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An office fit out is a great project to undertake, with options and opportunities aplenty. As the second largest city in the UK, Birmingham has a lot to offer businesses of all sizes, from SMEs up to global corporations. Fitting out an office is often one of the first steps towards major success that a business can take. It may feel like a major financial undertaking but it’s one that will benefit a business in so many ways.

An office fit out allows you to specify exactly what you want and need to make your business a success. It’s an opportunity not to be missed for most businesses, but especially those that rely on their premises as the main place of work for their core team. A good base for your office is essential, as are the facilities that you are able to provide.

How can fitting out an office benefit your business?

There are many offices available to buy or rent in Birmingham. Fitting out a new office or refurbishing an older office gives you the chance to specify your needs and work with a professional fit out company to arrive at an office space that suits you down to the ground.

These are some of the ways an office fit out can tangibly improve a business:

·     Improved health and safety. An office layout needs to be functional and safe. When you rent an office unit, you might need to do a lot of work to it to make it safe and suitable – it’s often better to start from scratch. A fit out project lets you get the health and safety factors

·     Better lighting. This is important for providing good working conditions and can feed into health and safety in many ways too. Suspended ceilings allow you to fit better lighting that is more functional and that better suits your purpose, so you can ensure good visibility – something that is essential when staff are working on computers all day.

·     Better staff morale. An attractive, well laid out workspace will give staff a more positive impression of their workplace. They will be more likely to enjoy coming to work and spending time in that kind of environment. You can also lay out an office in ways that will promote better working practices, such as creating breakout zones or making larger communal kitchen areas where people can eat and socialise. The layout and design of a business is in many ways related to staff performance. 

·     Space for more people to work. One major problem that faces businesses is having the space to grow. They may have the capability, but not the resources, which stands in their way. Fitting out and designing an office that allows space for growth, with more work stations as additional people join the team, is a great forward thinking move. It is a step that a business focused on growth would be likely to take, thinking of the future with their office design and layout.

We all, I think, are currently experiencing financial pressure, but it doesn’t change the fact that we want our homes to look great or that things will eventually wear out and require replacement or renovation. Here are some tips for renovating on a tight budget.

Therefore, one of the first and last impressions of your home begins with the front door. An existing door can be completely transformed with a new coat of paint. In addition to restoring the door, it could give your entire outside a fresh look.

Painting the flooring is a do-it-yourself home improvement project that can completely change the look of a space. White-painted floorboards are transformative yet quite affordable, whether you opted to add colour or just refresh in white. 

The addition or replacement of curtains and/or blinds can freshen up any space. Because there are no pleats to increase the amount of fabric you would need, unlined curtain panels are simpler to sew than standard curtains, allowing you to choose a more opulent fabric option.

Rooflights offer amazing natural light to enhance any extension or brighten up your living space, but first, a host of questions need answering. 

Are you building a new extension or adding to an existing extension? Are you looking for fixed roof lights or ones that open with a remote control? Is your roof flat or pitched? Is your design classical or minimalist? You’ll also need to consider whether you need planning permission. 

The bigger the roof light, the lighter it will let in, so you might first think as big as possible, but you’ll also want to think about adjacent elements and the interior design of your room. It may be you want the roof light to align with a dining table or worktop in a kitchen or even the bathtub in a bathroom. You’ll then need to consider the best style and features. 

Although we have had quite a few storms back to back in the UK, Springtime is here, so here are a few décor tips to get you in the mood for the change of the season.

If you like the boho aesthetic, this is perfect for you. A woven room divider looks like it belongs in the 60s/70s but makes an ideal boho modern screen.

For those who upcycle their furniture, painting draw fronts, either freehand or with a stencil, is the perfect way to bring new life to an old piece of furniture.

The colour of the moment is Lavender, a beautiful calming colour that can be used in any room of the home. 

Set your inner child free with fabric wall hangings. They create a focal point within a room and look fantastic above a headboard or behind a rustic sofa in the kid’s room. Quilts also work well for a more ‘grown up’ look.

Stripes are back and look great on larger pieces of furniture, like sofas, to break up monotone colours. You can also look at getting stripped cushions or stripped vases if having a striped sofa does not appeal to you.

