May 11, 2013
Sometimes you need a pep talk.
No matter how great your life is, no matter how beautiful your office is, no matter how important your job is, sometimes each one of us needs a pep talk to remind us everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.
And Lately we’ve been needing one. We’ve been aching for someone to remind us that patience is valuable and often rewarded, that the only measure of success is how far we ourselves have come, and that the job that you have matters less than the work that you do to add value to your own life and the lives of others.
So, as we’ve been doing quite a bit lately, we turned to Pinterest to wallow in all the communal wisdom we could find. Here is a sampling of our favorite wise work-related words.
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If you have one quote that is particularly meaningful to you, consider making it a part of your work space.
You can follow the whole growing gallery here:
What inspirational words do you live and work by?
Tell us on Twitter @Office_Envy or in the comments field below.
May 1, 2013
The following is a post by guest blogger Scott Taft. You can find Scott on Twitter @Scotaft and on Google +
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Keeping your creative juices flowing in the office is a big challenge for anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a writer, an accountant or a web designer, once that 3 pm slump rears its ugly head, it’s do or die. Do you give into the lull and start checking your Facebook and Twitter, or do you shake off that late afternoon grog and start cranking out those really unique ideas?
Want to reignite that creative spark when you’re stuck in your office? Here are some tools you may want to invest in to encourage that extra boost of inspiration.
1. The Blank Slate (or, How I Learned to Stop Procrastinating and Love the Whiteboard)
I never consider an office complete without a dry erase board. There’s something about that white canvas that just invites the best ideas. Don’t go cheap either. The last thing you want is smudgy mess on your hands. Glass dry erase boards are the way to go. Making sure it’s magnetic is a great idea too so you can pin up pictures and what not. Check out the Foreverwhite glass dry erase board from GlassWhiteboard. It would be a stunning and inspiring addition to any office. A whiteboard is also a great way to keep your deadlines at the forefront of your mind at all times. {Image via}
2. A Nap Pak…because a rested employee, is a happy employee
This one will really depend on where you work. If your boss is a Lumburg, chances are you can’t get away with the Nap Pak, an inflatable privacy bed (pictured below). You may want to opt for the subtler Ostrich pillow from Studio KG instead. A quick power nap during the day can keep the mind limber and relaxed. You’ll find you can work longer and much more productively if you indulge in a quick power nap. Maybe you’ll even dream up your next big idea. {Image via}
3. A unique desk…because unique design makes for unique ideas
When you find yourself struggling for new creative ideas, the answer may not always be in a tool that you get your hands on. It may just be your office layout. Depending on how much control you have over your work area, a uniquely designed desk may be the fresh start you need. Studies show that employees are more productive the more control they are given over their own desk space. Find out what your boss will allow. Make your desk your own. Maybe you can’t go as far as the K Workstation from MisoSoupDesign but something similar could do wonders for your work ethic. {Image via}
4. An indoor tree or two…because natural environment stimulate creativity
Plant life is an interesting thing to have in an office. Where I work we have a bunch of pots with fake grass in them. It looks nice, but it’s none too inspiring. Terrariums are great because they don’t require much attention – same with a fish. An aquarium can add to the office aesthetic if it’s nice enough. Taking a second out of your day to focus on a living thing can be an effective way to reset your mental abilities. I imagine the employees at PONS + HUOT are fairly productive with the faux-forest they work within (not to mention all that free oxygen!). {Image via}
5. And if all else fails…find a friend because two heads are better than one
When it comes down to real creativity, no tool can beat the inspiration of collaboration. Next time you feel a 3 pm slump coming on, get up from your chair, shake it off and go bounce some ideas off your co-workers, your spouse, your children, your dog, or your mailman. Some of the best creative bursts I get come from a quick brainstorming session with a friend or two. You get a new perspective and most likely some actionable information that you can move forward with. Better yet, that friend can tell you if what you have is a bad idea and you can stop wasting your time with it. {Image via}
In the end, you know better than anyone what you need to be creative so get it, do it or buy it. You can’t put a price on those things that motivate you. Maybe it’s something as simple as taking a 20-minute walk. Whatever it is, do it and get moving on your ideas instead of checking who just commented on your wall.
- Scott
Tell us on Twitter what inspires your creativity @Office_Envy. Tell Scott too @Scotaft!
April 21, 2013
Love the sleek look of a modern office? Here are three tips to modernizing your space.
