Author Archives: Bellia Office Furniture

Because your new office furniture is meant to last for years, it’s definitely not a decision that should be rushed or made lightly. It is important for office furniture to be functional, but furniture also changes the look and feel of a space.  Before furnishing your space, it is important to contact a professional that can evaluate space and help you choose furniture that will be perfect for your business–a professional will consider the needs of your staff, budget, brand and other factors that an untrained eye may not think about.

When choosing furniture, consider the following three things:

COST.  Office furniture is an investment, so you want to have a budget in mind. Having a realistic budget will help you narrow your choices, what items are essential and where you can cut corners.  A professional can help you make your budget work for you.

QUALITY, COMFORT AND FLEXIBILITY.  Comfort and flexibility is important for your employees, but it is important to also purchase furniture that is of good quality and from a reputable source. Office furniture should last you for a long time because it is an investment. When you choose furniture that is of high quality and ergonomically designed to suit the needs of your employees, it ends up saving you money in the long run.

BRAND AND CULTURE.  When you are choosing office furniture, functionality isn’t the only thing your need to think about.  Your furniture should also reflect the brand and culture of your organization. When you choose furniture that  Because furniture is one of the most important investments that you will make, it should express who you are as a company, and if selected properly will be a brand messenger,

Are you ready for a new look for your office space?  Let Bellia help. We have been in the furniture design industry for 40+ years, and we work with a large network of furniture manufacturers.  We stay on top of trends and are aware of the latest innovations, so as we are sourcing products for your space we are not just taking into account the overall design and aesthetics, but also your needs and your business goals.

What once started as a trend by a few health-minded companies and individuals, the sit-to-stand desk is here to stay.  Experts believe that within the next few years, 90 percent of offices will have embraced the sit-to-stand desk model. The biggest reason is that when we encourage employees to stand and get up and move, not only does it have positive health benefits, but it will have a tremendous impact on productivity and employee mindset in your workspace.

Here are three reasons why sit-to-stand desks are popular:

1. Standing Makes You More Productive.  When you are able to stand during the course of your work day, It engages your muscles which increases blood flow and activates your brain. Chemicals are released and suddenly lots of amazing things start to happen–your energy increases, your concentration improves, and you mood changes.  A recent study states that after switching to sit-to-stand desks, productivity increased by 10%.
2. Standing Encourages Team Building.  Sit-to-stand desks encourage movement.  When employees begin to move around more often during their days, connections are made.  As employees connect, things like collaboration and innovation increase.
3. Standing Promotes Health.  The positive health benefits of a sit-to-stand desk include the following:
   • Decrease in Blood Pressure
   • Decrease in Cholesterol levels
   • Reduced Obesity Risk
   • Improved Posture

Pantone has chosen the Color of the Year for 2019 and it is “Living Coral.”

The orange-pink hue (PANTONE 16-1546), according to the experts at Pantone, is a response to “an environment in flux and the human need to feel connected to other people, even as technology becomes more and more embedded in our daily lives.”  Look for this orange-pink hue to accent office interiors this year. Read more about the color of the year and trend palettes here.

Additionally, Pantone has chosen two noteworthy trend palettes that put the color of the year to use.  Are you ready to add a new color to your workspace?

Sympatico

Inspired from the many complexions and skin tones that exist in our world, this palette features colors like Burnt Henna, Sand and Mellow Buff.

Focal Point

This color grouping includes colors like black, grey and green.  It is cool, upscale and understated.

Are you ready to add a trendy splash of color to your current office interior? Give Bellia a call today and let our experts help!

Now that 2018 has come to a close, we want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Happy New Year!  From all of us at Bellia, we want you to know how much we love helping you create workspaces that make you and your staff happier, help you reach your goals and contribute to your business’ success.  Here’s to a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Office design has an enormous impact on the success of a business. In a business landscape that is increasingly competitive, companies continue to search for new and innovative ways to attract and retain top talent. Understanding what potential employees are seeking in their work environments is critical to your companies success. Let’s take a look at the trends in the workspace that lie ahead for 2019.

Experience-Driven Spaces
This trend is all about creating an employee experience in the workspace. These spaces are typically employee-focused and geared towards boosting morale, increasing wellness, and community building. In the past, workspaces tended to go with a one size fits all approach to the physical space, but the experience-driven space embodies the culture and spirit of the company.

Experience-Driven Spaces include design features such as:

• Meditation Areas
• Rock Climbing Walls 
• Theaters 
• Coffee and cocktail bars 
• Game Rooms and virtual reality gaming spaces

Bringing together the old and the new
Just as with fashion, old trends always seem to cycle back. The old meets new trend is all about bringing structures and buildings back from the past. Designers are now finding structurally sound buildings that are neglected or in disrepair and injecting new life into them. As businesses move into warehouses and abandoned buildings, designers are balancing the timeless architectural features with modern interior furniture and design. This trend pushes forward into the future while simultaneously acknowledging the past.

