School Lounge Makeover, Sponsored by California Casualty
EON's client, California Casualty, is holding a nationwide contest to provide free School Lounge Makeovers to winning schools across the country. One of the winners, Colfax Elementary, was awarded a $5000 makeover and EON provided all of the furniture and design for the project. This YouTube video captures the transformation--check it out!
Quiznos Corporate Office
EON’s directive with the Quiznos corporate offices was to update the space and spark a new hunger among employees to reach a higher level of performance. Similar to their restaurants, the main ingredients for EON’s design were energy, bold taste, and stimulating colors. Our design features a 22-person conference room, executive office suites, executive lounge, and open-plan workstations. We delivered innovative patterns, finishes and space planning solutions designed to meet Quiznos’ needs and contribute to future growth.
EON Environments
Did you know that EON offers space planning, interior design, project management, full-service installation, moving, and many other services in addition to our comprehensive selection of office furnishings? Welcome to EON Environments, EON's project furniture division. Our professional designers can help outfit any type of organization with the right combination of style, sustainability, quality and economy. Please view our recent project portfolio and contact us for more information.
Benefits of plants in the office and other workplace environments
Perhaps one good cure for the office blues is a little bit of green.
According to Psychology Today, the presence of potted plants has been found to provide many benefits when placed in various environments—including the workplace. In several experiments, plants have been shown to lower blood pressure, increase attentiveness, improve attendance and raise productivity. They have also been shown to improve one’s perception of the space they are in, and even improve one’s overall well being.
How about a little green for inspiration? A study by Texas A&M tested people’s workplace ingenuity in different environments. The study included a workplace with plants and flowers, one with inanimate objects, and one that was vacant. The study showed that people were more creative around plants.
In another study conducted in a computer lab at Washington State University, subjects who were performing a slightly stressful computer task had their blood pressure lowered after plants were added to the lab. They also showed a 12% improvement in reaction time on the computer task.
So if you’re feeling down or bored with your barren work space, head out to a local nursery on your lunch break and pick up an uplifting office plant. Do you have an office plant story of your own? Share it with us! And to find out more about the many benefits of office plants, visit Green Plants for Green Buildings.
Workplace conflict resolution: Turning office discord from grief into growth
We’ve all been there before: dealing with that person in the office who always seems to be creating strife in our lives. Instead of letting a conflict rule (and sometimes ruin) our day, why not turn it into a point of growth for ourselves and our company?
It’s a difficult concept to grasp in a world that seems to be fueled by conflict and shock value. When did we last see a “reality” show where a conflict ended in two parties resolving their issue and devising a mature, sensible resolution? But the real reality, so to speak, is that as civilized adults in the workplace, we have to be able to combat conflict in a healthy and civilized manner.
Before we can start resolving our interoffice spats, we need to understand why they occur. The simple answer is differences. As simple as it sounds, everyone is different. We all have different values, motivations, perceptions, ideas, desires… the list goes on and on. Our differences make life richer and more interesting, to be sure; but they also make conflict inevitable.
Unfortunately, it often seems easier to grumble to ourselves, complain to other co-workers, and behave passive-aggressively than to confront a conflict directly. Not only will the passive approach eat up time that could be used to do actual work, but it will likely affect the rest of the office and bring down coworkers’ morale as well. Instead, we should attempt to work through the conflict. A first step might be to suggest a meeting with our coworker. This meeting shouldn’t take place through a series of emails or phone calls; in-person conversation is best for clear communication.
When the meeting is taking place, we need to be prepared to listen. A simple fact about humans is that we all just want to be heard—isn’t it safe to assume the person we’re in conflict with feels the same way? We should start the meeting with an open mind and just listen. Not judging, not internally preparing our rebuttal, but listening. Ideally, both sides will have a chance to convey where they are coming from. Only after really listening to one another can the two sides move on to the next step of the process: finding a solution.
A good way to start finding a solution is to do some brainstorming. Both parties should have a chance to come up with different ideas for a resolution, and both parties need to agree on acceptable criteria for reaching an agreement. Once a solution is settled upon, the parties should ensure that it is fair, balanced, realistic and future-oriented, so that repeat conflicts can be prevented. If two parties can’t see eye to eye, it might be necessary to have a manager or HR representative mediate and provide guidance for reaching a solution.
Of course, conflict resolution is often more complicated than these simple steps, but the idea is that conflict can ultimately result in better understanding and a better working environment for all. Turning a workplace challenge into an opportunity for growth is a reality we’d all be happy to live with.
Ergonomic office chairs: choosing the right one for you
As thrilling as office chairs might seem, they’re actually one of the most important elements of our daily lives. Think about it: for those of us who work in an office, we spend 40+ hours a week in our chairs. That’s probably more time than we spend doing anything else, other than sleeping. If your chair is too old, worn down, uncomfortable and ill-fitting, and you are trying to tolerate it for 40 hours a week, you probably aren’t being as productive as you could be. How to tell whether your chair has “had it”? Let’s look at some telltale signs it’s time to get up out of your seat and, well, sit back down into another one.
First (and most importantly), how comfortable do you feel in your chair? One of the main indicators of chair fatigue is that you don’t feel as comfortable as you once did. Does the chair seat seem like it’s lost its cushion? Is it breathable, or hot and sticky? Is it coming apart, showing foam, a full-blown chair embarrassment? Hey, it happens.
If discomfort isn’t immediately apparent when you sit in your chair, sit tight and consider this: If you experience any pain or discomfort that starts to creep up as the day goes along, it means trouble. Repetitive motion injuries can be caused in part by ill-fitting office chairs. Whether you have problems with your back, wrists, hands, shoulders, neck, hips, or even your eyes, your office chair could be contributing to your body’s misalignment. Over time, such stress can inflict permanent and far-reaching bodily harm.
Ok, so your chair is now starting to seem a little scary. How to evaluate a possible replacement? The key word here is ergonomics.
Ergonomics is the science of designing and arranging things so that people interact with them efficiently and safely. Your office chair is one of the most important elements of ergonomics, and the right chair will help combat the aches and pains of office jobs. Here are some guidelines for selecting an ergonomic chair: First, find one that is fairly upright when you sit in it, and one that allows you to rest your feet on the ground with your legs forming a 90 degree angle. Both of these features help with correct posture. You should also make sure your chair has a lumbar adjustment with both height and depth to ensure sufficient support to the inward curve of your lower back. Make sure the chair is breathable, and is adjusted to the proper height for your feet to rest correctly.
These tips will provide a good start in choosing the perfect office chair for you. If you’d like more help finding the right chair, an EON furniture specialist can provide ergonomic consultation designed specifically for you and your workplace.