Time to...

This is my favorite 2 weeks of the entire year, the week before Christmas and the week before New Years.  A good time to hope that humans come to their senses, lay down their weapons and try to get a long... A good time to look back, and to plan for the future.  That's what I intend to do.  Along with some dear friends, and the best food I can find.

From my office to yours, I wish you all much joy and happiness.

Lovely in yellow...

Wouldn't you love to work in this home office?  With a white background and just the right amount of yellow accents, this office is really quite special.  I'm especially in love with the file folders...and talk about being a professional organizer's dream, check out all those lovely boxes and bins.

This series, from Flickr poster ATypical Type A came to our attention through Unclutter.

How does your office inspire you?  What would you like to do to make your office feel like a place you want to be in?  Talk to me about it...

Space Savers...

I was watching the new Nate Berkus show, when he introduced these incredibly stylish and space saving furniture combinations - this professional organizer's dream.  Resource Furniture, in New York, carries this entire line from Italy.

Yes, this cabinet turns into an office...

And this desk turns into a twin bed...

So does this one...

And this one...into a queen bed no less!

No, you don't have to take everything off your desk when you flip it into your bed, the desk portion remains in tact.  See their space saving video to get the full impact.

Giving thanks...

I am thankful for very many things, including the opportunity to be of service.  I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

Well, do we? This is what I found when I asked this very question...

Do We Really *Need* Office Space Anymore?

Monday, October 25th, 2010. Filed under: Ideas Products Projects Technology

Businesses depend on people and knowledge to operate successfully. Office space is the primary place where the transfer of knowledge occurs, and it’s second only to salaries as the largest expense for most organizations.

And that is rapidly changing. The quality of the experience matters.

As architects and interior designers, we find ourselves surveying a landscape of large office buildings to house work forces that, today, are more distributed and mobile than ever before. After all, technology has had a significant impact on the way we operate. Now, we can work from any location – well, as long as we have a cell phone signal.

Plus, younger staffers entering the work force are not using office space the way their parents did. The big office is no longer the perk it once was; instead, what is important to these generations is the quality of their interaction. They increasingly are evolving today’s work place by defining how, when, where, and with whom they want to work.

So, the question becomes, do we really need office space? And, if we do, how will it be different in the future?

"Belmondo" Photo Courtesy of illustir

We want to explore the possible answers to this question about the new work environment and everything that’s associated with it. Today’s office is not just about space. It is about how we work, where we work, and the tools that enable us to work efficiently and effectively (from virtually anywhere).

Work where you want. It’s this notion of anywhere that has inspired us. We may work in our homes and traditional corporate offices, but the “third place” or alternative work environments begin to describe these new workspaces in which people can simple meet with others and do work.

Welcome to the first issue of Workspace Design Magazine.

Our mission is to highlight new ideas about the changing work environment in order to increase efficiency, seamlessly integrate technology, and encourage prosperity through design.

Our staff and editorial contributors understand that the traditional office is changing radically. We collect, interpret, and disseminate feature articles that describe that changing work environment.

Therefore, we think about office space very differently, asking questions like:

• Do people really need to be in the office to do their work?
• How can space be optimized for efficiency, technology integration, and collaboration?
• How is the space being used – and why is the unused space being ignored?
• How often is office space empty – and why?

We will draw from and provide a resource to the leading experts in the industry who are helping to solve workspace design challenges confronting facility managers and administrators of the largest corporations in the nation. We consider cultural, anthropological, design, technology, sustainability, and economical issues in all of our work.

We hope that you will participate by contributing thoughts and ideas to share your knowledge.

With your help, we look forward to being the resource on designing today’s workspaces.

Sincerely,

Bob Fox, Publisher

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About Bob

Bob Fox is founder and CEO of the Washington, DC-area design firm FOX Architects. When he's not overseeing publication of Workspace Design Magazine or interacting with his clients, he probably can be found sailing near Annapolis, MD, with family and friends.

Learn more at Workspace Design Magazine

Office in a box...

I broke the lower door on my office armoire.  I tripped over the cat and grabbed the door to keep from falling, and that was it for the door.  So, I've been searching to see who made my desk and if I can get a new door...that has led me to finding lots of office armoires, except of course, mine.  I'll keep searching...

The handwriting is on the wall...

I've been seeing a lot of great chalkboard walls lately.  And it's not all just about black and white...

From Remodelista

Wall Calendar
A home office is the ideal spot for a family planner. Six weeks' worth of squares in a variety of shades can accommodate several schedules. The entire wall is also coated with chalkboard paint for more memos. Start with a base coat of store-bought black chalkboard paint, and then mix in varying amounts of white chalkboard paint for lighter squares.

