Mark Dowse, Author at MD Business Interiors Devon

Mark Dowse
Uncategorised
November 24, 2016

Five reasons to move to Exeter!

Exeter City Council recently produced a video showcasing what is good about living and trading here in Exeter and Devon. We trade as office refurbishment and office furniture dealers in Exeter and are passionate about the South West of England, we wanted to share it with you.

The Business relocation and inward investment film is made to assist you to relocate your company to Exeter, Devon. A great visual summary of everything Exeter has to offer for you and your business. (Copyright Exeter City Council).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aZYAyZU6KM

Five reasons to relocate to Exeter.

Exeter’s strong economy
A proven track record
Potential for growth
Plans in place for the future
A friendly welcome

The link below takes you to the small presentation, enjoy the read and the video!

https://exeter.gov.uk/business/relocating-to-exeter/five-reasons-to-relocate-to-exeter/

Mark Dowse
Office furniture information
November 18, 2016

Are open-plan offices good for business?

If you are business owner in Exeter or Devon currently looking at planning an office furniture update or a full office refurbishment or fit out, we have below an interesting news story that might help you make up your mind on what type of layout you want for your staff.

Are open-plan offices good for business?

Some leaders believe open-plan offices encourage healthy collaboration, others say that they provide unwelcome distractions and hamper productivity. So are open-plan work-spaces really a boon to businesses?

Yes, says John Jennings, associate director at Chris Cooper Business Elevation and a member of IoD East Midlands

John Jennings who argues for open-plan offices, “In our rapidly moving digital economy, organisations need improved levels of engagement more than ever. Open plan facilitates improved communication at all levels and across teams”.

Office ‘banter’ or colleague interaction is often the social glue that helps to bind teams together. Concerns about employees being dissatisfied with their environments can be allayed by involving people in redesign through consultation. Scary statistics about poorly workers spreading germs can be countered with simple hygiene and health and safety policies.

Management should encourage appropriate times and situations for social chat and get involved with their people. Leaders can also work on developing their emotional intelligence by practising empathy and good listening skills. Where open-plan works best is where a well-designed environment includes provision for interruption-free working.

An open-plan working environment encourages interaction, open communication, collaboration and information exchange, without formality. A bonus of a no-barriers environment is that many meetings can be avoided by encouraging people into huddles to exchange views and information. Walls act as barriers to all of this and can create artificial fiefdoms, which benefit big egos, but little else.

No, says Caroline Arnold, executive coach at Caroline Arnold Coaching and a member of IoD South West

Caroline Arnold who argues against open-plan offices, “Open-plan offices are thought to be great for collaboration but the truth is that employees wanting to ask a ‘quick question’ may interrupt you constantly, or include you in a conversation that you don’t need to be part of”.

Employees usually crave some time on their own to think, work privately and finish tasks without the constant interruptions and don’t feel they can say anything for fear of not being seen as a team player. I believe this is one reason why more employees are requesting the flexibility to work from home – purely to have some space to think, focus on complex tasks and not feel so stressed out by not completing anything during the day in the office.

According to Canada Life Group Insurance research in 2014, employees working in an open-plan office are more likely to experience higher levels of stress, which may lead to them taking more sick days. The distractions, higher stress and increased sickness absence ultimately lead to a drop in productivity. @Carnoldcoaching

To find out which layout would be best for your business get in touch with s for a chat about our AutoCAD space planning via mark@mdinteriorsdevon.com

Mark Dowse
office refurbishment devon
October 6, 2016

The right office furniture: work smarter!

The Right Office Furniture Can Help You to Work Smarter

Today’s workplace mantra appears to be ‘work smarter, not harder’. But what does this really mean and how can you create a working environment that allows you to work in such a smart way?

Working smart is about improving results without shelling out lots of additional cash and putting added pressure on your employees. Businesses wishing to increase their profit margins may assume that the only way to do this is to increase the workload of existing staff members or to take on more personnel. However, there are other ways to bolster productivity and success. Even simple things, like changing workplace furniture, can have a positive impact.

Smart working

Modern design and technology has opened up myriad possibilities for firms keen to improve their working practices. Now, companies are free to explore a whole range of options, from mobile working to remote training. This means there are many different approaches that businesses can take in a bid to become ‘smart’.

Basic changes like investing in new desks and chairs, can have a marked impact on productivity and can therefore boost profits too. If you’re keen to ensure your team operates as efficiently as possible, it’s worth putting some time and effort into choosing high-quality, practical furniture solutions. Being comfortable and having easy access to important items will help ensure your workers are able to function effectively and efficiently, and it will minimise any employee downtime.

