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Preparing for a Successful Restaurant Renovation – Part 1

Restaurant Contractors Toronto

 

Your restaurant has been your pride and joy ever since it first opened many years ago. Or perhaps it’s been a lifelong dream of yours and you’re now ready to make it come true. Whatever phase you’re at, renovations play a big part in your restaurant business. If you want to always present a fresh face to your customers, you should plan to renovate your restaurant every 5 to 7 years.

 

Restaurant renovations are tricky to manage though because, unlike home renovations, they affect a lot more people. Not only do you want to improve the restaurant for your customers and staff, but you also want to ensure they’ll stay after the changes. With so many factors to consider, preparation is as vital as the renovation itself.

 

Let’s break down the preparation needed for a successful restaurant renovation. Here’s Part 1 in this two-part series:

 

Efficiency by earning your staff’s trust

Renovating your restaurant is not just about the aesthetics – it’s also an opportunity streamline the way it runs. Think about operational issues you’ve been having for the past few years. Are there any bottlenecks in the workflow to fix? Feel free to ask your staff for input on what changes they think would help them do their job better. They’re always in the front lines after all and probably know better than you what needs improvement. By engaging them right from the beginning, you’ll boost their buy-in to the renovation.

It’s also a good idea to reassure them that there’s always going to be a spot for them in the restaurant once it re-opens. Tell them you’ll give them more details on the renovation timeline as soon as you finalise it. Let them know that you’ll also chat with everyone individually to see what options are available while the restaurant’s closed.

 

The customer is always right

Besides changing the restaurant look to your ideal vision of it, you should always remember the customers who help you stay in business. Study the demographics of your customer base. Are your customers mostly families with young children? Do you get a lot of young and trendy customers? Are your repeat customers more artsy or business class? You should cater to the tastes of your clientele majority and make sure that the new renovation ideas will match their style. At the same time, you don’t want to lose the old charm of your restaurant that keeps drawing your loyal customers back.

So reach out and get feedback from your regulars. Hand them a comment card at the end of their next meal at your restaurant. Explain that the restaurant will be renovated soon and ask them to write down what they like about the current décor and what changes they’d like to see. Invite them to write down their e-mail addresses as well to get exclusive updates on the renovation. You can even give them a discount on that meal to encourage a well thought-out response. Your regulars will appreciate you asking for their opinion and they’ll be much more excited to see the results of the upcoming renovation.

 

The bottom line in your budget

Take down all the suggestions from your staff and customers as well as your own ideas. Decide which ones are critical issues to fix right away and place them in one list. This is your priority list. The rest of the suggestions are luxuries that will only be considered if there’s still room in the budget and they don’t get in the way of the priorities. Next, go through your restaurant’s finances and figure out the highest cost you’re comfortable with taking on for the renovation. This is also the time to discuss your renovation plans with your landlord. See if you can negotiate to have your landlord contribute some funds or even to take on a percentage of the renovation costs. It doesn’t hurt to ask and some landlords would be willing to do so since it’s their property after all. In addition to your own money and hopefully some of your landlord’s, make sure to also tack on a contingency fund to take care of any unexpected issues that come up.

You now have an idea of what you need and how much you can spend, which is the basis of any budget. You want to hit the sweet spot of making noticeable upgrades to your restaurant’s look and operation, but not so much that they become a runaway train. With your target budget number in mind, start talking to your bank to get the financing approval process started. The final budget may change after talking with your contractor, but that’s easy to adjust further down the road.

 

Stay tuned for Part 2, where you’ll start off collaborating with a contractor experienced in restaurant renovations.

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Minimalist Trends in Modern House Design

Dunloe Road

 

The foundation of “minimalism” comes down to one phrase: “Less is more”. Condensed in that one phrase is a broad philosophical landscape wherein art, design, music, and even a way of life has found a home. So it was only natural that when house design needed a new expression in the modern age, minimalism was there to welcome it with open arms.

 

The introduction of minimalism to house design can be traced back to British designer John Pawson when he released his book, Minimum, in 1996. With that, minimalism became the defining image of modern house design. Every designer and architect has a slightly different take on minimalism, of course. Even so, you can find common minimalist trends in many modern house designs nowadays:

 

Function as primary objective

Minimalism strives to simplify life to its essentials. In doing so, every object and feature must then serve a specific function in the design. Whether it’s for utilitarian purposes like the least number of chairs needed in the room or for aesthetic purposes like accentuating a piece of artwork, everything is there for a reason. Nothing is extraneous.