Solid Oak flooring is one of the most common forms of flooring around the world. Some choose to carpet over the top of it, but it remains the case that oak flooring is in common use, and for a number of good reasons. It is a strong, durable, and long lasting material that can undergo significant stresses and resist damage throughout the process. Some choose to leave it uncovered, and solid oak flooring can fulfil a range of different design styles in this capacity. To get oak floorboards, homeowners typically expect to pay a significant amount of money for the service, but there are some important methods for reducing these overheads that we hope to make you aware of.

Oak floorboards are typically rated as being one of the best options in terms of flooring. This is because, like many other natural wood products, they are able to outperform many other flooring options, such as concrete. Concrete can be a great flooring option, however, its weight can be a significant problem when implemented in higher floors. If you intend to use concrete on multiple floors of a new home, you should expect the actual development of your home to increase significantly, if only to increase the ability of the structure to withstand the added weight that concrete brings. Also, while concrete is a harder material than wood, it is also far more brittle, which can present problems in various scenarios.

Oak is a hardwood, which basically means that the wood is slower growing and has smaller grains. As a result of this, degradation of oak floorboards takes place over much longer periods, and solid oak flooring made hundreds of years ago can still be found in use around the world. Hardwoods such as oak is also a much stronger material than softer woods, and can be used in various structures to add stability, and can bear much greater stresses without harm. All this leads to the conclusion that over the long-term, oak flooring will require less maintenance, and will need to be replaced less regularly, leading to a lower overall pricetag.

One of the best ways to reduce the overall pricetag of your solid oak flooring is to purchase reclaimed wood. When a home or other property is demolished, there is often an abundance of suitable wood for reclamation. After a treatment carried out by experts, you will see that reclaimed solid oak flooring is virtually indistinguishable from recently produced wood, but the overall cost of the wood is significantly reduced. The one area where it is potentially different is that the age of wood can be apparent in some cases, with the wood looking older. Many consider this aged look to aesthetically pleasing, but if not, this wood is still a great and cheap option for using where carpets will be installed anyway, or when you plan to add a finish to the wood, such as a varnish of some description.

Another area you can reduce the cost of your wood is by making sure that you go to carpenters to pre-shape the wood to meet the precise size requirements of your property and your design choice. Many choose to use solid oak flooring in specific artistic formations and patterns in order to enhance the overall appeal, and one of the ways that people run afoul with this is by purchasing standard sized wood, whereas significant costs can be avoid by getting correctly sized wood straight from a supplier.

Awnings are a great addition to your home, however they do require some regular upkeep to keep them looking and functioning at their best. Did you know that awnings are vulnerable to fading, corrosion and heat damage when used incorrectly and not maintained regularly. Fortunately there’s plenty of ways to prevent this from happening. Here is everything you need to know about maintaining your awning…

Limit exposure to direct sunlight. The sun is one of the most harmful things for awnings as it causes them to fade over time. So it’s important not leave your awning out in direct sunlight too often as it will cause paint on the front and back of the awning itself to become brittle, crack and peel away. It will also fade the material of the awning- that’s why it is important to retract the awning when it is not required.

Move the awning when not in use. If you can’t retract your awning, even if it is out of direct sunlight, make sure to move it and turn it around so that there isn’t just one side always facing the blistering sun.

Retract or remove your awnings at night . It’s no secret that strong winds lead to wear and tear on any outdoor equipment such as gazebos and patio furniture. A gust of wind can potentially damage an older awning, with weak hinges and joints. It makes sense for this reason to keep your awnings retracted at night so they are safe from strong winds which may occur during stormy weather. An easy way to do this is by making it part of your evening routine.

Whilst awnings are made to protect you from wet weather, by providing additional covering to a patio area, it is also important to allow the awning material to dry adequately to prevent the material from rotting of getting mould if it is closed away whilst damp.

With the changing seasons it is vital to clean the awning- clearing it of any leaves that may have collecting in the frame or material. This will ensure the awning will operate correctly when you are using it.

If there are strong winds present, it may be worth checking to see if your awnings require re-tensioning. This is where excess material is taken in slightly to allow the frame to move with ease and not become undone suddenly. You can easily do this yourself by pulling excess material over itself and then pushing down on the top of the structure firmly.