1) Start sitting on a more modern chair. We love these Egg Chairs that come in show stopping colors like bright Red Cashmere and Orange Leatherette. Both are available at RegencyShop.com
2) Leave florescent lighting in the last century and modernize your lighting with a sleekly shaped floor lamp.
We love this Italian Arco floor lamp that has a sturdy block of marble for a base.
3) Go galactic. Looking for the ultimate statement piece that will certify your work space as not only modern but truly enviable to boot? Try this hanging bubble chair.
For more great modern office furniture pieces check out RegencyShop.com or find them on Twitter @regencyshop
Do you have a modern office? Tell us what pieces of modern office furniture are your favorite @Office_Envy on Twitter.
February 1, 2013
Looks like the enthusiasm over office design is mounting.
LinkedIn has jumped on the bandwagon, recently launching a new content series of photographs of successful professionals in their personal office space. It may not be a completely unique idea — after all, we had it first! — but it’s great to see the big name networking site spreading the love for inspiring offices.
Check it out here
January 28, 2013
Well, it’s a gray day here – and night is falling early, and the streets are covered by a wintry mix with the forecast calling first for cold, then for rain, then for more cold.
It was also a day filled with office envy, not the blog kind (the good kind) but the actual pit of the stomach jealousy that arises from seeing someone else’s awesome office space.
You see, we moved desks today. Everyone in the building walked in to the office today and sat down at a different desk than they left on Friday. And, as you’re well aware, not all desks are created equal. Some people were assigned spacious offices, others will bask in sunlight near 16 foot windows – and some of us…well, some of us get to blog about it from the cramped
A day like today calls for some cheering up, and that’s why we’re posting pictures of flowers on a desk. If you find yourself fighting off a vicious case of office envy (or job envy – we’ve got that too…that’s a different story), take a minute to peruse these pretty pictures of flowers on desks. Maybe invest in your own real life desk flowers. That way, when you get down, you can literally stop and smell the roses.
For more pictures of flowers on desks, check out our Pinterest Board.
January 25, 2013
Hey Friends,
While perusing Pinterest we’ve found so many COLORFUL offices lately that we started a Pinterest board just for offices with fantastic color.
Here are a few of our favorite offices that really bring new meaning to concept of a pop of color.
Tell us which one is your favorite on Twitter @Office_Envy
Bright Fire Engine Red
Sunshine Yellow & Bubble Gum Pink
Moss Green & White
Lavender & White
Lime Green & White
Magenta
Which one is your favorite?
January 17, 2013
As long as we’re on the topic of enviable law office space (and we are — we just posted about our private tour of Hellmuth & Johnson’s beautiful law office) it felt like the appropriate time to admit that we’ve been on a The Good Wife bender lately.
There are several enviable elements of CBS’s acclaimed legal drama, in which Julianna Margulies stars as the aggrieved wife of a powerful and adulterous Chicago politico (played by Chris Noth). There’s Julianna’s blow-outs, for one, and her endless collection of smart – often collarless – blazers.
And then there’s a whole new level of envy that’s inspired by the office of the fictional law firm’s female named partner, Diane Lockhart (played by Christine Baranski).
Yes, her character has got the hair and the power suits and the lonely nights we can expect from a silver screen portrayal of a successful woman. But really, can anything scream “made it” like an office like this one?
Here’s another look at it – though there’s something about the blinds half drawn that steals from the drama of the layout.
But it still managed to inspire and Architectural Digest article about a furniture line modeled after the show’s office sets.
The bottom line is that we’re loving The Good Wife – for all the great office layouts (and outfits, and the yet un-pierced bubble of sexual tension between “Alicia” and “Will” — we’re still on season one; no spoilers please).
Which television or movie offices are your favorite? Tell us on Twitter @Office_Envy
January 14, 2013
Law offices often get a bad rap for tending toward the stodgy side of interior design – but we here at Office Envy were recently invited to one that breaks the mold.
The law firm of Hellmuth & Johnson has built two things: 1) a “legal practice that focuses on civil representation, litigation and appeals” and 2) a gorgeous office in Edina, MN, where natural light filters into the sleek, modern lobby and scenic nature-views greet guests and employees alike.
Hellmuth & Johnson attorneys “practice a higher standard of law,” and as soon as we entered the lobby, backlit with golden rays of sunshine, it was clear that their design team also performs to exceed quite high standards.
