Category: Blog

Cities are becoming more congested as rural populations shift to urban landscapes due to better opportunities and income. In a recent study of a regional bank, it was discovered that cities continue to expand in Asia and the Pacific, requiring more transportation infrastructure, housing, and energy to power megacities. This expansion creates a shift in lifestyle, forcing and encouraging people to work from home, blurring the line between work and home life. But how can interior design make this blurred line more acceptable and easier for both workers and organizations?

Create a clear space for work within the household

There is immense benefit with conditioning the mind for work. This conditioning includes seeing a notable space which the mind recognizes as a “work space”. The interiors of a simple home need not be fully renovated to achieve a clear space for work. It can be some small distinctions such as separating the work area from the living room by adding a rug or carpet on top of terrazzo marble flooring, or changing the wall paint for the smaller work area instead of blending it in with the bedroom, the mood can change by simply transferring from the comfortable home feeling to the work space.

Declutter a specific area for “official break”

Decluttering may be normal practice for some people, but most households, especially those with more than 2 people, can accummulate things which are of course necessary for home living. But when work is brought into the house, breaks are important as they are in a normal work place. Having a specific space to have a break from work which still isn’t part of the “home” will ensure that the individual will not shift to household chores or other errands during these work breaks. It is more difficult to go back to official work if one starts doing home chores. It would be much better if the space for break would be outdoors, or at least have a semblance of the outdoors.

Promote “work hours” at home

One other practice that can help productivity while working from home is setting clear hours for work. During these hours, deviating from work should be discouraged, and the individual should request from those living in the same home — partners or kids — to observe and respect these work hours. This can help structure the hours in the day by separating work from home chores and doing these within the appropriate hours.

Having the right space and an awareness of time can and will promote productivity even while working at home. This benefit should be encouraged and supported by organizations not just in Sydney but across Australia. Space modifications can be achieved if needed. Talk to Terrazzo Australia today to see options for flooring and partitions, suitable for work areas.

The original clients of home and building designs are settling down into their retirement and long-term vacation plans. The baby boomers and the generation in their late 40s are shifting investments and how they spend their money from high-value homes to travel and healthcare, among others. The clients of interior design are now the millennials who are starting to develop their own sense of style for their homes and are capable of spending to achieve their taste. From simple flooring provided by the unit developer to classier terrazzo marble tiles custom-fit to their space, from simple living room furniture to high-end concepts on space-saving pieces of furniture, these young customers are changing the game for the interior design business.

This lifestyle and age-driven preferences are challenging how designers conceptualize, create, and deliver interior design projects.  Two technologies are particularly disrupting the market by enabling more innovative service providers to create immersive experiences for their clients.

 Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

While Virtual Reality is slowly making its way to the interior design industry, the technology is still quite expensive to be adopted by many designers. Augmented Reality has become a go-to technology for designers who are trying to beat established and more well-known names in the industry by providing close-to-reality views of concepts to their clients. Apps have bee developed and are constantly evolving for this purpose alone. Gamification has also caught up with this trend, providing end-users a fun way to test out interior design concepts within a gaming app.

 3D Printing

From 3D printing patterns on the floor for poured-on-site terrazzo treatments, to 3D printing furniture pieces that are not readily available in stores, this technology is opening more opportunities for the whole range of service providers offering solutions for spatial design. Even if it is still quite expensive to acquire industrial-size machinery, there are now businesses offering 3D printing services for service providers (business-to-business engagements) which makes access to this technology a lot easier without having to invest directly on acquiring the printers.

There are more ways the interior design space will be influenced by technology. But it is best to remember that a great space still starts with a good eye for design.

Purchasing officers of construction firms play a vital role in delivering construction excellence while realizing significant profit for the firm. With the influx of imported materials, competition is becoming tougher for suppliers in Sydney. This is, in fact, a good opportunity for construction companies to find the best partners in delivering quality and excellent results. How can purchasing departments and officers know if they’re tapping the right flooring suppliers in Sydney?

1. Compare pricing for the same materials delivered to different locations

It is easy to ask for a quotation from different suppliers on a single project and location and to compare pricing based on a single common denominator. But, to find a long-term partner in flooring supplies, one good way to test fairness and robustness of a supplier’s pricing structure is to ask for quotation for the same materials to be delivered to different project sites. Flooring suppliers of course include in their costing the delivery costs. It is easy to spot discrepancies in pricing of the same supplier if you ask for pricing of the same materials for different project sites and compare that with other suppliers who are also quoting for the same project sites. This way, you can establish which one can provide more margin of profit over a longer time period and number of projects in the pipeline.