Design feature for this trend include:

• Antique and weathered textures 
• Smooth and soft textures
• Modern design accents 
• Carpet or wall coverings with abstract designs 
• Modern furniture and office equipment

Social Spaces
Social spaces are just multifunctional spaces that are so flexible that your employees can find a comfortable place to work, have informal presentation or meeting, take a nap, have a cup of coffee or hang out with the other staff. As time moves forward, the idea of a fixed work position at your job no longer exists. Employees are looking for a variety of spaces that allow them to move to where the task they are working on can be completed best. It also helps with communication and innovation between departments and staff.

These social spaces tie into the experience-driven movement that is occurring. They are rooms where you can have coffee with a client in a relaxed and comfortable area. In 2019, it is time to throw away the idea that your workspace has to be boring and serious to achieve success. The drivers of success in 2019 are workspaces that inspire creativity and fun.

Social spaces should embody the following characteristics:

• Flexible 
• Relaxed and Comfortable
• Adaptable for the needs of staff 
• Fun and inspirational

Back to Nature
Last year this was a big trend, and it continues into 2019. Because the goal is to create pleasant and fun workspaces, studies support that plants and natural features make for happier and more relaxed employees. Bringing nature into the office isn’t just about having plants in your workspace, think water features, interior gardens, using a variety of natural materials like stone, metal, and wood or using natural colors and decor to reflect nature.

Design features include:

• Indoor gardens 
• Water features 
• Natural light
• Earth tones and colors
• Materials like stone, metal, and wood

Are you ready to make some changes in 2019? Bellia wants to help! Give us a call for a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your workspace needs!

If you had to take a guess, which part of your office would you say has become the most important space for your employees?  You may have said the kitchen, a breakout space or maybe a lounge area, which makes total sense that your employees are choosing to meet, work, socialize in one of the those spaces.  In the last decade, businesses have realized that social spaces are becoming the area in your office where your employees are doing their best work.

The Third Space

In the past, offices were filled with cubicles, that left workers feeling isolated. As offices started to incorporate more open spaces into their design, they understood the need to include social spaces for their employees. The idea of creating social spaces in the workplace originated from the idea of the third space.  The third space was once considered the place between home and office, like a coffee shop, where employees would go to get away from the confines of their workspace, to sit comfortably, have a cup of coffee, socialize and work. In the past, the third space was a place outside the office, but now employers are beginning to invest in including these types of spaces right in their offices, and the response from employees has been positive.

What Makes a Good Social Space?  

Comfort.   The comforts of home have a huge impact on corporate office fit outs.  Furniture such as high-backed sofas and lush carpeted areas are perfect for business lounges. For example, if your space currently has a kitchen area, incorporating comfortable seating will transform it from a place to simply sit and eat lunch to a lounge where innovation and collaboration abounds and employees can sit back and relax.

Flexibility.  A good social space is a multi-purpose one.  If designed correctly, any space can be one where employees eat, get coffee, meet informally, have trainings or give presentations. When considering the design of your social space, it is important to have a keen understanding about how your employees work and what they need to work best.

Integrated Technology.  A social space needs to have integrated technology in order for it to be a desirable space for your employees. It is important to have access to power and quick, reliable WiFI.  Many companies are now including other technologies such as wireless presentation systems to create an easy way for employees and clients to work efficiently and easily.

Are you ready to add a social space to your workspace?  Bellia has extensive experience in creating spaces where employees thrive.  Give us a call today for a free consultation!

Most organizations are looking for ways to boost productivity and motivate their employees. A recent international survey of 10,000 workers by Ipsos found that 85% of employees are unhappy with their office environment. If you are feeling that your employees could use a little inspiration to increase their engagement in the jobs that they do, making a few updates to your space is a good place to start. Check out these three easy ways to boost productivity.

Implement Ergonomics

Did you know that providing an ergonomic environment can reduce fatigue and fuel productivity?  When you implement proper ergonomics in your office, your employees will be more comfortable and relaxed while working.  Furniture that is flexible, including sit-to-stand desks, adjustable chairs and ergonomic workstations will provide an environment that allows for your employees to work efficiently.  By simply creating an environment where your employees feel comfortable will help inspire your staff–increasing their productivity and innovation.

Light Your Workspace

When possible, it is best to use as much natural lighting as possible.  Take full advantage of your building’s windows so that you can fill your space with natural light.  When your employees are exposed to as much natural light as possible, it increases energy, improves concentration, decreases sick days and even help improve sleep. If your space doesn’t have ample natural light or if it is windowless, there are still ways to make interior lighting less harsh like implementing controls to manage brightness levels and installing task lighting at workstations.