The entire North side of the building is flanked by a wilderness landscape, creating panoramic vistas that are impossible for most law firms — traditionally located downtown — to enjoy. On a clear and sunny November day, there was nothing but nature for as far as the eye could see. One lawyer reported often seeing grazing deer from his office window creating a zen spa-like atmosphere for the type of work place where you’d least expect it.
We were lucky enough to have been granted a personal tour of the office of Blake R. Nelson, who serves on the firm’s board of governors, is chair of the Construction Law Group and has the office of a rock star.
The office is large, professional yet cool and comfortable and is so impeccably organized, we couldn’t help but ask how he keeps the place so clean you could practically perform surgery in there.
His secret weapon: an over-sized file cabinet above his desk where he can keep everything from files to magazines clippings and pictures of his sons Sam and Joe, a sort of personal shrine to both his work and personal life.
The sliding doors mean that when guests stop by he can easily close off the cabinet, making the office a sleek and sensible workplace once again.
There are some elements of his personal style that are just too cool to keep hidden away, however. A Van Halen cover sits next to his in office stereo system, which is hooked up to his iPod which plays Jimmy Paige and Led Zeppelin.
He also keeps in the office a carbon fiber guitar, the perfect way for the lawyer-by-day rock-band-guitarist-by-night to infuse his awesome office with his personal passions for music.
And on his wall, Mr. Nelson displays the baseball jersey of hometown hero Twins catcher Joe Mauer which he won at a live auction fundraiser.
Thanks to the law offices of Hellmuth & Johnson for letting us take a look at their beautiful workday home. And special thanks to Blake Nelson for the tour.
Hope you enjoyed the tour of Hellmuth & Johnson’s office. Tell us what you think on Twitter @Office_Envy
November 4, 2012
Spending a few days holed up with some very lovely Russians was the perfect impetus to post these pics of the opulent office of the Bank of Moscow that we’d been admiring on TheCoolHunter.net for weeks now.
According to TheCoolHunter.net “architectural office Sretenka for this assignment, used the space’s key feature, the large, hexagon-shaped central hall, as the defining point.”
What do you think of this regal office fit for a tzar?
Tell us on Twitter @Office_Envy
November 3, 2012
Hurricane Sandy’s devastation is historic and heartbreaking, wreaking havoc on homes, boats, trains, planes, automobiles, lives. And offices.
Our office, like so many in Lower Manhattan (dubbed SoPo – South of Power – in true Manhattan fashion) was closed for the week. Being hurricaned into working from home gave me the opportunity to reflect on the office I have now and the one I dream of having in the future.
Here are five things that my dream office will have:
1. A fireplace
A fireplace lends so much character and warmth to any room – and I’ve always been sensitive to light as well as hot and cold, so a fireplace is the first thing I’d look for in my perfect office.
I love these traditional sized fireplaces…
…As well as oversized natural stone fireplaces.
2. Lots of Books
Despite the fact that I’m battling a shameful Kindle addiction I’ll always have a love of good old fashioned paper books – especially as a design element. Like a fireplace they add character to any room, but beyond that I believe that the books that an individual keeps around are a window into their….it’s cliche to say soul…so I’ll say into their identity.
I love the way these offices have incorporated bookshelves into the decor.
3. Natural Light
I won’t be so brazen as to ask for a view – but windows that let the sunlight flood in are an absolute must. Natural light is a deal breaker.
4. Chandelier
It’s so girly, I know, but also so pretty! A chandelier makes anything and everything more glamorous.
I love these office chandeliers…
5. Easy commute.
One thing that became clear to me this week is something that I’ve always known but often forgotten: I really can’t work from home and get very much done. Working from home, in my opinion, is a ruse. I believe there are some people who can do it well – but I am not one of them. My dream office is outside of the home. But it’s not far from home.
I’ve actually never gone to school or work at an institution that I couldn’t walk to if I wanted to. Unsurprisingly, this dream office of mine is walkable too, but not so walkable that I can go there in my pajamas. (As it turns out, I like getting dressed in the morning)
And one thing my dream office doesn’t have…
There is one thing that is noticeably absent from this fantasy office – and that is other people. It’s not that I don’t like working with other people – but when I’m honest with myself, other people just don’t factor into the dream office equation. When I picture this ideal office space – it’s a private one. I’m working alone. There may be others working nearby, but my office is mine and mine alone. Maybe I should pay attention to that piece of the vision as I think about the future.
What are the elements that make up your dream office?
Tell us on Twitter @Office_Envy
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