Quality.

-Acoustics – These carpet tiles absorb five times more airborne noise than hard surfaces.

All of that and beautiful too. These carpet tiles are designed to pair with West Elm Workspace’s furniture line with regard to style, finish options and fabric offerings from Designtex . Please phone West Elm Workspace Pittsburgh’s Showroom and Design Lab at 412-213-5330 for an appointment to see the line. Styles include Heritage Craft, Pulse, Saddle Stitch, Terrain, Worsted Plain, and Lattice.

Sleek, Durable AND Affordable – It’s DASH!

Wed, 28 Dec 2016 16:55:00 GMT

Friant’s Dash – Private Office

Dash by Friant features mix and match components with contemporary lines and allows for unlimited configurations that enhance all modern office environments. And you get all of that with value pricing. The office featured in the photo at left would run around $ 2040.00, significantly lower than comparable products. Dash can be customized to the user’s tastes with extensive laminate and metal finishes . Dash offers discreet built-in work surface power troughs, with privacy screens and multiple storage options.

Along with the private office choice featured above, Dash is specifically designed to integrate with Friant’s Interra Panel Systems for limitless desking options. Interra offers five tile materials including fabric, glass, metal, whiteboard, and rail (similar to slat board used for hanging accessories) and can be configured to accommodate multiple employees. Overhead cabinets can be up-mounted with pneumatic lift or sliding doors for additional storage. Lower storage includes credenzas, towers, drawer pedestals, and lateral files. Power is available in either the baseline or beltline.

Dash and Interra by Friant. Made for each other and made for the modern office!

Benching, The Way We Work Now

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 18:20:00 GMT

Tired of being surrounded by three or four cubicle walls? Need a little more interaction with your co-workers? Well, wait no further. Benching is here and it is here to stay. Many companies, large and small, are moving away from cubicles that isolate employees and toward integrating work systems with open plans that promote collaboration, communication and idea sharing. Save the four walls for management who require privacy in their day to day activities. Those employees in the trenches just may need to be social with a line of sight to others they work with, not to mention a little natural light that you can’t get when you spend your whole day in a box with no windows.

AIS Calibrate Benching

The benching trend has also gained popularity because of the need for less storage. Let’s face it. We print and file less than we used to. Some of us anyway. We are storing more and more of our documents digitally, eliminating the need for so many bulky drawer pedestals and lateral files. Anderson Interiors is supplying more and more mobile pedestals to our clients. They are multi-functional in that they typically have a file drawer, pencil/personal drawer, and a cushion on top that provides extra seating for guests. They are on wheels and can move from station to station as needed. Extensive paint color and fabric choices add a great deal of interest and style to the work area.

Another benefit of choosing benching over traditional cubicles is the cost savings. A benching work area can be purchased at up to 50% less than a typical paneled workstation. There are just fewer parts and pieces needed to fill the overall square footage allotment per station. Speaking of square footage, business owners can significantly reduce the overall office building size requirements needed to hold employees simply by moving part or all of their workforce into a benching system. Let’s face it, less space means less expense in the real estate arena.

West Elm Workspace Beam Adjustable Height Benching

Even better news is that a lot of the most recently marketed benching systems also allow for employees to sit OR stand while they work. The benefits of the sit to stand option include better health and increased focus, among others. Imagine the flexibility this offers employees. Anderson Interiors’ head Design Consultant and West Elm Workspace Pittsburgh Design Lab’s (Anderson’s downtown showroom) Coordinator, Emilie Criner, stands all day while she works. While we know it is unusual for someone to spend the entire day on their feet, we love being able to meet her needs. On her first day here, she put a box under her monitor and keyboard tray to raise the height. We told her we could do better than that! Her sit to stand electric base was added to her work surface within the week. A content employee is a productive employee.

Great Openings Trace Storage

Inscape Solutions Territory Storage

The pros to benching are many. Here are some things to keep in mind though. There are times when employees need some privacy for phone calls or confidential conversations. Consider having a small room or two where they can retreat for such occasions. Employers may also want to control visible clutter that comes along with benching. Do you want to walk into your stylish new space and see jackets and purses everywhere? Lockers at the end of each benching run are a great option for these items. Each employee can have their own lockable cubby to hold their personal items.

West Elm Workspace 1133 Penn Avenue Downtown Pittsburgh

Anderson Interiors carries a full line of benching products to suit everyone’s needs and style, including AIS , Friant , Inscape Solutions , and OFS . We also have several featured benching systems from West Elm Workspace with Inscape including Beam, Industrial, Mid-Century, Modern, Spindle and Truss at our Design Lab downtown. Come take a look and see what all the fuss is about Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4.30 pm by appointment. West Elm Workspace Pittsburgh, 412-213-5330. Ask for Emilie, she is standing at her Modern Benching desk ready for your call.

West Elm Workspace Beam Benching

West Elm Workspace Industrial Benching

West Elm Workspace Mid-Century Benching

West Elm Workspace Modern Benching

West Elm Workspace Spindle Benching

West Elm Workspace Truss Benching

Sit or Stand? That is the Question.

Tue, 18 Oct 2016 19:15:00 GMT

Other benefits touted by some include:

Regularly flexed muscles support healthy functions and chemical production.
Decreased chances of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and blood clots.
Burning of more calories.
Increased focus and alertness.

A lot of options are now available for those who want to reap these benefits. You can add a base to an existing top, purchase a table that includes a sit/stand base, or install a unit that attaches to an existing desk allowing the monitor and keyboard to rise while the desk stays in place. Most popular now is incorporating multi-unit benching systems that have a sit-to-stand option designed and built into all stations. Anderson Interiors has options from Inscape , West Elm Workspace, ESI Ergonomic Solutions , Workrite Ergonimics , Symmetry Office and Humanscale .

Call 412-828-7420 to learn the best way for you and your co-workers to stand while you work! And the answer to the question is – Sit AND Stand!

We Vote for Serious Style!

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 14:00:00 GMT

Deciding who to vote for is a lot easier when we’re talking about the #westelmWORKSPACE Heyward Curved Sectional! Do your civic duty and vote it Best of Year – #Dboyawards #imwithWORKSPACE – Vote at http://bit.ly/2dqHSMQ .

Interior Design Magazine’s “Best of Year” is the design industry’s premier design awards, honoring the most significant work of the year as well as recognizing designers, architects and manufacturers from around the globe. West Elm Workspace with Inscape is entered in 8 categories this year.