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How to Recover from Vacation

7/25/2016

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by Gillian Morris

Statton Design Group has over 23 years of experience as a commercial interior design firm in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area. Every Monday we will share team updates from our Southlake, TX location and give you a sneak peek into the exciting world of commercial design and/or share general insight from our workplace experiences.

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Returning to work after a vacation, particularly a long one, can be painful. Often it takes weeks to feel fully caught up on missed work…or to answer those one-hundred or so unread emails. (Yikes!) This inevitable catching-up process fills many-a-worker with dread upon returning to the office. Talk about vacation scaries.

Today is my first day back at work after a blissful 10-day beach vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. (I would highly recommend visiting, if you haven’t already!) After thoroughly enjoying my time away, but knowing full-well the threat of the vacation scaries, I embarked on a quest to make my transition back to work as smooth as possible. Here are some things I have learned along the way to help you bounce back after your next vacation.

Build Unpacking and Packing Days into Your Vacation Time.

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Back in my earlier days of shift work, I learned this lesson the hard way: Make the first day of your vacation time a Packing Day and the last day of your vacation an Unpacking Day. Scheduling these days ensures that you aren’t rushing to pack immediately before your flight or staying up late to do laundry the night before your first day back at work. Rushing through either of these inevitable pre- and post-vacation tasks injects unnecessary stress into your vacation and increases the dread of returning to work.

Work on Pre and Post Vacation Tasks Gradually.

If you can’t afford the luxury of Packing and Unpacking Days, map out a timeline of small tasks that you can complete gradually. Personally, I find that this works best over the course of one full week, so typically I use a calendar to help me visualize a timeframe then work towards my goal one day at a time. For example, this week I plan on doing 2 loads of laundry per day until I have eventually cleaned, folded and put away all of the dirty clothes from my suitcase.

Get an Early Start on Your First Day Back.

The last thing anyone wants to do on their first day back from vacation is jump into a meeting or conference call the moment they walk in the door. That's why starting early is so important: It empowers you to set the pace of the day and reduces any feelings of chaos. As a rule, I try to start a good hour early on that first day back, which gives me plenty of time to organize my desk, read through emails, and plan my day.

Brain Dump, then Prioritize.

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Brain Dumping is an extremely effective organizational tool and is vital for minimizing stress and maximizing productivity post-vacation. To brain dump, just take a pen and paper (I use a small notebook) and write down everything you need to do. Literally everything. Once you have gotten down all of your tasks on paper, go through each one and identify the one task that you should complete first. Then identify the second task to complete, then the third, and so on and so forth. Once you have prioritized at least 10 tasks, get to work on the first one. As you complete each one, cross it off and evaluate any remaining. Transcribing all potential to-dos onto a single piece of paper minimizes the occasional panic caused by sudden recall of those random things you need to do (e.g. buying more dog food on the way home or sending an email to a colleague); since everything is already written down on your list, you can rest easy knowing that all will eventually get done in due time.

Set Aside Email Time and Keep it Brief.

Remember those hundreds of emails patiently waiting in your inbox? You’ve got to answer them, but the task doesn’t have to be as torturous as it seems. Keep each email a few sentences long and feel free to tell your email recipient that you just got back from vacation. Flag the email and reply with a more in-depth response once you have completed all of your higher-priority tasks.

Start Small.

Don’t try and make your first week back the most productive week of your life—start small. Focus on small victories on Monday (like responding to all of your emails!), then go from there. Who knows, you may feel back to your normal productive self before Friday, but if not, don’t be too hard on yourself.​

Start Planning Your Next Vacation!

This may seem like an odd tip since it runs counterintuitive to staying productive at work, but looking forward to your next trip is always great motivation to work harder in the present. Whatever your goals may be leading up to your next long weekend or day off, use your time back at work to chip away at them day by day, and before you realize it, you'll be packing up for your next adventure!

Hope these tips help you recover from your vacation! Going back to work may not be as fun as lounging on the beach, but it certainly doesn't have to be the nightmare you might dread.

