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.​

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.

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.

​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!

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.

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.

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.

​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."

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.

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.

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?

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.

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!

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