Room Color

When you choose the right colors for your workspace, you can create a more productive and inspirational environment.  Because colors have an effect on our moods and brain function, the colors you choose for your space can evoke physical and emotional responses from your employees. For example, studies have shown that shades of blue can increase productivity.  A few easy ways to do this is by repainting just one wall, adding colorful accessories or hanging artwork with that include the specific color that you want in your space.

Are you ready to make some changes around your space that will motivate, inspire and boost productivity in your employees?  Give Bellia a call today for a free 30 minute consultation. Let us help you be inspired!

As a business owner, you are undoubtedly reviewing capital investment options in order to reduce your company’s tax burden by implementing IRS Section 179 by December 31st.  Before you settle for just another piece of equipment, why not leverage this opportunity to update your work space?  Is your business in need of an update?

Taking advantage of this opportunity will both save you money in corporate taxes and give you a workspace that will pay you back.  Here’s how it works –

Let’s say you are profitable this year.

You have a net income of $100,000 that you are posting on your 2018 corporate tax return.

If you are a C Corp then your blended tax rate will be 22.25%, and owe the federal government $22,250 for corporate taxes for 2018. Not to mention applicable state taxes.

However, if you purchase $100,000 in assets, you get to 100% depreciate that $100,000 purchase on your 2018 corporate tax return.

Now you have an additional depreciation expense of $100,000 on your 1120.

$100,000 in net income – $100,000 in depreciation expense = $0 in net taxable income.

$0 in net taxable income = $0 in tax dollars due = $22,250 is savings for your company and its owners.

Use this tax advantage to create a workspace that will

• reduce your company’s recruitment and retention costs
• increase your ROI
• attract top talent and new clientele.

You are running out of time to take advantage of this tax break! All invoices must be sent before December 31, so don’t wait!  

A current trend in the workspace world is coworking spaces. Coworking spaces are offices that offer an affordable way for freelancers, entrepreneurs and start-ups to escape the isolation that often comes with working from home.  Instead of heading to the nearest coffee shop to be around other professionals, coworking spaces offer office-like amenities such as hot-desks, private meeting rooms, kitchens, coffee and more.

The idea of coworking spaces was borne from the need for flexible workspace that would allow small organizations and freelancers to have a way to connect and collaborate with others, to talk about common goals, challenges and matters that they mutually had in common.

In coworking spaces, design plays a critical role, but more importantly, what matters most in these spaces is the way design influences the culture of the community of workers using the space.  A recent article in The Harvard Business Review stated that the research shows that people using coworking spaces feel that the work they are doing is more meaningful, they are more in control and they have a greater overall sense of community.

In the US, there are currently 53 million freelancers, and that number is on the rise.  By the year 2020, it is projected that 50% of the American workforce will be freelancers.  Not are coworking spaces trendy and popular, they will be needed

Bellia helped to create a convenient and inspirational co-working location space for entrepreneurs, freelancers and small organizations to develop successful businesses in the Tristate area.  Check out how Bellia helped Pipeline Philly stand out from the rest of the co-working spaces in the area.

Often companies overlook their workplace design due to the cost that is involved.  But when you consider the benefits like increasing engagement, attracting top talent, supporting culture and maximizing productivity and efficiency, your company will see a considerable return on its investment. Here are 5 ways that your workplace design is the key to success.

1. Supporting Company Culture

A recent gallup poll indicated that employee engagement in the U.S. is at an all time low with only 32% of employees feeling engaged in the work that they do. Reinforcing company culture through strategic office design has the potential to yield unlimited positive results like increasing productivity, encouraging communication and collaboration and creating a culture of belief and investment in the organization.

2. Create a Happier Workplace

Did you know that employees who report being in a happy work environment take fewer sick days?  The happier employees are in their workplace, the more they work. Creating a workspace that they love by using color, natural elements and legibility in your space, will decrease sick days and increase productivity.

3.  Support Flexibility

When employees have more choice, they are more motivated and engaged in their jobs. An office environment that allows for employees to have more control over the way they do their work in the way that works best for them is beneficial to your workforce. Providing a combination of spaces for employees is important because it satisfies the need for privacy and collaboration depending on the task at hand.

4.  Enhance Recruitment and Retention

By investing in workplace design as a way to enhance your recruitment and retention, you can strategically create not only a space where employees and recruits will want to work, but a space that will inspire and engage them, making your company a place that will stand apart from the rest.

5.  Return on Your Investment

When you design a space that is functional and beautiful, it will offer a return on your investment.  When you create a space that takes into account your employees, your culture, engagement, and recruiting, you will see clear returns in profitability, productivity and efficiency.

Bellia, has been a leading business interiors solution provider within the South Jersey and the Greater Philadelphia Area. Now a third generation family company, Bellia is a furniture provider focused on corporate interior design. Through strategic planning and design, Bellia provides office furniture and design services that will increase the return on your workspace.  Give us a call today and let Bellia help your design your workspace for success!