Back from vacation and looking for help with your commercial interior design project? Contact us at Statton Design Group for a free design or furniture consultation. If you're in the Southlake, TX or Dallas Fort Worth area, we would love to set up a time to meet in person. Give us a call, send us an email or leave your comments below to start finding your design solution!
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The Great Outdoors

7/12/2016

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by Gillian Morris

At Statton Design Group, we are always on the lookout for trends in commercial interior design that will help us tailor our services and furniture selections to the changing tastes of our Dallas Fort Worth area clients. Every Tuesday we will feature a trend that has caught our attention and discuss how this trend is affecting our approach to commercial interior design with our local DFW clients and whether or not it's here to stay.

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One of the trends we are loving right now at Statton Design Group is what we are calling "The Great Outdoors." Our Dallas-area clients are increasingly looking to incorporate elements of the natural world into their commercial interior design projects, as are many other businesses across the country.

​Although recently popularized, this trend is by no means a new idea. For as long as people have worked indoors, they have longed to transpose the beauty of the natural world into their chaotic and sterile office environments. As Thoreau wrote over 150 years ago, "There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature." He may have been on to something--scientific evidence has long touted the physical, emotional, and psychological health benefits of plants, sunlight, and other natural elements in our environment.
"There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature." 
​- Thoreau
Living Walls are the poster-child for bringing the outdoors into the workplace. They have been circulating on social media for a few years now, but have only recently become a widely-distributed product of commercial contract vendors. Essentially, living walls are arrangements of plants that have been mounted in some sort of decorative frame that can be hung to create a feature wall. During our recent trip to NeoCon, we connected with one such manufacturer called Garden on the Wall. We love their products and are very excited to move one of their items into a client's space very soon!
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​Bringing The Great Outdoors into your workplace can include a variety of design elements in addition to plant life, such as fire and water features, or natural stone. The key is finding the design element that fits best with your company aesthetic and works within the unique constraints of your space.

What aspect of nature are you looking forward to incorporating in your commercial design project? Leave us a comment and let us know what outdoorsy elements are on your mind!

For advice on bringing the great outdoors into your commercial interior design project, contact us at Statton Design Group for a free design consultation. If you're in the Southlake, TX or Dallas Fort Worth area, we would love to set up a time to meet in person. Give us a call or send us an email to start finding your design solution!

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Congratulations, Nicole!

7/11/2016

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Statton Design Group has over 23 years of experience as a commercial interior design firm in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Every Monday we will share team updates from our Southlake, TX location and give you a sneak peek into the exciting world of commercial design.
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Nicole Deans has passed the notoriously rigorous NCIDQ exam, meaning she is now eligible to become a "Registered Interior Designer" in the state of Texas. Congratulations, Nicole!

For some context: the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) is the world's premier interior design organization and its regulations are widely regarded as "the gold standard" for the industry. Its stated purpose is, "to protect the health, life safety and welfare of the public by establishing standards of competence in the practice of interior design." Those who pass the infamously rigorous NCIDQ Examination are officially certified as interior designers who have met the minimum standards for professional practice.

In honor of this momentous achievement, we wanted to share a little bit more about Nicole...

Nicole has worked with Statton Design Group for over 5 years, making her the most tenured employee at our firm other than our owner, Jom Statton. She attended Texas Tech University, majoring in Interior Design and minoring in Architecture. In her leisure time, she enjoys working out, cooking, entertaining, hanging out with friends, and traveling. She is also an animal lover and a proud cat owner.
"I love being able to enhance someone’s concept and make their vision a reality." - Nicole Deans
When asked what she loves about interior design, Nicole said:

​"I love being able to enhance someone’s concept and make their vision a reality. I also enjoy providing quality service to our clients and participating in a wide variety of design projects. Being an interior designer allows me to satisfy my creative side, nurture client relations, and engage in business and technical aspects simultaneously."

​Congrats again, Nicole! We are lucky to have you as a part of the Statton Design Group team.