Meeting tables can be made smarter too. By investing in smaller tables or desks that can be easily moved or folded away, you may be able to open up a significant amount of extra workspace. This additional square footage can be used for whichever purposes you see fit.

Smart furniture

The right furniture solutions will let you do a great deal more with far less. They will also enable you to achieve your goals without breaking the bank. Quality is vital, as is style, but this doesn’t mean that you need to spend thousands on each individual workstation.

There is not one specific solution that will allow you to work in a smarter way. Different options may be more or less suitable for your business, depending on your own unique needs. However, all desks, chairs, storage and meeting tables should be sourced with smart working firmly in mind. Think comfort, quality, space and functionality, and always be sure that the items look the part too. After all, if your employees and visitors are not impressed with your working environment, both trust and morale may fall as a result.

If you have any queries about the best solutions for you, get in touch. Here at MD Business Interiors, we have a huge range of furniture products that could help your business to work in a smarter and more focused way and we are on hand to help you make the most appropriate choices.

Selecting the right furniture for your work space could help to promote your organisation’s long-term success and it could also raise morale among your personnel.

Mark Dowse
Uncategorised
September 15, 2016

Housing contractor refurbish head office.

DEVON HOUSING CONTRACTOR USE LOCAL OFFICE INTERIORS SPECIALIST TO REFURBISH NEW HEAD OFFICE!

Devon house builder, Devonshire Homes has made a major investment to rebrand the company and refurbish its head office located in Tiverton. The company with developments across Devon, including Cullompton, Chulmleigh, Kingsteignton and Barnstaple put out a tender for the works; awarded to independent Exeter-based office refurbishment specialist MD Business Interiors.

MD Business Interiors worked closely with the client from conception through to completion of the fit-out, providing imaginative solutions to gain space and additional storage. A number of services were carried out as a part of a bespoke solution for Devonshire Homes, including: design of open plan office space; incorporating the new brand and corporate colours; creating room for expansion and modern mixed height meeting areas. Dramatic changes included folding doors to the boardroom creating a versatile space transforming the large area into two separate private meeting rooms.

Devonshire Homes, Tiverton.
Info: Glenn King 01392 426 984
Photo, Tony Charnock, 07770 484888

The Devonshire Homes head office currently occupied by 20 employees, has been future-proofed, with room to expand across all departments with an additional six work stations. The company established in 1992 has had a major revamp for 2016, seeing them rebrand with a cleaner, stripped-back logo and new website launched in June. The refurbishment, the final part of the rebranding exercise, has seen Devonshire Homes refresh their image as a modern and dynamic company. Moving forward they are looking to expand and taking on a further two employees by the end of 2016.

She adds: “The team are delighted with the new look office, which has created a fantastic, motivational work environment for all. The space created is contemporary, dynamic and versatile, and has given plenty of storage space, lacking before. Creating room for the team to expand was key to the refurbishment, with future business growth in mind. Our office is now light, bright, modern and stylish, in line with the new Devonshire Homes brand.”

Jane Pearce – Sales and Marketing Director, Devonshire Homes comments: “As part of the brief given to Mark Dowse at MD Business Interiors we asked that there would be minimal downtime for the business, our staff and customers. The refurbishment programme was completed in six weeks, with all minor works carried out by the MD Business Interiors team outside of office hours. The final transition saw the new office furniture turned around in one day.”

Mark Dowse
Uncategorised
July 27, 2016

New office furniture for house builders Cornwall HQ

MD Business Interiors are one of the leading office furniture suppliers, office refurbishment and fit out contractors working within Devon and Cornwall. Based in Exeter we work with all sizes, types and structures of companies to provide quality office and commercial renovation projects.

We were recently privileged to be instructed to fit out a new HQ office in Launceston for local and national house builder Persimmon Homes. They are expanding and needed a new South West base to oversee the Cornwall developments. The range of works we were involved in was the original brief and specification development, AutoCAD design and space planning, site surveys and the supply and installation of office furniture, board room and conference furniture, reception counter and general office seating.

We coordinated our work with the other trades and worked to a tight timeline. This demonstrated our ability to be flexible, give good advice on which manufacturers and ranges to select as well as performing quick and speedy installations with no fuss.

If you want to see how we can help with your office fit out or need new office furniture please call 01392 834980 or contact us through the website.

Photo by Tony Charnock
07770 484888
www.tonycharnock.co.uk

Mark Dowse
Uncategorised
July 25, 2016

TASK CHAIR SPECIAL OFFER

Special Offer – good quality task chair £82 + VAT

We bought an end of season deal from one of our manufacturers.

