Office Plastic

It occurred to me that if we didn't have plastic, life in the office would be rather different. I don't know if it would be better or worse actually, probably a bit of both. Some things we use all the time are primarily built from plastic - computers, pens, telephones and the like - hard to imagine how heavy and bulky they'd be if plastic wasn't available. Kind of conjures up images of the old clunky Bakelite telephone of yesteryear. On the other hand, the proliferation of cheap plastic goods does actually cheapen the general look of an office. Cheap trays, flimsy book ends and other utilitarian items don't do much to help contribute to a professional look. On the other hand, metal and wood can contribute if used in the right ways.
In reading this page about different desk trays and styles of trays, it occured to me that the plastic trays on my credenza really do look cheap. My new LCD monitor by contrast looks sleek and stylish. Both are made from what would appear to be a similar type of plastic. Interesting.

More New Flooring Options

And now there are even more options for the floor. In addition to the rollup slat bamboo mats, now there are fold up bamboo mats in 3 sections. These offer a large area for the main chair rolling area that has no joints and two side "wings" to give more area. The backing used on these is a rubberized backing that covers the entire mat. That apparently protects any hard surface the mat is placed on and stops the mat from creeping when used over carpets. These mats are quite thick bamboo. The shipping size is suppposedly about 24" across when folded up. Here's a picture of the backing used and you can click on to see the tri-fold mats there too.

Ingenious Chair Mat Backing Protects Floor

For those in need of a chair mat to protect their office floor or make their chair more comfortable, the latest "roll-up" wooden chair mats may be just the thing. Made from laminated bamboo wood, they have a full size felt backings to protect the floor it is placed on. In addition to the felt that protects the floor, ingenious small, soft rubber bumps embedded in the felt help keep the mat in place. No floor damaging spikes or need for tape like you typically wind up with in cheap vinyl chair mats.
There's a close-up of the neat backing material at Bamboo Chair Mat Felt

Taming the Get To It Later paper monster

If you're like most offices I visit (including mine), most of the times, your desk is less of a work area than it is a zone for collecting piles of paper documents and files. And if those piles of "I'll get to it later" keep multiplying like rabbits, it’s time for you to tidy up your office desk with a bit of organization.

For starters, nothing inspires organization like a full set of desktop trays, that will help you keep everything in order. They can be designated a number of different things to help make sense out of your work flow. These are available in all sorts of materials and designs that will suit any kind of office design: from plastic colorful desk trays to elegant and personalized hardwood office trays. Although they won't help you organize any better, hardwood letter trays are ideal for any kind of office, from a home office tucked into a corner of a living room or a skyscraper office with a conference room. But a high quality and stylish array of letter trays are not only good looking, but help inspire continuing discipline in keeping organized!

Bookends vs Bookracks - So What?

At the SwagOfYarns Blog the article talks about how a book rack can be better than book ends for the desk top. I hadn't really considered that there was any substantial difference, but after reading that, I realized that I needed a better solution since my book ends were constantly falling over and I had to keep adjusting them. A desk top book rack, especially if it has a mechanism to help hold books upright seems like a better solution - and it's easier to clean around too.
Now if someone would come up with a real method to contain the cords, AC adapters and wires that doesn't have to be disassembled every time something gets unplugged or moved!

Wall Coverings and Artwork Selection

A key part of any office decor includes wall coverings. This entails hanging of artwork and pictures in strategic places that augments and accents the rest of the surroundings. One interior design site has some very good suggestions for selecting and hanging such coverings. She starts out with:
"When you have a big space to fill, consider hanging a single, large-scale piece of art. Alternatively, a collection of pieces, arranged to act as one whole visual block, can create the same impact. Generally though, smaller spaces and nooks are better places to display smaller pieces."
She then goes on to describe more about how to achieve a balanced look. Not only that, but she also has numerous other articles on her blog that address other portions of interior design - for home and office alinke.

The Interior Design Magic Touch!

At first glance, most of the offices we see that are well decorated just seem to be naturally obvious. It always seems to be that those spaces simply couldn't be any other way. But try to create that natural feeling for our own office spaces and it never seems to quite come together just right.
But according to Decor Inside (The Interior Design Magic Touch!) there really is a magic touch to decorating. The article maintains that interior designers are taught a series of systems for approaching interior designs which address all aspects of a design to achieve a complete, functional and harmonious design. They maintain that anyone can be their own interior decorator by learning how to integrate all the key design elements - "from color and texture to space, mood and more". Maybe that's all there is to magic!

Chairmat Variety is the Spice of Life!

It turns out that the traditional "T" shape of most chair mats is not the only, or in some cases is not the best, shape for all applications. Assuming that you have already decided that a chair mat is desirable and have picked a desired shape, the type and size are the next important aspects of a chair mat. In the case of the premium hardwood chair mats offered by www.successimage.com, the following types and sizes are offered.

Rectangular one-piece chair mats are available in four sizes. The smallest size measures 36 inches by 42 inches. The medium sized one measures 42 x 47 inches. The large one measures 46x47 inches and the extra large one is 48 x 55 inches. The rectangular chair mats are available in oak, mahogany, walnut or cherry wood and laminated to allow the chair roll quickly over the smooth surface. They are scratch, burn, and impact, wear and stain resistant. Each mat is handmade and tested for quality. The chair mats can be used on any surface including pile carpet and hardwood floors. The felt padding at the back completely protects the hardwood floors or carpet on which you will be using your caster chair.

There is also a one-piece circular shaped chair mat, but it comes in one size only. It measures 47 inches in diameter and is designed to match any kind of décor and can be used on a pile carpet or a hard surface with equal ease. The tough laminate surface takes the strain of the caster chair movements and produces no scratches on its own surface.

The traditional "T" shaped chair mat comes in four sizes-small, medium, large and extra large. It is measured in the terms of its width and height. The smallest chair mat is 36 x 36 inches with a 21 x 8" lip. The medium chair mat measures 37 x 42 inches with a lip of 22 x 10 inches. The large chair mat measures 37 x 47 inches with a 27 x 10 inch lip. The largest of them measures 48 x 47 inch with a 27 x 8 inch lip. These chair mats can be used on a pile carpet or on a solid surface and the laminated surface ensures smooth movement of the caster chair over the surface. The ultra tough laminate is proof against scratches, wears, burns and stains. The backing pads protect the hardwood floor or carpet completely and keep the mat fixed while the chair moves.

The makers of these hardwood chairmats have years of experience in chairmat technology and craftsmanship. They provide you with a complete ten-year guarantee on their products and a complete money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. Define the size you want, the shape you want and they will give you the assurance that the product is scratch proof, stain proof, fire proof, burn proof, static electricity proof and will protect your floor while remaining stable under any stress or pressures the mat will be subjected to. It really is the best solution for comfortable use of your desk and chair!