Posts
NEW NORMAL: COVID-19 Design Impacts on Commercial Interiors
May 29, 2020
Change can be exciting, frustrating, challenging, disruptive, refreshing and overwhelming. And as illustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be abrupt and unexpected. The present challenges to creating safe workspaces, hospitality venues, educational spaces and senior living communities are daunting. Social connections and the use of shared and public spaces are confined to the parameters of social distancing guidelines. However, the renewed focus on healthy environments and infection control may also yield positive COVID-19 design impacts on commercial interior design. Our interior designers share their professional perspectives regarding COVID-19 design impacts, the current realities and anticipated lasting changes.
RESIMERCIAL REVERSAL: Creating Better Workspaces in our Homes
March 31, 2020
As many of us have become telecommuters, at least for the time being, we are taking a look at how flipping the recent Resimercial Design trend could be beneficial to our productivity and well-being. We asked a few of our interior designers to suggest some commercial office design features that could be applied to our home workspaces.
REGIONAL RELEVANCE: Making Commercial Interior Design Meaningful
February 29, 2020
As a firm that provides commercial interior design, the RLPS Interiors team must consider not only aesthetic appeal, but also ergonomics, health, safety, and accessibility for our clients’ spaces. Another important, but sometimes overlooked, consideration is acknowledging a sense of place—the climate, culture, history and traditions of the locale where the space is located. This is certainly the case for hospitality venues or senior living communities, but also holds true for commercial offices, cultural, municipal and healthcare settings. Highlighting and incorporating the physical and social qualities of a specific region into the interior design or remodel creates a sense of authenticity and resonates with those using the space.
MAINTENANCE MATTERS: Guidelines to Maintain Resilient Flooring and Carpeting in Commercial Interiors
January 31, 2020
Aesthetic appeal is obviously an important component of interior finishes such as resilient flooring. However, there are a myriad of other factors required to provide more than just a positive first impression. As interior designers, we are constantly researching products and reviewing quality of construction, durability, and environmental impacts. We consider conversations with our clients regarding maintenance procedures and goals to be crucial for selecting the most appropriate product for each application.
Enduring appeal requires not only quality materials and manufacturing, but also proper maintenance for each flooring type.
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Interior Design is Going Blue
December 23, 2019
THANKFUL FOR NEW INTERIOR DESIGN INSPIRATIONS: Exploring BDNY 2019
November 27, 2019
As professional members of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), the RLPS Interiors team regularly researches new products, evolving code requirements and industry trends. We take many of our design cues from hospitality venues, the best of which set the standards for brand identity, distinctive style and positive user experiences.
According to its website, BDNY is the creative nexus of the industry—bringing 8,000+ designers, architects, purchasing agents, hoteliers, owners and developers together with 750+ inventive manufacturers of design elements for hospitality interiors. This year several members of our team had the opportunity to attend the event and participate in site tours, product exhibitions and continuing education seminars.
INTERIOR DESIGN RENOVATION: 3 Rules for Reinvention
October 31, 2019
Over time, buildings wear out, consumer expectations change and attitudes adjust. Reinvention is an ongoing and essential process of evolving and adapting to changing trends, commercial design standards and consumer priorities. Interior design reinvention provides an exciting opportunity for good stewardship and long-term viability, while breathing new life into existing spaces.
CHEERS! Interior Design for Bars in Senior Living
September 29, 2019
Recently during focus groups at a senior living community, we were somewhat surprised when an elderly woman living in personal care pulled us aside to share her desire to have a designated space for happy hour so she could enjoy a drink before dinner. In retrospect, it probably should not have come as a surprise that someone would simply want to continue a cherished tradition she had enjoyed throughout her adult life. While health issues or medications can be an issue for some older adults, many are increasingly expecting appealing bar options in senior living. This upward trajectory is expected to continue as the Baby Boomers reach typical move-in ages. A growing number of active adult and senior living communities are introducing sleek bars, cozy pubs or flexible lounge spaces to respond to the demand. Some communities are also incorporating specialty coffee and tea selections into their bars to provide something for everyone.
RESIMERCIAL INTERIORS: Workspaces That Feel Like Home
August 30, 2019
As the lines have blurred between work and home, interior designers have helped employers create more varied, flexible settings that feel less like a formal institution and more like a comfortable home-away-from-home. Resimercial design, creating workspaces that feel more homelike than corporate, is a fairly recent trend that has grown in popularity. According to Wayfair, the style became a “legitimate design movement,” at the 2017 NeoCon conference, a major annual event for the commercial design industry. To explore this new style, we’ve asked a few of our interior designers to share their thoughts about the resimercial design trend.
Digging into the Details
July 29, 2019
When we think about interior design, we tend to focus on the visual aspects. Magazines, home improvement shows and retailers highlight “wow” spaces, focusing on the final touches and products deemed essential for beautiful results. Other aspects, such as the details of functionality, comfort, ergonomics, health or safety, are often an afterthought, if we consider them at all.