 

Open spaces are not emptiness

With the choice of each item so well thought-out, space starts to open up everywhere. But far from being mere pockets of emptiness, these open spaces are maintained for the most important function of all: giving you the room to breathe in complete content. And that is definitely not emptiness.

 

Simplicity of neutrality

You’ll often see a lot of minimalist spaces that primarily use neutral colours of black, white, and/or grey. Some people may look at that as boring or even cold. In the eyes of minimalism, however, it’s the ultimate representation of simplicity. There are no kaleidoscope of colours, no cacophony of overlapping hues, no veiled tones you’re supposed to pick up on. What you see is what you get. It’s a return to innocence where everything is black or white or both in the form of grey. It’s simply a world without complications.

 

Bursts of intentional colour

Minimalism doesn’t mean shunning all non-neutral colours though. It’s about choosing your colours carefully and using them with intent. And when your base colour palette is neutral, any burst of colour you add to the space will speak volumes. The intentional use of colour then becomes a powerful statement that stands out as opposed to lost in the chaos of competing colours.

 

Balance of textures

So, if colour is to be used sparingly, how do you distinguish between zones in a space? Textures. Mixing and matching textures will allow you to bring balance to a space of few colours. That can take form in different materials or patterns for the walls and floors. You can also make use of area rugs or even throw pillow covers. Just don’t go overboard by adding too many layers of complexity in textures though. Always design from the perspective of function as the primary objective.

 

Lines flowing into curves

With all the space that minimalism opens up, the straight lines of a room become all the more apparent. A design trick often used to soften the sharp angles is setting down furniture with smooth, organic curves. As our eyes travel from the lines to the curves, our pattern-seeking brains will work their magic to blend them together. This is what binds everything in one cohesive space where zones flow seamlessly into one another.

 

Floating shelves, hidden hardware, and streamlined lights

The seamless illusion is also supported by small details like floating shelves, hidden cabinet hardware (e.g. push latches or recessed handles), and streamlined or stripped down light fixtures. It’s hard not to gush over features that seem to just materialise out of the wall or ceiling.

 

Centred by art

Designing a house is always an art, but the careful scrutiny of each minimalist design feature feels especially like an art masterpiece. It’s no wonder that many minimalist spaces often highlight an artwork or photograph print centrepiece as the focal point.

 

Wall of the jungle

Greenery can play a part too in the sleek modernity of minimalist spaces. In fact, it’s a perfect embodiment of the minimalistic spirit; after all, what can be simpler than returning to the roots of nature?

 

Every feature is crucial in a minimalist space and requires a solid design to ensure function and aesthetics work as one. We can help bring simplicity back to your life.

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How to Apply Feng Shui to Your Office Renovation

St. Clements Avenue

 

You always hear people say, “Keep up the good vibes,” but what does that even mean, really? Often, it’s about changing your outlook on life so that you’re not too bothered by the small things that come at you; other times, it may mean adjusting your environment to make things smoother.

 

We spend about 7.5 hours in the office every weekday – sometimes even longer if there are deadlines to meet. With such a large chunk of our days spent there, it makes sense to optimise the office so that you and your employees can work together in comfort. One way is to integrate feng shui into your office design. Feng shui is the Chinese philosophical study into promoting harmony between people and all elements of their environment. Literally meaning “wind water” in Chinese, feng shui has become increasingly popular in applications both at home and at work.

 

What are some of the ways feng shui can be applied in the office though?

 

Warm, vibrant colours

Warm colours generally fall anywhere between the red and yellow spectrum. You can spread these colours throughout the office either through wall paint, artwork, or even furniture. Sometimes, however, it’s not possible use warm colours in the office because of company branding or productivity colour influences. Besides, you personally may not even find “warm” colours all that warm – and that’s okay. The point is to liven up the workplace through colours that you and your employees feel are vibrant. If you’re not limited by company branding or productivity goals, start a poll among your employees for ideas on the most popular, vibrant colours.

 

Light

Having enough light – both natural and artificial – is very important in the office because it’s one of our main sources of energy. Invest in large windows so everyone gets ample natural light, but also make sure to install lots of warm, ambient lighting. You can supply offices or cubicles with individual and/or hanging warm-spectrum lamps if employees need extra lighting at their work space.