Custom Colors How-To

Start with flat-finish latex paint in any shade. For small areas, such as a door panel, mix 1 cup at a time.

1. Pour 1 cup of paint into a container. Add 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout. Mix with a paint stirrer, carefully breaking up clumps.

2. Apply paint with a roller or a sponge paintbrush to a primed or painted surface. Work in small sections, going over the same spot several times to ensure full, even coverage. Let dry.

3. Smooth area with 150-grit sandpaper, and wipe off dust.

4. To condition: Rub the side of a piece of chalk over entire surface. Wipe away residue with a barely damp sponge.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Make Custom Color Chalkboard Paint - Martha Stewart Kids 

The paperless office.... myth or possibility?

I recall that when the computer first entered my work life, I was told that it would be the end of paper.  I am still waiting for that to manifest.  All I see is more paper than ever.  People of all ages are still drowning in paper.

I do have one client who has managed to limit the paper, using computers, smart phones, scanners and whatever else, she manages to be a successful Realtor without accumulating too much personal paper.  And that is the caveat, while she keeps her paper to a minimum, still in the world of Real Estate there is a TON of paper required. The secret is to get the paper into someone else's hands and not keep it in yours.

Recently, when I met with a networking specialist, she advised that paper is now a generational thing.  Anyone over 45 still expects paper to be mailed or faxed and still prints out copies of almost everything.  Anyone over 60 still responds to snail mail, hence all the election junk mail.  Anyone under 30 doesn't want anything to do with paper.  As I am somewhere in the middle of this, I expect both.  Though I was surprised when I bought my new printer/scanner/copier/fax, the Office Depot sales associate couldn't figure out why I wanted the fax included. "Who faxes anything anymore?"  "It's for my mother." I answered sheepishly...

I found a great article on this subject by CNN correspondent, Thom Patterson, Is the paperless office here at last?

The dream of the paperless office started way back in 1975, when BusinessWeek magazine predicted "a collection of ... office terminals linked to each other and to electronic filing cabinets."

"It will change our daily life," said one bold technology expert quoted in the article. Said another expert: "By 1990, most record handling will be electronic."

Twenty years after that unmet deadline, a national survey found that businesses have chosen to use paper printouts to archive 62 percent of important documents.

The survey of 882 companies, released in February by the content management association AIIM, indicates that most businesses believe paper documents are needed for legal reasons.

So what happened? Where is this streamlined office of the future, free of clutter and file cabinets, that was promised back in the '70s?

By the mid-1990s, the nation was actually moving in the opposite direction.

More and more workstation computers and printers contributed to a big jump in office paper consumption well into the 2000s, according to industry experts.

Before taking a hit from the recession, the estimated number of office pages printed, copied and faxed annually in the U.S. peaked in 2007 at more than 1.019 trillion, according to InfoTrends, a Massachusetts-based market research and consulting firm.

InfoTrends analyst John Shane blamed the nation's love of office printing and copying on convenience.

I recently got an IPAD, which I am reluctant to take out of the house.  I have seen lots of people using them, especially the new retailers, like food stalls and food trucks, and I've never asked for a receipt at any of these places.    While I use my IPAD at home, I don't worry about printing anything out because I have the IMAC and that wireless printer/copier/scanner/fax.  Just don't tell the guy at Office Depot....

Take a seat...

There are two iconic office furniture design houses, Herman Miller and Knoll. Both are famous for their office chairs. Certainly, these are substantial pieces.   Which one are you?

Knoll's Life Chair, comes in other colors and styles.

Knoll's Generation Chair, love this color.

Herman Miller Aeron Chair.

 Herman Miller Embody Chair.  I like the color, but reminds me of visit to the dentist.  

Classic modern leather chair, Herman Miller Eames chair.

One man's tools...

Working my way through a maze of links, I came upon these photos... Ettore Guatelli, 1921 - 2000, was a writer, researcher and an elementary teacher in Italy.  He collected everyday objects and work tools of many varieties, and he assembled them in the most inspiring displays of art and organization.  This collection is now a museum.

Photos from Google Images

Keeping track of the days...

Time to think about a 2011 calendar for the office.  I use two paper calendars, one hangs on the side of my office armoire and the other I carry with me to jobs.  I print the one I carry and I usually just go to Office Depot and purchase their standard no frills calendar, for the hanging one.   But for next year, I want something more inspiring...

Love her use of color...

Goes with my office, but I wish this one were a bit smaller...

Chose these for clients who read this blog... you know who are...

All Calendars from Amazon.com or Calendars.com