As a Designing Genius,
you are fortunate if your project includes:
The Reception Area
(The First Impression)

The Reception Area is the "portal" through which clients first meet a company.
It offers you the chance to set the tone: reflecting the personality
and culture of that company.


Bits and Tips...

1. Space Planning:

USE: Among the elements which establish your requirements: determine how your Reception Area will be used. "One of the first things when planning the Reception Area is to determine the number of people who will be working there. As well as helping to determine the space you will need, this will also give you an idea of how many people need to be seated at your reception desk. At this stage, it is important to decide what kind of tasks will be undertaken. Will the reception employees purely manage your switchboard or will they require space for administrative tasks?" (1)


This desk from OSI Furniture has been designed to provide space
for both meeting the client and performing administrative tasks.

ModernMedicine.com says, "Cluster chairs, but no more than five in a group. Whatever you do, don't line furniture around walls. Create seating vignettes as you would in your living room." (2) Make the seating area convenient to the Reception Desk, or easy to navigate to if the seating area is in another space.

WAYFINDING & FUNCTION: When designing the location of the Reception Desk, consider where and how an occupant enters the space, and plan for the Reception Desk to be the main Focal Point. Be sure to make the Reception Desk visible and easy to approach. Make it inviting and friendly, as well as functional for both handicapped and those able to communicate at a higher desk level.





These ADA compliant Reception Desks give equal space for both handicapped and standing clients.
The glass tops are a favorite feature added to many Reception Desks. These desks are ready
to ship from OSI's final inspection area in their factory/shop.



This wrapped Reception Desk from OSI is excellent for a large reception area
where entry is accessed from several locations. Its low counter
is inviting and encourages a positive atmosphere.




Functional Reception Area that encompasses a Reception Service Bar.

CLIENTS: Determine the number of clients using the Reception Area at a time. What type of seating is required for comfort and functionality? How will clients use the Reception Area?

SECURITY AND PRIVACY: An important consideration is security and privacy. Do you need a separate exit behind the reception area for employees or an emergency alert system installed? Do you need to plan for Sound Masking and Sound Proofing that reduces reverberating sound and provides a comfortable area, or that meets HIPAA privacy law? Turn to Lencore and AcousticTrade to provide the best solutions for these considerations, represented by Judith Ann Contract Furnishings.




   2. Furnishings: From OSI Furniture

THE RECEPTION DESK: Find the right Reception Desk. The design, color and functionality of the Reception Desk enhances that First Impression. You have determined its size and function in the Space Planning stage. Find the right partners to turn to for exceptional, custom solutions that provide not just a functional solution, but the Focal Point of the space: beautiful, exciting and unique. Perhaps your very own design?



OSI RECEPTION DESKS :
For almost 50 years, OSI has been known as a premier provider of quality wood and laminate case goods, conference and reception furniture; for corporate, library, dealer, and architectural design communities. Their custom products are 100% made in the USA, by experienced, craftsmen from around the world. Their CAD department will provide both 2- and 3- Dimensional drawings, and color pdfs.


This OSI custom Reception Desk uses elements of curves, multiple exciting materials and multiple sides.
The desk is approachable from several directions and heights.

All OSI's furniture is hand-crafted, without the use of robots or any "cookie cutter" method of creating furniture.

The high quality veneers are laid up in house rather than ordered pre-assembled. This means nearly infinite options in veneer choice, core options, and veneer patterns, including sustainable solutions. The Reception Desk at left is designed with marble, ebony and mahogany. OSI offers wood, glass, laminate, stone and metal materials for maximum design potential.

OSI has the knowledge and wisdom to work with ancient hardwoods, recovered from the cold depths of Lake Gatun in the Panama Canal. These old growth jungle trees were submerged in 1913 when this area was flooded to create the canal. Beautiful, exotic wood lay submerged for 98 years, perfectly preserved in fresh water. Some of these species are no longer available, except for this recovery. OSI is offering the exotic wood as an option on any of its wood products, including Reception furniture. The 10% to 15% premium over traditional wood is good value for your clients. This exotic wood is different than the trees harvested today: the wood grain is extremely tight and the colors are richer. Other woods are reclaimed from old, torn-down, west coast warehouses and wine barrels and barn beams.