So we have 22no of the blue fabric TAKTIK office task chair with height adjustable arms whose normal sale price is £164.00 + VAT for £82.00 + VAT each.

See image here. These are in stock ready for collection or delivery by arrangement.

We also do a wide range of office furniture for delivery and installation around Devon and Exeter. Please get in touch for more information on 01392 834980.

Mark Dowse
Office furniture information, Uncategorised
July 13, 2016

8 desk options for modern offices

We are a family run, SME focused business based in Exeter, Devon with most of our work coming from recommendations and referrals. We have a wide portfolio of suppliers from the UK and from further afield. Here, with our manufacturing partner Lee and Plumpton we present our offering of a variety of desks in many different shapes, sizes and colour finishes.

We strive to offer you the broadest possible choice, from our classic contract office furniture range which is available in as little as 5 days for customers in Devon, through to the contemporary, modern and elegant designs of our ‘build to order’ office furniture collections.
Here is a brief summary of our desking and office furniture range.

CRESCENT

Also known as radial desking, the traditional crescent shape incorporates a return and is available in left or right-handed orientations. The major benefit of crescent desking is that it provides a lot of space and can easily be configured into clusters or positioned in room corners.

A desk high pedestal can be employed to create more working space.

WAVE

Wave desking is also available in left and right-handed orientations and bridges the gap between rectangular and crescent desks. The wave element provides additional working space without consuming as much actual floor space as a crescent desk.

DOUBLE-WAVE

Available on selected product lines, such as Atmosphere and Ascend, double wave desks provide the added benefit of additional space on both the left and right hand sides.

A-FRAME

Our A-frame desk range, named Ascend, is an elegant and contemporary desk that is ideal for modern workspaces. The pedestals for this desk are angled at the rear to complement the desk frame and an optional return desk is available.

BENCH SYSTEMS

AURA bench modern desk range from Lee and Plumpton…..

Bench systems have been growing in popularity for a number of years.

Our AuraBench range is now firmly established as one of our most popular product lines, reflecting a broader market trend that is being driven by changes in working practices, corporate culture and collaborative technology.

Bench systems bring people together and that is why it is ideal for collaborative workspaces. The bench format breaks down visual and spatial barriers and encourages spontaneous communication between people and groups.

AuraBENCH has integrated cable management as standard.

EXECUTIVE

Our Atmosphere series is a popular choice for executive applications and the range includes a crescent conference option with an integrated meeting point. There are a number of leg detail and modesty panel options to choose from too.

RECEPTION

Our standard reception desk with integrated pigeonholes and full depth flushed modesty panel is a popular choice but our customers also use desks from the Atmosphere, AuraBench and Domino Beam collections as reception desks.

Many of the reception desks we supply are actually bespoke items that are manufactured to order by our tailored solutions department.

VARIABLE HEIGHT SOLUTIONS

Height adjustable and sit stand desks are growing in popularity due to increased awareness of the health implications associated with prolonged periods of inactivity.

The purported health benefits include lower long term mortality rates, improved circulation and a reduced incidence of the problems typically associated with poor posture, such as back ache and neck pain.

Variable height desking could also help to mitigate some of the serious health risks that are associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

Our Sit-Stand desk has an electric motor that adjusts the position of the worktop from seated to standing while our original height adjustable desk has a manual crank system. Both desks are available in wave or rectangular formats.

RECTANGULAR

Standard rectangular desks are space efficient and their geometric shape means they are very easy to space plan. You can try combining straight desks with other shapes to create more visual interest or as a creative solution to space limitations.

DELTA

Delta desking is often overlooked in favour of more traditional options. The format does, however, offer some distinct benefits in relation to many other desks.

The 120° workstations in our Atmosphere collection can be configured to accommodate large groups of people and they work well when combined with other desk shapes. One of the lesser known benefits of delta desking is that the central positioning of the display on the work surface blocks sound as it travels towards the opposing desk.

BESPOKE SOLUTIONS

We aim to provide the broadest possible choice but sometimes a tailored solution is required. One of our greatest strengths is our ability to manufacture bespoke furniture to your specifications and we can also make alterations to our exisiting product range.

To find out more about our ranges of office furniture and office fitout or refurbishment & renovation services for Devon, call our customer services team based in Exeter on 01392 834980 or email contact@mdinteriorsdevon.com.

Mark Dowse
office refurbishment devon, Uncategorised
May 23, 2016

Plymouth Dental practice reception done!

We were recently contacted by Edward Jones the Business Manager at Hartley Dental of Plymouth www.hartleydental.co.uk who are more than just a dentist. They wanted to improve the reception area for the customers and create a professional image in keeping with their style and developing range of services.