 

Feng shui energy areas

This is where things start to get a bit technical in feng shui. Essentially, different areas in the office represent certain elements and aspects in life. To encourage success in those aspects, you should decorate those areas with complementary objects. For example:

  • Fame and Reputation: Located in the south area of the office and represented by the Fire element. You should mount your company logo here and keep the area brightly lit. Avoid water-related objects, mirrors, and the colour blue here since they’ll counter the Fire element.
  • Career, Business, and Life Path: Located in the north area of the office and represented by the Water element. You should put up images – in black or white metal frames – that are inspiring to your business. You can even display a project model here. Basically, anything that speaks to your business aspirations or goals should be placed in this area. Water-related objects can go here, too.
  • Prosperity and Abundance: Located in the southeast corner of the office and represented by the Wood element. You should place plants and especially water-related objects like a fountain here to nourish the Wood element. Images or symbols of wealth (e.g. jade sculptures or crystals) go well here. Avoid objects related to fire or metal, which counter the Wood element.

 

Desk positions

How you position your desk is also important in office feng shui. It may be difficult to optimally rearrange every desk, but it’s something worth trying so that you get total harmonious flow in the office. At the very least though, the desk of the CEO – as the leader of the company – should be carefully positioned with feng shui in mind. These are the main feng shui principles for desk positions:

  • Seeing the door: You should be able to see your office door with ease while sitting at your desk. Try not to have your back to the door; if there’s no way to avoid that, strategically place a reflective surface by your desk that allows you to see the door that way.
  • Strong backing: There should be a solid wall behind you instead of a door or window; if that’s not possible, mitigate that with a row of large, healthy plants behind you.
  • Unblock facing wall: If you end up facing a wall, cover it up with artwork, bookcases, or inspirational images.
  • Avoid sharp corners lines: Make sure you’re not sitting in the line of any sharp corners from other office furniture.

 

Plant life

Add life and fresh air to your office with indoor plants known for cleaning up air quality. These plants are especially effective at doing that: bamboo palm, Boston fern, English ivy, peace lily, and rubber plant.

 

As with any makeover, the best time to do it is when you’re ready to start from scratch in revamping the whole thing. It’s quite easy to apply these feng shui principles to your office while you’re planning out your office renovation. Here’s to wishing you a prosperous business!

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15 Tips to Avoid Damage to Your New Luxury Home When Moving In

St. Clements Avenue

 

We’ve all been through a move at some point in our lives. Unless we’re using a professional moving company though, it’s actually a bit funny in a shake-your-head kind of way how we never seem to learn from the mistakes of our last move. We don’t realise we’re messing up the same way until we’re on the other side of the doorway with our face pressed against the sofa, screaming at the person on the other end to tilt the stupid thing.

 

So, for the sake of breaking that cycle right here and now, check out these 15 tips to avoid damages while moving into your new luxury home:

 

Plan out the move-in order of heavy objects

Most of the headaches that come with moving can be alleviated by actually sitting down and planning the whole move out beforehand; in fact, pretty much 87% of these tips here are pre-move preparation steps. In this first step, it helps a lot if you have a basic map of the room layout in your new house. Figure out what heavy objects (i.e. anything that needs to be carried by two or more people) go in which room and label them with “1”, “2”, “3”, etc. (with “1” being the object that goes in the room furthest away from the entrance). That way, you’d minimise the amount of haphazard, double-back traffic you have to make during the move; the more efficient beelines you make, the less risk of unnecessary damage during the move.

 

Get your crew together

Make sure you confirm with the friends and family who are helping you that they’re available on the date and time of the move. Count the number of confirmed helpers and see if you have enough; at the very minimum, you should have enough people to carry the heaviest object you have on the move. A day before the move, remind everyone again on the meet-up time for the move.

 

No-shoes policy

One of the best ways to avoid damage during the move is to minimise the amount of dirt and sand that’s tracked throughout your house. They create friction and will quickly scratch up your floors with all the back-and-forth moving traffic. What you can do to prevent that is to ask people to take off their shoes before entering the house. If you do decide on a no-shoes policy during the move though, make sure to tell everyone in advance to bring shoes that are easy to slip on and off.

 

Measure doorways in advance

This ensures all your large and heavy objects will actually fit through each doorway so that you avoid the all-too-familiar scenario described at the top of this article. Or this one.

 

Take apart large furniture

It’s great if some of your large furniture can be disassembled and carried piece by piece to make the move easier.

 

Empty out the contents from drawers and appliances

Again, this will make it easier to move your furniture and appliances as they won’t be so weighed down with stuff inside.

 

Clean and dry appliances

It’s very difficult to get a grip on appliances when they’re greasy. Clean them all up and make sure you dry them, too; they’ll be much less slippery during the move. Plus, it’ll be nice when you finally settle in the new house with already sparkling clean appliances.