POWER / DATA TECHNOLOGY: How much technology and lighting is required? Does your desk design include and meet the most stringent power/data requirements, including the ability to upgrade? Are under-counter lighting needs met?







  3. Color

THE RECEPTION AREA: This is usually the first point of contact for your client's visitors, so it is important to create a positive and favorable impression. Clients must feel welcome when they first enter your premises, so a soft muted orange such as peach would create a positive and welcoming feeling while soft yellow would be cheerful and happy. If decisions are made in the reception area a soft blue-green will assist in decision-making. With the waiting room for a dentist, doctor or naturopath, it is best to choose calming and reassuring colors such as green or blue, with a touch of pink for compassion. Yellow, while cheerful and happy, can cause anxiety in people who are already stressed. However, wood desking adds warmth and a soft, calming center of focus.


MEANINGS OF COLOR IN BUSINESS:

  Red is a warm and positive color, a very physical color which draws attention to itself and calls for action to be taken. It means energy, passion, action, strength and excitement and stimulates the physical senses such as the appetite. Red represents masculine energy, whereas its softer version, pink, is associated with feminine energy. Red stimulates and energizes the physical body, including the nerves and the circulation of blood, raising blood pressure and heart rate. It is stimulating to the appetite and therefore a great color to use for any company associated with food and its service. Red excites and motivates but in excess it can cause anxiety and tiredness. The color which most complements and balances red is turquoise, although green or blue will also create balance. It is best used as an accent color as too much red can overwhelm. Red will always elicit a passionate response but the response may be either positive or negative and this response will be in the hands of your potential customer.

  Orange is a warm, vibrant and flamboyant color. It is energy combined with fun, the color of the risk-taker, the extrovert and the uninhibited. It means adventure, optimism, self-confidence and sociability. It vitalizes, inspires and creates enthusiasm. It is stimulating to the appetite and social conversation. This can be achieved by using some form of orange in the décor, such as in the furnishings or the lighting. It does not need to be bright orange - salmon, coral, terra-cotta and other versions of orange will work as well. Combine with aubergine, purple, or blue for a unique, contemporary and classy look. Apply orange sparingly as it tends to be the most disliked color in the western world. It gives the impression of affordability, depending on the shade chosen and its combination with other colors. Too much orange can suggest cheapness.

  Yellow is a warm and happy color which creates a sense of cheerfulness. It is optimistic, uplifting and illuminating, brightening people's spirits. Yellow stimulates the logical side of the brain and mental clarity and inspires original thinking and creative ideas. It increases the analytical processes and our logical reasoning, helping with decision-making.



Wood adds warmth and reduces anxiety from the soft yellow walls and cool, white flooring
and ceiling, as shown with this light Beech wood Reception Desk from OSI Furniture.

Too much yellow can cause anxiety, nervousness, apprehension, agitation and confrontation particularly in people who are already stressed. It is a great color for children's products, particularly combined with other bright primary or secondary colors. It stimulates their mind and their creativity. It will enhance the promotion of the entertainment businesses. Avoid its use where you are trying to impart a message of stability. Use yellow where you want to keep people moving. Most people cannot stay for long where there is a lot of yellow. Don't use dirty versions of yellow such as mustard - they have negative connotations.

  Green is a color of growth and vitality, associated with new life and renewal. It relates to balance and harmony of the mind, the body and the emotions. It assists in decision making by helping us to see all sides clearly. Green balances people's emotions, creating a sense of calm. Green is associated with nature, health and healing, and the environment, creating a sense of compassion and nurturing for all. It encourages generosity, kindness and sympathy. Darker greens relate to money, wealth and prestige, while lighter greens relate to growth and freshness. Green is regarded as the color of money in the Western world. Too much green can lead to feelings of envy, greed and selfishness. Dirty olive green can have negative connotations unless it is associated with the environment.

