Interior Design - ROIDESIGN

UFCW 951 Makes a Move.

by Rayanne Rzepka | Oct 26, 2023 | Design News, Interior Design, Workplace Design

Projects are significant for many reasons. For r.o.i. Design the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 951 (UFCW) project is very important to us because it spanned more than three years in a customer relationship that persevered through COVID-19 and ended in great success because of their focus, clarity, and determination. We appreciate being brought along to help.

Our relationship started with UFCW searching Google. Our website portfolio shows a variety of office looks, but more importantly, our client base resonated with them. We are business-focused not just design-focused. When we met with them, they were early in the process of selling their existing building and finding a new building that would meet the current needs of the union. We toured several buildings with them and landed on the former Steelcase Credit Union on 60th SE, which had been vacant for approximately 10 years. The site is prominent and visible, and the spaces could accommodate their staff. They needed to expand the space to allow for members’ space and the site allowed for that.

We invited our friends Dwayne Masselink and Trevor Howard from InterActive Studio to join the team as architects. Along with r.o.i. Design, they developed space plans and layouts for the remodeling of the credit union. Because UFCW needed to use union contractors, we called on partners, KASCO Inc. They were able to check all boxes for union labor but more importantly, could protect UFCW from political issues in West Michigan by managing trades and the site. And while r.o.i. Design had many hands in the project, Marianne Martz, Ryan Bright, and Mary Witte “brought it home”.

UFCW shared with us the “looks” they liked. They researched our project history and gave us clear directions on details from our portfolio. These included wood slat millwork walls, storefront glass offices, private cubicles with tall walls and doors, simple lighting, and non-fussy details. The property brought some challenges, including converting a barrel ceiling to an open office ceiling. Opening the ceiling revealed mechanical ductwork that required bulkheads and some non-traditional acoustic solutions.

The overall design theme is contemporary and architectural but not “over the top”. Color comes through furnishings provided by Interphase Interiors and West Michigan Office Interiors. Otherwise, the space is warmly neutral.

Congratulations to our friends at UFCW. Thank you, Marisa, Steve, and Ashley!

© All Photos Courtesy of InterActive Studio.

For more of our corporate office projects click here.

First Companies Inc. – New Corporate Headquarters Bring the Whole Team Together.

by Rayanne Rzepka | Oct 26, 2023 | Branding, Construction, Design News, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Workplace Design

First Companies Building Pictures Website_-18

Over the past few years, First Companies Inc. (FCI) has engaged r.o.i. Design to provide interior design services for their customers in the dental, medical, restaurant, and corporate sectors. In 2022, they asked us to help them design the remodel of a 10-year-old building to house their whole team. Previously they were spread over three separate locations, making it difficult to collaborate and communicate. For a company that has clear team values and goals, this was challenging.

Early in the design process, First Companies realized that illustrating their brand and values would take the lead in making choices. Part of their brand is to demonstrate innovation in interiors, and we were asked to make building materials an obvious but incorporated part of the design.

That resulted in the creative use of Baltic Birch plywood, veneer brick, burnished steel, concrete, and integrated LED lighting. We also employed acoustic treatments that look like wood and softened the ceilings. The overall envelope of finishes also needed to incorporate the existing wood trim, doors, and laminate cabinetry.

All new carpets, porcelain tile, and luxury vinyl were added. We used several distinctive styles and patterns to create interesting looks, differentiating departments and functional uses.

The design was not limited to finishes; First Companies saw the importance of continuing a consistent message with décor and graphics. We developed custom icons for their company’s values, and we embodied those icons as artwork. In addition, we created five value boards that are prominent in the décor.

We created large-scale prints using their own project photos and drawings and mounted them on the walls. On a more personal level, photos of hard hats, lunch boxes, plumbing pipes, laying bricks, sawing wood, etc. were researched that complimented their values and aligned with a contractor’s aesthetic. In the conference rooms, we featured some of their projects completed over the last year.

The décor has created landmarks for a directed tour through the new facilities, looking at photos and icons and being able to tell the First Companies story.

A special thank you to the First Companies team that walked alongside us to make sure we got it right: Crissy and Matt Sink. We also appreciate the trust from Craig and Jeff Baker to make the space everything First Companies. Kudos to our team who designed the space, graphics, and furnishings: Marianne Martz, Ryan Bright, and Ronda Geyer.

© All Photos Courtesy of First Companies, Inc.

For more of our projects click here.

Knapp Orthodontics Creates an Innovative Office for an Innovative Practice.

by Rayanne Rzepka | Oct 26, 2023 | Branding, Design News, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Lighting Design, Procurement and Purchasing, Workplace Design

Orthodontics is a very personal business. Practitioners meet and grow with their families to create lifelong relationships. Knapp Orthodontics takes this to the next level. Dr. Kevin Knapp is design-sensitive and connects all the dots between his practice operations, patient experience, and office design.

We were introduced to this practice through First Companies, who were working with them to develop the property. We are grateful that they recommended us to assist in the interior design of their new office and have learned a lot through the process.

As a team, we learned that not all clients are colorphobic. Knapp Orthodontics welcomed the use of color in their design, especially when it complemented their brand colors of blue, green and grey. We used those colors to accent the walls. We also introduced an acid yellow to the spectrum and used it in carpet and upholstery accents.

We also learned that some clients are more forward-thinking about lighting and technology. Knapp Orthodontics embraced our design that incorporated recessed linear LED lighting in the lobby and the exam areas. While the overall light level was great, the effect of the smooth surface lighting was refreshing, clean and takes a step away from traditional lighting.

Knapp Orthodontics invested in wall-mounted digital games for patients and their siblings to use while waiting which creates a positive experience for the kids. We responded to this detail by creating acoustic wall panels that incorporated the brand logo behind the games and providing kid-friendly ottomans that can be used while families play games or wait for treatment.