AutoCAD 3D rendered generic image

We will let them do the talking…..

“Having identified the need for a new and improved reception area here at Hartley Dental, we decided that the really key part of this plan was for a new reception desk to be installed as soon as possible. This desk needed to be bespoke, with room for 2 people to work independently of each other and give a corporate and professional feel to the waiting room as a whole.

The finished item!

Having identified this need, we contacted various local suppliers, including MD Business Interiors. The thing that immediately struck me about their approach (having met with Mark), was that they understood the need for the works to be carried out promptly and essentially quietly, as the business would continue to operate around the project.

The designs and quotes Mark provided were clear and concise, but with the degree of flexibility needed to ensure any identified changes were captured during the process. The works themselves were completed within the set time scales, within budget and to a very high standard. The tradesmen who carried out the works were polite professional and communicative, which was refreshing to be honest! The new desk addresses the issues we had identified and has been received positively by the team and customers alike.

A real positive step forward for us here at Hartley Dental. Many thanks, Ed.”

For more information on our 3D visual rendering AutoCAD drawings, our reception design and space planning services, send us an email via the website or call 01392 834980.

Thanks for taking the time to read this….

Mark Dowse
Uncategorised
May 3, 2016

An insight into the psychology of colour!

We are office furniture and office fit out and office refurbishment specialists based in Exeter, Devon. We share with you a blog from our office furniture manufacturer Lee and Plumpton about colour as below.

Colour can have a profound impact on our behaviour and productivity in the workplace.

The four primary psychological colours are: blue, red, yellow and green. Although there are no universal truths in terms of colour psychology (mostly due to cultural and individual differences) certain colours have been shown to possess distinct psychological properties.

Psychologist Angela Wright has developed a scientific theory of colour. According to this theory, red affects the body, blue soothes the mind, yellow stimulates our emotions and green can balance our mood*.

The intensity and saturation of the colour you choose is just as important – if not more so – than the hue itself. Bright, striking colours will stimulate while softer, pastel shades will soothe. By combining colours of varying intensities, it’s possible to create harmonious office spaces that promote productivity, efficiency, creativity and wellbeing.

When choosing your colour palette, you should also consider the culture of the workplace in question and the nature of the work being done.

Blue

Of the four primary psychological colours, blue is believed to improve productivity and is a good choice for office environments that demand concentration and focus, such as accountancy practices.

It’s important to note that colours are generally classified as either warm or cool and can influence the perception of temperature. Certain shades of blue could make rooms appear cold and unwelcoming compared to warmer colours such as bright red, yellow and orange.

Red

Commonly associated with passion and anger, red is a highly stimulating colour that can provoke a physical response by raising blood pressure and quickening pulse rate. It can be useful in sales environments that require staff to be assertive or professions that demand a keen eye for detail but it could exacerbate stress and tension.

Yellow

Yellow is believed to inspire creativity, which makes it ideal for creative professions such as graphic design.

Fully saturated yellow can be very psychologically stimulating and could be a catalyst for negative emotional energy including anxiety, anger and frustration.

Yellow is also highly reflective. Despite these issues, it can still be a useful addition to your colour scheme.

Green

Green is thought to be a calming colour that promotes a sense of serenity and tranquillity. As a result, people are considered to be more relaxed in green rooms and this effect can be exploited to promote social communication and networking.

There is a current trend towards natural, earthy colours such as green and brown.

Trends in office design

Colour trends change over time. White is popular at the moment because it has a modern appeal and can make rooms appear more spacious.

Neutral colours such as beige and grey continue to be popular despite negative colour connotations. Many people find these colours dull so they should be used sparingly and offset with brighter colours.

Don’t overlook the use of bright accent tones on seating and partition screens to add a splash of colour to previously uninspired office spaces. And don’t forget to exploit the uplifting effect of natural light and other strategies that are thought to improve wellness at work, such as bringing plants into the office to complement your colour choices.

Source:

www.colour-affects.co.uk

Mark Dowse
Uncategorised
April 6, 2016

Project complete and some feedback, BPA Quality…

Just over a year ago we did a large refurbishment for BPA Quality creating a new HQ at Pynes Hill in Exeter. We recently did some additional works for them and there was their feedback below:

“It’s my first day back in the office after 10 days off and was going to email you with my feedback. Not only was the quality of the work excellent, the approach of the guys you sent to do it was fantastic. They got on with the job with the minimum amount of mess and interruption, and left the room clean and tidy at the end. Please pass on my sincere thanks for a good job very well done.”

Kind regards
Judith Yates
HR Director EMEA
BPA Quality
Pynes Hill
Exeter
https://bpaquality.co.uk

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