 

Tape drawers shut

This will give you the freedom to tilt the furniture however you need during the move and not have to worry about the drawers opening to take out people’s knees or to mark up the walls.

 

Pad large furniture and appliances

Tape blankets or thick layers of newspapers around the sharp corners and edges of large furniture and appliances.

 

Attach felt or cardboard pads

These small pads attached to the bottom of appliances and furniture feet will lessen the likelihood of scratching your floors.

 

Cover up the walls

Hang up thick cloths or cardboard to protect the walls along narrow hallways and rooms or at least the areas that’ll encounter the highest moving traffic.

 

Cover up the floor

Tape down carpet runners or plastic sheets to protect the flooring of high-moving-traffic areas like the hallway. Sweep out all the dust and dirt before taping down the floor protectors though.

 

Clean the floor

Sweep the whole house to clear away all the sand and dirt and then use a damp mop on the bare floors to keep the dust down before the move.

 

Use furniture glides

During the move, place furniture glides at the bottom whenever you need to slide heavy furniture or appliances across the floor. On hard floors, it’s best to use Masonite, towels or carpet pieces as furniture glides; on carpet, cardboard is more effective.

 

Don’t use the “pivot” method

The “pivot” method – dragging one side of a heavy object across the floor in the direction you want to go and then dragging the other side – may seem more effective, but it’ll actually damage your floor more. By dragging on the one side each time, you’re actually piling on a lot more force on one side and the uneven distribution of that force will cause that side to dig into the floor more as you drag it. Always try to slide the whole thing uniformly across the floor; don’t be shy to get the whole crew to pitch in to achieve that smooth glide.

 

These tips should help keep your luxury home safe from harm while you move in. After all, you’ve spent months watching it transform from dream to reality; it’d be heartbreaking to see it damaged right off the bat on moving day.

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5 Lunchroom Ideas for Offices with an Appetite for Creativity

Dunloe Road

Nowadays, everyone – including employers – recognise the benefits of taking breaks at work. Even with that widely accepted notion though, many people still don’t take their breaks as often as they should. There are a lot of reasons why people choose to skip their breaks, but the two common reasons that come up time and time again are: 1) they’re afraid of looking like that slacker; and 2) there simply isn’t anywhere they feel comfortable enough to relax for a break. So rather than going through the stress of dealing with those issues, they just opt to stay at their desks instead and try to squeeze out a little more productivity out of their overworked brains.

 

As employers, you have the opportunity to break down those issues in one fell swoop: investing in a fun, tricked-out lunchroom. In doing so, you’re not just providing an attractive place for employees to hang out on their breaks – you’re also making a strong, silent statement to employees that it’s okay to take breaks and that breaks are actively supported by the employer.

 

To build a lunchroom that your employees will want to come to, here are five cool ideas:

 

Distinct space from rest of office

You want to create a relaxation zone that’s different from the rest of the office because it’d defeat the purpose if employees feel like they’re just in another conference room, except this one happens to have a fridge and a microwave. You can change up the look and feel of the lunchroom by using a different wall colour scheme and putting up casual or even quirky décor.

 

Bright colours

Apart from using a different colour scheme from the rest of the office, integrate bright colours that complement each other in the lunchroom design. Whether it’s through wall paint, artwork, or furniture, bright (non-garish!) colours will stimulate employees’ minds and help them recharge their energy.

 

Comfy, re-arrangeable furniture

It’s difficult to lounge in hard, lumpy chairs or couches and just as difficult to eat at uneven tables. Get good-quality furniture that fit the lunchroom colour scheme you’re going for. For long-term planning’s sake, make sure all the furniture – or at least the tables – are of a matching set so that they can be easily put together for office parties in the future.

 

Coffee and snacks, on the house

Although this does add to ongoing office supply expenses, it’s actually a smart move to make. People who go out to get their coffee fix often spend between 15 – 20 minutes away from the office with all the extra travel and line-up time; that can quickly add up to a lot of wasted time that could be eliminated by the less expensive option of keeping the lunchroom stocked with never-ending coffee and snacks. You’d save money in the long run and your employees would love you for it because, after all, who doesn’t like free coffee and snacks?

 

Fun and games encouraged

Besides a place to eat and have coffee, the lunchroom should also be somewhere employees can unwind and have a little fun. Set up a pool table, foosball table, or a ping pong table; hook up a television; put in board games and even video games. Other fun ideas include: a chalkboard for employees to doodle on, a bulletin board for personal announcements, and silly words fridge magnets.

