Commercial builders, interior designers, building project management and developers are invariably faced with one basic design issue when it comes to commercial buildings- commercial flooring. Whatever the building, and whatever the type of occupiers, these extremely large spaces have to be functional and cost effective for building managers. Office buildings need people-friendly flooring in offices for a good workplace environment and health reasons. Retailers and hospitality industry buildings need top quality presentation and décor as well as these factors.

Core business issues- Functionality

The new best practice flooring option for these spaces is carpet. Not just any carpet, but modular carpeting. This is a new type of commercial flooring, designed to provide a range of cost benefits for building operators, and it’s also actually a new type of carpet. It’s far superior to hard surface flooring, which can be an extremely expensive option in terms of maintenance and it’s also the low-maintenance option for budget purposes.

These carpets are very heavy duty flooring. They’re tough, long-life products. They’re also easily customizable, with a huge selection of designs and textures to choose from. Unlike broadloom carpet, the new carpets don’t use underlay. This carpet is actually made of carpet tiles, each with their own backing and glued, not stitched to be seamless, increasing the strength of the carpeting and eliminating weak structural points.

Design issues- Finding the right combinations

The other big issue is design. In any commercial building, there will be as many designs as there are occupants and types of business. It’s not uncommon to find that interior design is a primary selling point to tenants. Restaurant interior design, for example, is a primary issue for restaurant managers. Office design can be an issue for high value corporate tenants. Leases may or may not allow tenants to create their own interiors, but best practice for building managers is to set and enforce standards.

For property development purposes, the issues are much more straightforward- Top quality flooring isn’t an “optional extra” in commercial buildings. It’s best practice. Good quality flooring reduces costs for the developer, as well as improving presentation values. The new modular carpets have become popular in commercial building and design simply because they’re so cost-efficient.

Cost effectiveness

There’s another factor in selecting the modular carpets for commercial buildings.  Unlike most top of the range flooring products, they’re comparatively cheap.  Relative to their long product life, they’re significantly cheaper than other types of flooring. This is “value for money” on a measurable basis. Taken in context with large square metre areas in commercial properties, the cost of modular carpets is a fraction of conventional carpets and other types of flooring.

Add to this the facts that:

• The modular carpets can be easily repaired in minutes without the “major production” issues involved in broadloom maintenance and repair.
• The modular carpets don’t have underlay. This fact alone represents a major saving.

You can see why these new carpets are reinventing the whole idea of commercial flooring. Contact a supplier and ask a few questions about these modular carpets. You’ll be amazed. 

Once you have your commercial flooring down don't forget a few accent rugs to brighten your company's entry and welcome space. After all, you only get one time to make a great first impression with your visitors and clients, why not make it a stylish one!

If You Can't Go to the Beach, Bring the Beach to You

During these times of economic uncertainty, more and more people are choosing to take time off and discover the virtues of their own town. Stacations, as these are now called, offer you time to invite family and friends to your home to gather together and save some money in the process. To make this more enjoyable you should consider bringing the beach to your backyard and/or home. There are many different types of indoor and outdoor furniture and garden items that are available but you do not have to purchase these products at one of those big box home improvement stores. After all, why should your backyard look like your neighbors?

If you like the beach and can't make it there this summer then turn your backyard into a beach paradise by purchasing products with some bright colors, not just your standard teak brown. Uwharrie Chair is a great manufacturer of outdoor products that are extremely high quality and built to last. They design and build products anywhere from the classic adirondack chair, to rockers, swings and tables and even complete outdoor groupings. Their products are crafted from thick, kiln-dried southern pine and are available as Natural or finished in 27 lively different colors. These finishes are also available in a "wash" finish, if you prefer to start with a look that appears more translucent and "weathered".

When transforming your home into a coastal retreat, the inside of your home is often overlooked. Many people don't realize there are many high quality indoor furniture options for every room in the house. These furniture styles will offer you sophisticated casual living featuring natural materials such as bamboo, rattan, leather wrapped corners, pineapple carvings and bright cheerful colors. These pieces are definitely not your typical patio styles that tend wear out in a few years.

No manufacturer captures the essence of refined coastal living with effortless style any better than Tommy Bahama by Lexington Home Brands. With collections named Beach House, Ocean Club, Royal Kahala, Island Estate and Kingstown, you'll be certain to fall in love with one of these five uniquely designed coastal styles that will keep you in an island state of mind year round.