Dr. Knapp and the team inspired us with their vision for booth seating in the waiting area, a combination of quartz and wood-faced materials on the reception desk, and full glass partitions between exam areas.

Thanks to Dr. Kevin Knapp, his wife Jenny and Tara for all your help and inspiration. We look forward to hearing about all their growth and success!

© All Photos Courtesy of First Companies, Inc.

For more of our dental and medical projects click here.

Trailer X-Press Explodes into New Facilities in Caledonia

by Rayanne Rzepka | Sep 26, 2023 | Branding, Design News, Interior Design, Workplace Design

After buying a new blue car, do you see blue cars everywhere? Working for Trailer X-Press was like that. After we met them and understood that they had over 6,000 semi-trailers somewhere, we realized why we kept seeing their logo on trailers and mudflaps everywhere.

Trailer X-Press is in its second generation of leadership and thriving. They moved from a sliver of property in southeast Grand Rapids to an expansive 83,000 SF building in Caledonia. This move allows them to improve all parts of their business, planning for growth and raising the level of performance.

We welcomed the invitation from Daniel Zilzer, Project Lead and Architect at Wolverine Building Group, to provide interior design services for this group. Working with Trailer X-Press leaders Mackenzie, Julie, and Scott was energizing as their passion for their business was addictive.

While we were mostly involved in the office building and parts store, the project included an extensive repair and maintenance “barn” and lots of parking for semi-trailers in process.

When we joined the project, there were already so many great things about the building, especially the two-story entry with a prominent spiral staircase that leads from reception to executive offices. The color red was a clear choice in all parts of the design as it is at the core of their brand and marketing.

Combining maintainable services with great aesthetics was part of the brief. The lobby has a beautiful porcelain tile that transitions to polished concrete for some open offices. Concrete-look vinyl flooring and carpet were used for closed offices and conference spaces.

Designing within their brand inspired the team to use diamond plate dimensional paneling on the reception desk, the staircase half walls, and in the parts store.

The two-story entry allowed for interesting uses of decorative lighting, suspended at different heights based on the staircase and overall lumen needs. The result is fitting to the space.

We will be happy to see the Trailer X-Press logo on trailers and mudflaps for a long time, and hope our readers do too!

Dykhouse Construction Demonstrates Their Construction Excellence in Their New Corporate Office

by Rayanne Rzepka | Sep 26, 2023 | Construction, Design News, Interior Design, Workplace Design

It is of the highest compliment to be asked by a construction firm to provide interior design for their own office. Ryan Dykhouse asked r.o.i. Design to work with them on the design for their new office in Wayland, MI. Their building houses their offices and their tenant, Kent Home Services, a specialty residential concrete flooring supplier. We followed the terrific architectural planning of Dixon Architecture and provided interior design oversite for both spaces.

Collaboration with Ryan was thoughtful, and we really appreciated running alongside his vision. That vision included forward-thinking design, but without unnecessary “flashiness”. Instead of trendy details, the design brief included a desire to create relatable and classic finishes in an unexpected way. The two-story space off the lobby was a great opportunity to use a Chicago Brick veneer finish that rose 20 feet, and to clad the open staircase structural wall with wood planks. In the main conference room, a prominent wall is dressed in a porcelain tile that looks like stone but doesn’t have the real stone price tag.

r.o.i. Design did ask for some “not-so-expected” details. The reception desk has the appearance of stacked timbers highlighted by LED strip lighting. And over the reception desk, where there is a wood ceiling with wood joists, we suspended a black Unistrut canopy that incorporated LED strip lights. This feature is interesting in appearance but costs much less than a fancy chandelier. The rest of the decorative lighting mimicked the black Unistrut theme to create a unified appearance. Overall, the finishes are simple with spots of color in the backsplash tile and accent paints, serving as a backdrop to the operations and activities that happen there.

The new furnishings were supplied by Enwork, a quality custom furniture supplier in West Michigan whose spaces were recently built out by Dykhouse Construction. Their interesting designs added to the overall appeal of the space. We especially like their table bases and table designs.

The space has the classic details of brick, wood, and stone with innovation in lighting and furniture. We look forward to seeing many shared clients in this curated space.

Cedar Animal Hospital Expands with New Emergency Wing

by Rayanne Rzepka | May 24, 2023 | Interior Design, Medical Design, Workplace Design

Drs. Larry and Judy Nauta have built a landmark veterinarian office in Cedar Springs, and as their practice grew, they knew their facility also needed to grow. Cedar Animal Hospital needed to accommodate patients and pet owners who need 24/7 emergency services.

r.o.i. Design met them through Pinnacle Construction, who created the building’s architectural design as well as constructed the building. We were engaged by Pinnacle to provide the interior design that met the practical and aesthetic requirements of the space: highly cleanable and comforting, with a touch of their Northern Michigan style.

Some of our favorite elements of the design include the new reception desk with a “wood” canopy that was built with acoustical materials, the lobby/waiting lighting, the large-scale porcelain floor tile, the interior wood walls in the lobby and staircases, and the warm color scheme.

Kudos to Pinnacle on the design of the emergency wing. Its modern approach, while different from the main building, is still “Northern Michigan” in its use of wood and metal on the exterior.

The design process with Dr. Larry and Dr. Judy was a great experience. Dr. Judy made cookies, their dog Rocket joined meetings as a consultant, and they expressed their appreciation for the whole design and construction team on a regular basis. We would like to think that some of the success of this project was their passion for what they do, coupled with r.o.i. Design’s love of pets.

“Cedar Animal Hospital is a great place to work because we are all on the same mission—to make a difference in the lives of people and pets.” Dr. Larry Nauta.