Archive for Furniture

NHS Furniture

{ February 18, 2008 @ 10:44 am } · { Furniture, Hospital Furniture }
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Thoughtful furniture design and calm neutral decor have a significant effect on patient response in healthcare environments, and could also be responsible for influencing patient behaviour. This is apparent in both the encouragement of recovery and in the promotion of respect for working and living environments. A positive ambiance is also reported to encourage a sense of social responsibility and community cohesion.

Most people talk about the cold sterility of hospitals of yesteryear when asked to recall their memories of hospital treatment. The first thing that sprung to mind was an impression of the décor, and particularly of the hospitals’ furniture. The way it looked, the way it felt and even its unique aroma possessed a distinctive character, typified by hard chairs, tacky surfaces, garish fabrics and mismatched designs.

Aesthetics were not high in the list of priorities back then, and the idea of creating an ambient tone was unheard of. Thankfully things are changing for the better, and the benefits of a more holistic and patient-centered approach to hospital interior decoration are increasingly being recognised. Some forward-thinking hospitals have been known to consult psychologists in order to ascertain which colours provoke positive moods, and feelings of joy and serenity.

Interior designers working across the full range of healthcare projects, including hospitals, nursing/care homes and mental health units, now consider furniture to be an essential element within an overall scheme. And it’s not just patients who are being considered. The comfort and general well-being of patient visitors is also being considered by interior designers, particularly when selecting hospital furniture. The provision of tasteful, comfortable seating for visitors is a key factor in reducing stress and helping to maintain a calm ambiance.

Specialist healthcare furniture manufacturer Knightsbridge Furniture has been working with architects Nightingale Associates in this hitherto largely unexplored area, gaining some interesting results. Both companies are working together to ensure a careful balance of colour, fabric, structure, style and function to meet individual needs and expectations.

Bradford based Knightsbridge Furniture have been producing specialist furniture for the Healthcare industry for a number of years, and have consequently become a trusted NHS Furniture supplier. Their understanding of the individual furniture constraints and requirements of each sector of the healthcare industry makes them both an authority on the subject, and a valuable source of reliable advice.

One example of Knightsbridge putting their extensive knowledge into practice was in the production of a range of Extreme furniture for challenging or high-stress environments, such as secure units and mental health facilities. The incorporation of special weighting and the exclusion of metal components or visible stitching are just two of the ways in which the seating has been designed with the aim of preventing it from being used in a threatening or self-harming context. The manufacturer has also ensured that there is no spacing between arms and seat, to avoid potential concealment pockets. Yet the furniture is far from utilitarian in visual appeal: the club chairs, for example, have been covered in warm, luxurious leather, and subsequently, have been treated with respect and dignity.

Hotel Furniture Strategy

{ January 9, 2008 @ 11:45 am } · { Furniture, Hotel & Restaurant Furniture }
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The use of furniture in Hotels greatly affects the environment and ambiance within. Colour, texture and shape are important elements for interior designers seeking to imbue bedrooms, bars, reception areas and dining rooms with moods appropriate to their function.

Of course the primary goal of all hotels is to create a comfortable, stylish environment for their guests, but there is more to designing a hotel Furniture scheme than merely selecting lots of pieces that look nice.

Each area within the hotel needs to be addressed separately, taking into account the frequency of use, function of the area, amount of space, likelihood of spillage etc.  This therefore creates the need for a carefully planned Furniture strategy.

Hotel reception areas are generally large open areas offering guests and visitors their first exposure to the venue.  Creating the best possible first impression is therefore essential, and most hotels will invest heavily in furnishing their reception areas in order to do this.  Fabric choice is important both from a design perspective and a wear and tear point of view. Guests may prefer to have drinks and light snacks in front of house areas, which means upholstery may be prone to spillage.  Comfort is of the utmost importance as well, with reception areas often hosting business meetings, afternoon teas, and other social gatherings.

Hotel function rooms require a completely different furniture scheme. Flexibility is the most crucial factor here, as the rooms could be used for Balls, Parties, Conferences, or possibly as an Overspill restaurant. Tables will therefore need to be foldable and chairs stackable so that the rooms can be rearranged quickly and furniture stored away in as small a space as possible. Both will also have to be hardwearing due to the rough treatment they are likely to receive.

Bar furniture needs to be incredibly robust as it is usually the most harshly treated of all hotel furniture.  Chairs are often knocked over or dragged from place to place by guests, and spillage is inevitable. Dark, stain resistant fabric is recommended, and removable machine washable covers are a sensible option. Tables are likely to suffer similarly rough treatment with guests sitting on, standing on and resting their feet on them at times, emphasising the need for strength and durability.

Furniture within hotel rooms is less frequently used than in other areas of hotels so the need for hard-wearing durable designs is lessened. Here the emphasis will be on comfort, and utilising decorative pieces that compliment the bedroom decor. Spillage is also less likely so light coloured fabrics are more acceptable.

Restaurant furniture has its own individual requirements as well. As in most restaurants, dining chairs are designed to be comfortable for only a certain amount of time – usually long enough for the average person to enjoy a meal – but no longer. This is so that diners are not tempted to linger long after their meal, and instead move on to other areas of the venue eg. The Bar, giving staff enough time to reset the restaurant ready for the next sitting

Handmade Furniture

{ January 9, 2008 @ 11:41 am } · { Furniture }
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These days almost all furniture is mass produced. Even furniture pieces at the higher end of the market generally come off a production line. This mass-production has obvious benefits in terms of both cost and flexibility of course, but there’s something a little impersonal about knowing that thousands of other people have the same bed, three-piece suite or dining furniture as you.  The alternative is to buy handcrafted furniture from a specialist furniture manufacturer. Although significantly more expensive than a mass-produced alternative, and generally more old-fashioned in appearance hand crafted furniture does offer unrivaled quality and exclusivity.

Once upon a time, all furniture was handmade. You have seen this furniture of old in the homes of your grandparents or in antique stores. Each piece was lovingly crafted according to the desires of the craftsman and client, resulting in furniture that was wholly unique. Designs were intricate and often used more than one type of wood.

When you find a handmade antique table, for example, you know that there is no other table in the world quite like it. Old-fashioned standards for making furniture were rigorous, and the furniture of our ancestors was built to last. That is why so much of it continues to be handed down through the generations.

Arne Jacobsen’s Egg Chair

{ January 9, 2008 @ 11:26 am } · { Furniture, Hotel & Restaurant Furniture }
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The original Egg chair is as in demand today as it always has been. Still manufactured by Fritz Hansen of Denmark the design has remained completely true to the original. In fact, so true is today’s egg chair to its original design that to the untrained eye it is indistinguishable from a 1950’s version.

Like all style icons, the Egg chair has spawned an entire genre of similar chair designs. It’s groundbreaking look was the inspiration behind other design classics, the best of which have to be Eero Arnio’s 1960s range of futuristic seating, including the Ball Chair, Bubble Chair and Pastil Chair.

The egg chair is still influencing furniture design to this day and this is evident in the manufacture and supply of hotel furniture by companies such as Design-at-Knightsbridge. Modern Retro swivel chairs are common place in homes, bars and nightclubs throughout the country and figure hugging tub chairs, reminiscent of this 50 year old style icon, have become a common feature in slick city centre hotels.

Egg chair inspired modern design