 

When designing the lunchroom, you should make the size of it proportionate to the number of employees you have because you don’t want it to feel too cramped or empty all the time. Also – if you have the space and budget for it – the ideal scenario is to set aside space for an additional and separate quiet break room. This is for employees who prefer a more tranquil break time where they can read, catch a nap, do yoga, or just sit in peace.

 

The key to all these ideas is to give employees the chance to let loose and creatively interact with each other. They’ll then be much more energised and ready for a fresh round of productivity after their breaks. It may seem like a lot of money for “just a lunchroom”, but that’d be missing the point: because it’s not “just a lunchroom” – it’s an investment in employee well-being and the productivity returns you’ll reap in the end is priceless.

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How to Use Eco-Friendly Materials in Luxury Renovations

Heidan-slider03

For many luxury homes out there, green is the new black these days because more and more people recognise the need to lessen our environmental impact. We have to start somewhere and since it actually makes practical sense to try, why not start with our own homes?

 

Eco-friendly materials include anything that’s been reclaimed, recycled, or otherwise manufactured from renewable resources. Just like there are a lot of Rs in the previous sentence, there’s also no shortage of ways you can “greenify” your home. The key though to raising your green luxury home above the crowd with all those choices lies in how creatively you use eco-friendly materials in the renovations.

 

Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

 

Reclaimed wood

Wood is still one of the most common construction materials so whenever an old house or building is about to be torn down, there’s bound to be wood that can be reused and refinished for your own home. Now this doesn’t mean scouring abandoned buildings by yourself for wood to be reclaimed, of course, because that’s dangerous (not to mention illegal). The best way to do this is through your local construction company designer, who would be in the know of potential construction/demolition projects around town to source reclaimed wood from. Talk with your designer first and describe how you want to use reclaimed wood in your home. For instance, reclaimed wood can be used for flooring, wall paneling, countertops, ceiling beams, or mantelpieces – anything the wood material can be reimagined as. By having that discussion with your designer first, they’ll have a better understanding of the look you’re trying to achieve and help you narrow down the ideal sources. Even if you don’t find the right pieces you were hoping for, your contractor can still show you other reclaimed wood alternatives you’ve haven’t dreamed of yet.

 

Salvaged metal

Again, this is another idea your designer can help you source materials for, either from construction/demolition projects or even scrapyards. Depending on what pieces are discovered, salvaged metal can be used for ceiling panels, wall paneling, or even as unique fixtures in the house. What’s great about both the salvaged metal and the reclaimed wood ideas is that they’re guaranteed to make your house one-of-a-kind; the final result of integrating them into your home is essentially the product of your imagination.

 

Recycled glass countertops

Glass is very durable when it’s made as thick as a countertop – it’s actually just as hard as granite. Plus, you’d definitely do your part for the environment by using recycled glass on top of that. Besides being comparable to granite in strength, glass countertops are non-porous, require no sealing, and can be made into wide range of shapes and colours.

 

Paper composite countertops

Another countertop alternative that can take on many shapes and colours, paper composite countertops are made of densely packed post-consumer recycled paper hardened in a non-toxic resin mix. It’s durable and non-porous like glass, but not as scratch-resistant so you do need to refinish the surface of paper composite countertops and seal it from time to time.

 

Cork flooring

Taken from cork oak tree bark while leaving the tree itself intact, the material is compressed into sheets to be baked in a kiln; once hardened, the cork sheets are then cut into flooring tiles. Cork flooring is well known for its resilience in absorbing impact due to the cellular structure of its makeup. It’s this very structure that also makes it a good insulator and sound cushion. What makes cork flooring eco-friendly is the renewable nature of the bark it’s taken from since it grows back completely within a few years.

 

Bamboo flooring

This is another highly renewable material because bamboo can be harvested without harming their roots and they grow back very quickly. What’s more, bamboo is in fact stronger than most hardwoods so they actually make better floors that can take a bigger beating than regular hardwood floors.

 

If you want to take all these ideas one step further into the green, try whenever possible to get your materials from nearby sources so that you can decrease the carbon footprint of transporting them.

 

It’s noteworthy that eco-friendly materials share in common the spirit of adding to your home without taking any more from the environment than what was already put into them. Come to think of it, that’s also a great life philosophy. Who knows, you may very well inspire an eco-conscious trend and a new philosophy among your family and friends just by building a greener luxury home.