Need to hire an interior designer like Nicole? Contact us at Statton Design Group for a free design consultation. If you're in the Southlake, TX or Dallas Fort Worth area, we would love to set up a time to meet in person. Give us a call, send us an email or leave your comments below to start finding your design solution!

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About the Author:
Gillian Morris
Blog Editor and Business Development Manager
Gillian is a design enthusiast, avid runner and a passionate consumer of all things tasty. When she isn't blogging on the Statton Design Group site, she spends her time listening to podcasts, hanging out with her husband Nate, and vying for the affection of her cat, Ms. JB Fletcher.

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Interior Design vs. Decorating

6/29/2016

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Statton Design Group has over 23 years of experience as a commercial interior design firm in the Dallas area. Every Wednesday we will use our experience to provide insight into various aspects of commercial interior design and offer tips we have gleaned through our years of experience with local DFW clients.

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Often when I mention to friends that I work for an Interior Design firm, they respond by asking me which colors or throw pillows our designers like to recommend. While interior designers can certainly choose excellent colors and throw pillows, this response typically reveals an underlying misconception about interior design, namely that interior design and decorating are interchangeable terms. In truth, Interior Design and Decorating are not interchangeable.

​So what's the difference? Essentially, Interior Designers can do a lot more than a decorator. For example, interior designers can create and verify official construction documents, ensure spaces are designed according to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards and other regulatory requirements, and apply principles of environmental sustainability during build-outs. Designers must also be licensed and certified according to national certification standards, whereas no comparable certification exists for decorators. However, like a decorator, designers use their creativity to select finishes like wall colors and floor finishes, purchase and arrange furniture, and add finishing touches to client's spaces like artwork.
"Interior designers may decorate,
​but decorators do not design."
​While Decorating is certainly valuable expertise to have, it cannot replace the broad technical knowledge and methodology that an Interior Designer brings to a project. Besides, hiring an interior designer is a great investment--you get a decorator and a designer all rolled into one! As the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) puts it, "In short, interior designers may decorate, but decorators do not design."
(For more on the difference between interior design and decorating, check out this NCIDQ article.)

Need an interior designer? Contact us at Statton Design Group for a free design consultation. If you're in the Southlake, TX or Dallas Fort Worth area, we would love to set up a time to meet in person. Give us a call, send us an email or leave your comments below to start finding your design solution!

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About the Author:
​Gillian Morris
Blog
Editor and Director of Business Development
​
Gillian is a design enthusiast, avid runner and a passionate consumer of all things tasty. When she isn't blogging on the Statton Design Group site, she spends her time listening to podcasts, hanging out with her husband Nate, and vying for the affection of her cat, Ms. JB Fletcher.
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Bringing Home Into the Office

6/28/2016

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At Statton Design Group, we are always on the lookout for trends in commercial interior design that will help us tailor our services and furniture selections to the changing tastes of our Dallas Fort Worth area clients. Every Tuesday we will feature a trend that has caught our attention and discuss how this trend is affecting our approach to commercial interior design with our local DFW clients and whether or not it's here to stay.

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Commercial design has never felt so much like home.

​Businesses are increasingly turning to elements of residential interior design to transform their offices into comfortable home-away-from-homes for their employees.
This trend has affected most aspects of the workplace and has contributed to a wholesale transformation of today's corporate culture.

Millennials and Remote Worker Goals

Why do so many businesses want their workplaces to feel like an extension of their employees' homes? Well, for starters, Millennials. Millennials now make up the largest share of the American workforce (34%) and are projected to grow to almost 50% by 2020. Unsurprisingly, companies have begun to adapt to the distinct values and needs of this growing workforce. And what do millennials value most of all? Work/life balance. ​

​For millennials, the gold standard of work/life balance is the home office. Working remotely allows for flexibility in schedule and location, giving millennials the opportunity to prioritize travel or family life in conjunction with their work. But this work arrangement, although becoming more common, is still relatively hard to find, so millennials often look for jobs that offer the same benefits of working from home, at the office.