This also allows you to check for any damages or deterioration which may lead to breakdowns later in time. If your awnings are looking rather bright due to exposure from sun or rain, it might be an idea to consider painting them with outdoor paint especially if they are made of metal as this can rust and age over time. Paint will help keep electric awnings looking great all year round.

Another tip is if you have a manual awning installation it is important to make sure that all screws and fixings are always tightly secured as this will help to maintain the structure of the awning. We recommend that you check your awning regularly for any signs of wear and tear or ageing parts which may cause problems especially with electric awnings as they may stop working due to incorrect wiring.

In terms of maintaining an electric powered structure, it is important not to leave out when you are not using them as this can render the electrics useless and can also lead to overloading issues which could be dangerous. In order to avoid this from happening we recommend unplugging your structures after use at least once every couple of months.

Whilst there are many ways to help maintain your awning- these tasks can be done quickly if done regularly. Leaving the maintenance to once a year could mean you have a big task on your hands trying to fix and upkeep the awning. We hope this blog post helps you maintain your awning and helps make the job easier when it comes to maintaining your garden structures.

Maintaining an electric awning in your own home can be made simple by following these easy tips.

With the most important being to close the awning away when it is not in use, during winter or summer months it may be advisable to remove and re-attach the awning manually rather than using an electric winch system. This will avoid unnecessary strain on the electrical equipment and ensures that your investment is safeguarded against damage.

Rooflight can add light to a poorly lit room or attic renovations.  However, some factors should be considered before deciding on which roof lights to install.

Consider the shape of your roof

A lot of homeowners do not consider the shape of their roofs when deciding on roof lights.  People with a sloping roof have a wider variety of choices.  Those with a flat roof need to consider a domed roof light to help with drainage and prevent rain pooling.

Size of the room

Installing roof lights can not only make a room look brighter but also make it look bigger.  To make this illusion work, we recommend pyramid-shaped roof lights.

If you are considering roof lights, we recommend you get the advice and support of a professional company that specialises in roof lights and are experienced in their installation.  This will help ensure that your roof lights remain leak-free and you receive the correct warranties.

A vintage style home is always in fashion, so here are a few ideas to inspire you.

Never be afraid of vintage home styling.  People get hung up on what they should put in their home, but a home is as unique as you. If you like it, then go for it.  Dare to be different.

If you have never decorated in vintage style before, start with something small. Check out charity shops, car boot sales and Facebook Marketplace for a couple of vintage pieces and start from there.

To create a clean vintage look, pair your new pieces with neutral coloured items. 

Don’t forget to ask relatives if they have any old furniture items in the attic that you could have.  Remember that the things you are putting in your home now may have been the norm they were a child.

Don’t use items for their intended purpose.  Metal buckets can become holders for flower arrangements.  Your dads only wooden toolbox can become a book holder. 

We send approx. 1/3 of our lives asleep, meaning the bedroom should be cosy and relaxing. When deciding that you want to redecorate this room, you don’t need to demolish anything!  Here are our top tips.

Organise and de-clutter
Start by reorganising your bedside table.  Do you need all those books on there?  Put them back on the bookshelf or donate them to charity.  Donate or sell any unwanted items of clothing and make space for the new.

Painting the walls
The easiest and quickest thing to change the look of a room is to paint the walls. Choose a colour that will help soothe you into dreamland and matches the general theme you want for the room.

Wall art
The bedroom is a great place to hang art that means a lot to you; we spend a lot of time in the room. The art can be a painting by your favourite artist (whether a professional or a child’s masterpiece) or a photo collage.

Have you been considering getting a dishwasher but not quite sure what type is going to best suit your kitchen? There are various sizes and types of dishwashers. Dishwasher types are typically either built-in or freestanding. When it comes to sizes, the freestanding dishwasher have a standard size, which would fit into the larger space in kitchens that are usually meant either for a washing machine or a dishwasher. However, you may at times come across a kitchen that has even less space, so a standard size dishwasher is simply too big.

This is where a slimline dishwasher would come in handy. They typically are just as powerful and good at cleaning dishes as a standard dishwasher but they are smaller. This makes them ideal for very small kitchens, such as in flats. If you are really wanting a dishwasher but simply do not have the space for a standard size dishwasher, you may be able to squeeze in a slimline dishwasher.