2. Check for record of actual installations, do site visits as needed

Suppliers will of course publicize former projects as part of credibility-building. It will not hurt to get in touch with the purchasing team of the finished project to check quality of finished product. But, a more crucial thing to check is the professionality and efficiency of the supplier in handling the project from start to completion. Customer interface in the construction industry continues to be vital in building connections and being recommended as a construction supplier. It will not hurt to do a background check on new and potential flooring suppliers.

3. Review repair and maintenance clause of proposals

This is important especially for Terrazzo flooring suppliers. The cost that is usually carried by the construction contractor pertains to repair and maintenance of flooring. For construction companies, it is common to find another contractor to offer maintenance and post-construction support. But good flooring suppliers especially for Terrazzo suppliers may have value-adding clauses on their contracts pertaining to post-installation and construction maintenance. Review these details and compare with other suppliers, if possible.

Talk to Terrazzo Australian Marble today to learn how we can be your company’s ideal flooring partner in Sydney.

Commercial buildings usually give businesses the flexibility of designing shops individually. But there will still be the general areas such as the hallways, lounge, and restrooms that require personality to distinguish the building as a whole from the rest of the properties around Sydney. Because these general areas are mostly spaces that will not have many elements, perhaps some furniture pieces and plant pots at the very least, it is important to maximize the flooring to define the space and give it personality. Designers can get stuck with limited resources and budget to design these utility spaces, but with Terrazzo’s flexibility for creativity, it becomes a much easier task to accomplish.

Colors are limitless

The design possibilities with terrazzo for commercial buildings are endless. Because of the number of color combinations which can be achieved by combining different aggregates, designers are literally given freedom to explore and incorporate art into an every day space. It is important for designers to understand the different materials and aggregates that can be combined. With different hardness and colors, these aggregates can create outstanding colors to add personality to common areas of the commercial building.

Installation made easy by experts

Building owners, project owners, and contractors can work smoothly and easily with terrazzo experts during the conceptualization up to the installation phase. Having expert advice on how commercial building spaces can be maximized comes in handy especially for spaces which aren’t part of the busy side of Sydney. The building is almost always identified by how it looks and what makes it distinct from other buildings in the area. Terrazzo experts can guide builders on how to make common spaces the outstanding piece to remember for visitors.

After-care is conveniently available

One of the most important considerations for high-traffic commercial spaces is maintenance and after-care for flooring. Terrazzo floors are feared to chip away and crack because of its complex make and strucutre. But such concerns shouldn’t be a matter of discussion at all because of the after-care services that’s usually provided by terrazzo companies. Understanding proper care and maintenance practices will help prolong the state of terrazzo floors, but expert care will always be available and provided by good terrazzo providers in Sydney.

Talk to our team today to learn how your commercial building project can maximize Terrazzo for flooring and partitions. 

Traveling continues to get a good portion of the disposable budget of households in Sydney. This means more travelers are getting on the road, buying more stuff, visiting more places than ever before. Airports and train stations are taking the brunt of higher foot traffic. Maintenance and construction teams now, more than ever, have to work more closely to ensure travel facilities are functional, safe, and traveler-friendly, 24/7. What, then, are the essential elements that need to be covered by designers and construction teams when building or renovating high foot traffic travel facilities?

1. No-slip, easy to maintain floors

High foot traffic means higher risk of accidents. The constant state of flooring of high foot traffic facilities can spell disaster, if not maintained accordingly. From small puddles of liquid, to uneven surfaces, these irregularities can cause slips and injuries. Choosing easy to maintain, no-slip floors, like Terrazzo flooring, for such travel facilities can significantly cut down the risk of accidents happening.

2. Signage and wayfinding

Ensuring there are clear signage and wayfinding fixtures can make travel facilities more accessible and navigable. Travelers are always in a hurry to shift from one area to another. Spending unnecessarily longer times trying to figure out where to go is something most travelers wish to avoid. Having clear, visible, and easy to understand signages will surely cut down wasted time for travelers.

3. Neat furniture pieces and seats

Furniture design continues to give face to any space. From simple no-cushion chairs in bus stops, to cozy lounge chairs in airports, having neat and sturdy furniture pieces and seats is an essential that needs to be considered for high-traffic facilities.

The importance of design and maintenance need to be married and integrated during the early stages of conceptualization and construction. To know more about terrazzo flooring options for high foot traffic facilities, talk to our team today.