How to Get that Homey Feeling

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If employees must engage in a more traditional office, they want their spaces to reflect this culture of work/life balance. Companies are increasingly turning to commercial interior designers and furniture manufacturers to create home-away-from-home environments for their employees and attracting and retaining workers is increasingly dependent on office design.
So, what makes an office feel like home?

Keep it Open

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​"Open Plan" is a big buzz-word in residential design (think HGTV) and in commercial interior design it is no different. Clients want both their work and home spaces to feel open, collaborative and transitionless, with one room flowing naturally into the other. Walls are used sparingly and cubicles are replaced with benching systems that use modesty panels to create minimal barriers to communication.

Lounge More

​Lounge furniture is no longer just for the reception area! Companies are using lounge furniture throughout their offices to provide their workers with comfortable areas for private work, informal meetings and breakout sessions. These lounge areas function like your favorite couch or armchair at home--they create a go-to space where an employee can relax.
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​"Home is where the heart is, but with more residential design elements, the office may not be far behind."

Embrace the Quirky

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Lobby area of Open Connect in Dallas, TX
​Gone are the days of generic, bland corporate artwork. Workplaces are finding ways to incorporate unique and eclectic décor into their designs so offices feel warm and inviting, like your own living room.

Relax the Rules

Dress codes, schedules and other office policies are loosening up as corporate environments increasingly reflect home life. One big trend in this department: ​bringing your pet to work​. It is increasingly common for companies to have explicit policies that encourage their employees to bring Fido or Fefe to work with them.
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Are companies successfully creating "homey" environments for their millennial workers? They certainly are trying. But one thing is for sure: Home is where the heart is, but with more residential design elements, the office may not be far behind.

Have any questions about making your workplace more homey? Contact us at Statton Design Group for a free design consultation and if you're in the Southlake, TX or Dallas Fort Worth area, we would love to set up a time to meet in person. Give us a call or send us an email to start finding your design solution!

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About the Author:
Gillian Morris
Blog Editor and Business Development Manager
Gillian is a design enthusiast, avid runner and a passionate consumer of all things tasty. When she isn't blogging on the Statton Design Group site, she spends her time listening to podcasts, hanging out with her husband Nate, and vying for the affection of her cat, Ms. JB Fletcher.
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Introducing....Maegan!

6/27/2016

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"I am passionate about design because I enjoy working with clients and it is satisfying to see all your hard work come to life in the end product"
We are so excited to introduce the newest member of our team, Maegan Adams! Maegan is Statton Design Group's new Junior Interior Designer and will be collaborating with our other designers on a variety of commercial design projects in the Dallas Fort Worth area.

​Maegan comes to us from the University of North Texas in Denton, TX, where she graduated with a B.F.A. in Interior Design. She enjoys attending concerts, spending time with friends, and playing with her cat Winston. (She will fit right in with our cat-loving group!)
When asked why she became a designer, Maegan said, "I am passionate about design because I enjoy working with clients and it is satisfying to see all your hard work come to life in the end product."
Welcome to Statton Design Group, Maegan! We are happy to have you.

​​Have any questions for Maegan? Send her an email or give her a call, and don't forget to welcome her to the team!
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A letter from the SDG Blog editor

6/3/2016

 
H  e  l  l  o  !

​Welcome to the Statton Design Group blog.
​
This is our inaugural post and we are very excited to start this journey together!

​Our weekly posts will cover a variety of topics, mainly focusing on design trends and principles to help you navigate your next design project. We will also highlight some of our team members and feature furniture vendors who we're excited about. And, of course, we will share what is making us happy this week!

​Design and inspiration are inseparable. We hope our content can inspire you throughout your design journey.

​Best,

Gillian

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About the Author:
​Gillian Morris
Blog Editor and Business Development Manager
Gillian is a design enthusiast, avid runner and a passionate consumer of all things tasty. When she isn't blogging on the Statton Design Group site, she spends her time listening to podcasts, hanging out with her husband Nate, and vying for the affection of her cat, Ms. JB Fletcher. ​

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