22 . 12 . 10
If you’re thinking of starting a day spa business? I’m sure you have been trying to imagine how your salon will look like. Designing your new spa is going to be one of the most pleasurable parts of starting a day spa business. Why not take a break from planning the marketing, fixing documents and getting permits ready? Plan your day spa design and relax a bit.
Most customers go to a day spa business to relax. If you want your clients to come back, you have to give what they want and part of that is to have a procedure done in a relaxed manner. Maybe some clients go to a day spa to rest after a long hard day at the office. Sure, your staff can give a massage but it won’t be as effective if the atmosphere of your spa is not comfortable.
Remember these pointers when designing your day spa business. It’s important to provide that level of comfort for your customers by having comfortable seats and massage tables or facial lounge chairs. Have clean sheets for each customer, and provide a light down comforter or blankets too. Provide soft fluffy pillows, robes and towels.
Use neutral colors when painting your walls to produce a more laid back atmosphere, stick to medium to darker paint color and avoid yellow, orange or stark white paint. Decorate your walls with canvas wall art. Provide lamps for both aesthetic and functional reasons. Have some reading material for customers to browse through while waiting.
Another element that affects the ambiance is lighting. Same as the walls, avoid white light, but do provide that option. Your staff will need bright white light when cleaning the salon. Use light with a soft glow from your waiting area to your massage rooms so customers can start to relax while waiting for their turn. Don’t make the light too dim in your waiting lounge so that your customers can read a magazine while waiting.
Get a shop space with enclosed partitions for privacy issues. If you have a glass window up front, put light curtains to allow a bit of sunlight in. If the view outside is unpleasant like a parking lot or the street, you can use darker shades or blinds. If you decide to play music, make sure that the volume is very low and play only soft soothing music.
Spread out aromatherapy candles all over your day spa business. These look good and smell good. They are called aromatherapy because the scent induces certain qualities. Choose candles that smell like lavender to relax the mind and body. Clutter can also be unsightly and can actually make customers uncomfortable, so build cabinets where you can keep stocks of supplies.
Use natural materials inside your day spa business. Wood is better than plastic or metal. Synthetic materials tend to remove the rustic and home ambiance. Train employees to respect the silence that customers want. Instruct them not to chit chat while there are clients at the spa. Get more advice from veteran day spa owners who can give you more tips to make your salon more attractive to customers.
15 . 12 . 10
An increasing number of people are choosing to work from home. With the advent of technology especially Internet connectivity, working from home is in fact turning out to be sensible option for many. Most people who choose to work out of their home set up an office before they begin. If you have decided to convert a section of your home into an office, here are some things you should remember:
- Begin by drawing up a plan on the room you will dedicate for your home office. Remember that a home office should have enough space to accommodate a desk, chair, computer, office supplies and other items you will require. They need to have good flooring, sufficient lighting and power outlets to accommodate all your needs.
- You need to buy a comfortable and functional desk chair for your home office. If you have extra space after accommodating the desk and chair, you can add a sofa or extra chairs for visitors too.
- Bulletin boards or magnet boards are functional and attractive options you can use in your office space at home. They can be a catch-all for your appointments, calendars and keepsakes.
- Depending on the size of your office space you can plan storage options in the form of shelves or even drawers. You can choose to put away the printer, wireless Internet receivers and other computer accessories in a closet so it is not visible outside. Roll-top desks will offer more storage space. Also have a proper filing cabinet for clean and organized office space.
- Ensure that space planning for your home office does not interfere with the general layout and look of your existing home.
You can also choose to personalize your workspace at home with artwork and accessories of your choice. If you are looking for furniture for your home office, visit a consignment store. You can find great pieces at affordable prices for a functional and aesthetically pleasing home office interior design.
8 . 12 . 10
Bathrooms used to be primarily a functional space, with very little thought to their appearance or style. But today, the bathroom is considered an important part of the home – a place to relax and also an asset in the sale of a home. If you hope to make your bathroom a relaxing “spa-like” room, you need to focus on contemporary bathroom design.
There are a lot of features to incorporate into contemporary bathroom design. If you are interested in creating a high-end bathroom, you may want to consider features such as:
* walk-in showers with multi shower heads;
* radiant heating for tile floors;
* whirlpool spa bathtubs;
* glass shower doors;
* luxurious custom cabinetry; and
* elegant tile.
The first step in planning a contemporary bathroom design is to evaluate the structure of your home. Some of these elements are very heavy, especially if you plan to use granite or marble tiles. You need to know whether your floor can handle the weight of a spa-tub (when full) or a multi-head walk in shower with a lot of tile.
What if Space is Limited?
Another factor to consider is space. How big is the bathroom? Smaller bathrooms require scaled down fixtures. For instance, contemporary bathroom design might incorporate an above counter basin. This option for a basin is great for smaller bathrooms because the basin is the focal point – you can use a smaller cabinet as the base.
Do you have a small bathroom with a bath/shower combination? One option to consider is replacing the bathtub with a large shower pan. Your former bathtub becomes a walk-in shower. Add some beautiful tile with bathroom accessories
such a tiled soap tray, or heated towel racks. You may have what’s technically considered a “smaller” bathroom, but it’s far more luxurious, functional and inviting.
Details Add Elegance
Think about your image of a spa. What comes to your mind? Do you think of sleek, simple spaces with natural elements like tile or bamboo? Incorporate those ideas into your contemporary bathroom design. Don’t forget to add bathroom accessories to enhance the image. For instance, luxurious stacks of fluffy towels, hand-crafted soaps, baskets filled with magazines, a glass bottle with scented oil and bamboo sticks to dissipate the scent, and baskets to hide spare rolls of toilet paper.
Contemporary bathroom design incorporates luxury, functionality and an eye for details with well-chosen bathroom accessories. With a little planning and design, you can create a beautiful bathroom that will feel like your own private spa.
1 . 12 . 10
While most people view office spaces as drab and dreary, there are actually ways to rectify such image and make a respectable looking and comfortable office interior. The usual rules of design applies of course but it is important to understand that there are several adjustments that need to be made in order to produce a great looking office space that looks professional without being boring.
Office Interior Floors
While it is perfectly acceptable to have tile floors for office buildings, it would be more palatable to have wooden planks for the interiors. The trend these days is the use of engineered wood floors which look every bit like the solid version except that they are stronger and more resilient to wear and tear. In addition, it is also a wise choice to opt for darker floors as they are easier to maintain.
Office Interior Light Fixtures
Proper lighting is very important in an office space not only for purposes of illumination but to enhance the aesthetics of the entire space. Some of the light fixtures you should consider for the office interior are hanging pendant lights, miniature table lamps, and wall sconces. There are several other choices depending on your taste in lighting as well as the size of the office interior.
Office Interior Seats
Chairs are also very important especially if you often entertain important people such as bosses and clients. Aside from the hydraulic office chair behind the desk, it would also be a good idea to add a small couch and two other extra seats where your guests can seat comfortably. Among the popular office interior seats are tub leather chairs which are stylish as well as space saving.
Office Interior Accessories
Aside from the essentials mentioned, there are other furnishing pieces worth having such as art works, paintings, miniature sculptures, and many others which can enhance the look of the office even further.