  Turquoise represents clarity of thought and communication. Turquoise calms the emotions and recharges the spirit, invigorating depleted energy levels and inspiring positive thought. It is a beneficial color for any business related to communication, including teachers, trainers, public speakers, media communication and computer technology. Turquoise is a good color for health clinics and practitioners as it balances the emotions and calms the spirit. Too much turquoise creates indecision as people swing between the blue energy and the yellow energy that comprises turquoise. Balance it with either some red, pink, magenta or purple. Turquoise works well with businesses promoting water, whether it be pure water filtration companies, pool cleaning businesses, or water sports. It has an innovative quality and appeal for sports related businesses and combines well with red, orange or yellow for these types of businesses. Turquoise is suitable for both the male and female market and for all ages. Combined with pale pink, lavender or pale lemon, turquoise has a feminine energy, ideal for the fashion or beauty market, gift or home wares stores.

  Blue is the most universally favored color of all and therefore the safest to use. It relates to trust, honesty and dependability, therefore helping to build customer loyalty. Blue indicates confidence, reliability and responsibility. It inspires wisdom and higher ideals but is also conservative and predictable. It is calming, reducing tension and fear. It slows the pulse rate and reduces appetite. Being a cool color it creates a sensation of space. Blue adds strength and unity, and is therapeutic to the mind and body. Blue works well for the corporate world and is often used for more conservative types of businesses such as accountants, insurance companies, banks and other financial companies where trust and reliability are important. Younger people see blue in general as a color relating to maturity and the adult market, unless it is a bright electric blue of course. Too much blue can encourage boredom, manipulation or a rigid outlook. Blue is best used for conservative corporate businesses. Hi-tech and computer technology businesses can benefit from most shades of blue combined with gray. As with turquoise, blue is recommended for any business involved in the area of cleanliness. It is also beneficial to businesses, such as airlines, boating or air conditioning companies, that relate to the common associations of blue with the sky, air and water. Blue should not be used for food related businesses. Light blue relates well to the health and wellness industry, to travel and relaxation. Dark blue is a serious color which inspires integrity and honesty and is often used by political organizations, religious organizations and legal firms for this reason.


Indigo or deep midnight blue is a powerful color related to the right side of the brain. It resonates to the 'New Age' way of thinking. Psychologically, indigo conveys integrity and deep sincerity and stimulates creativity and intuition. While it is connected to structure, tradition, ritual and ceremony, it can also transform people's thinking and beliefs into developing new insights and a pioneering spirit. It imparts a message of great responsibility and high ideals.
Funeral service businesses are an example of those that would benefit from the use of indigo as one of their colors. Indigo is an advantage in businesses where structure and tradition are important, such as educational institutions, law firms and banks. In businesses that look to the future indigo can help transform people's thinking. Indigo combines well with other bright jewel colors such as magenta, emerald green, turquoise, and pink.

Purple is more suitable to women or children, although younger men are slowly becoming more attuned to it. Academic institutions often use medium shades of purple or violet as they inspire intellectual thought and achievement. Purple portrays wealth and extravagance when combined with the richness of gold. Pre-adolescent children are attracted to purple along with the other bright primary and secondary colors. Lighter versions of purple are targeted specifically at the female market.



OSI designed Reception of sunburst wood pattern and glass adds
richness and warmth in front of the soft lavender wall.

Gold is seen as the color of inner wisdom, quality and wealth. It is associated with prestige, luxury and material wealth, suggesting that a product or service is expensive and exclusive. It can induce great feelings of happiness and bliss or alternatively, deep anxiety and fear. Gold implies generosity of time, money and spirit. It is the color of victory. Gold used with purple can indicate wealth and beauty, and is associated with expensive luxury items. Used with dark blue it suggests honesty, trustworthiness and success. Used with black it suggests extreme opulence, elegance and wealth.

Silver is a color associated with prestige and wealth. It is seen as a sophisticated color related to female energy, prosperity and modernity. It is calming and soothing, with a lightness that is more uplifting than gray.



OSI designed Reception Desk in an up-market automotive showroom.


It has a coolness about it that relates to the future and science and technology. The color silver reflects quality craftsmanship and artistry and would benefit businesses offering a first class quality service or product or those selling exquisite items to the prestige market. With its modern sleek appearance, silver is appropriate for the hi-tech, innovative computer market and scientific and technological companies. Silver also works well for any businesses promoting and featuring quality modern appliances and equipment.

Black means authority, power and control. In many situations it can be intimidating, unfriendly and unapproachable. Alternatively, it can be seen as sophisticated, dignified and serious In very small amounts it can add strength and confidence without becoming overpowering. Black is favored by the youth market aged approximately 16 to 25, who are still trying to find their own sense of identity and place in this world. Those who are achievement oriented and ambitious also favor black. Black is beneficial for businesses selling luxury, elegance and sophistication. These types of businesses include those selling high quality professional products and luxury goods, and up market car companies. Black can be used to create a dramatic effect when combined with bright, rich, jewel colors such as red, emerald, cobalt, yellow, magenta and orange.

   White is the color of new beginnings, wiping the slate clean, so to speak. It is the blank canvas waiting to be written upon. While white isn't stimulating to the senses, it opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive. It is calming as it creates simplicity, organization and efficiency out of chaos. It is a reassuring color which helps to create order and proficiency. White amplifies everything in its way and too much of it can give an impression of sterility, coldness, disinterest and detachment. White is useful in businesses where cleanliness is imperative, such as dental surgeries and medical centres, but these businesses need some green or pink to assist in healing and to create a calm and caring atmosphere for patients. White also works well for businesses promoting hi-tech products, kitchen appliances, bathroom items, infant and health related products and those promoting order and efficiency. Depending on the business, it is advantageous to add other appropriate colors which will reflect the individuality of the business as, on its own, white is sterile and cold.

  Gray is a conservative color signifying neutrality, indifference and reserve. However, it can drain you of energy, be depressing or uplifting, depending on how much lightness and white is in the gray. Dark gray is more depressing than light gray. Gray serves as a good background for other colors as it doesn't attract attention, allowing the other colors to take prominence. Gray suggests security, reliability, modesty, maturity and dullness. It can imply that you can't make decisions, 'the fence-sitter', that you don't have an opinion on anything. Gray lacks energy; it is neither reassuring nor soothing, neither stimulating nor exciting, neither pleasing nor inviting. It needs to be combined with other colors to give it passion, energy and life. Gray is a safe color to use in many business applications. It is neutral and serious and can be combined with almost any other color to impart different messages and to reach different target markets. It suggests power and control, particularly when combined with some white and black. Combining it with blue suggests credibility, trust and reliability. Surprisingly, gold can work well with gray to suggest professional and high quality. Light gray can create a hi-tech look when combined with other colors such as turquoise, light blue, dark blue or yellow.

  Brown is associated with strength and solidarity, comfort and earthiness, maturity and reliability. It gives people either reassurance and comfort or a feeling of dirtiness and suffocation. It relates to the outdoors, the practical and down-to-earth and the family unit. Many men love brown. Sometimes it is regarded as a neutral color, although the lighter versions of it such as beige and taupe tend to work better as background neutrals than the deeper shades of brown. Be aware that many, particularly women, find brown to be boring and too earthy, even dirty. Brown is suitable for businesses promoting outdoor products and services, earth moving, landscaping and farming businesses.

The Meaning of Colors in Business Section is condensed from
http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com



Information for the above content comes from
these good resource websites and books:

http://osifurniture.com



http://www.meaningofcolors.net/
< http://www.sherwin-williams.com
http://www.pantone.com
http://www.medicalofficetoday.com
http://mindfuldesignconsulting.com
http://www.rentaldecorating.com/color_psychology.htm
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-psychology-behind-paint-color.html
http://sensingarchitecture.com
http://www.acsofficesolutions.com
Choosing Colors, by Kevin McCloud
The Comfort of Color, Susan Sargent
http://thedesignhub.wordpress.com




Contact Judith Ann Contract Furnishings
for a personal presentation or additional information.