Rayanne Rzepka - ROIDESIGN

Commonwealth Engineering: A Partnership in Design

by Rayanne Rzepka | Feb 28, 2023 | Design News, Interior Design, Workplace Design

r.o.i. Design works for a variety of architects and contractors who need interior design at a variety of levels. Robert Pomeroy, Senior Vice President and Principal of Fishbeck Architects and Engineers, reached out in 2021 during a reorganization of their interior design department and asked us to finish up three projects for them.

“Finishing up” meant working with the architects and project managers to assist in delivering the project as designed. This included answering questions, working with vendors, reselections of materials for budget or lead time issues, responding to submittals, managing FFE (Fixture, Furniture, and Equipment) taking meetings, and overall holding the thread and integrity of the design. And, since this was during COVID when most of us were working remotely, it was especially challenging.

One of those projects was Commonwealth Engineering in Jackson Michigan, which was completed in late 2022. This was a remodel of a historic bank into their corporate office. In this project, we worked closely with their facility manager and senior management in selecting furniture and furniture finishes along with coordination of construction details with Fishbeck.

The first floor of this project has many mid-century features that Fishbeck’s designers embraced and complimented with metal, leather, and wood details along with beautiful architectural finishes. The lower-level houses meeting and conference spaces, one of which is in the old bank’s vault.

Congratulations to Fishbeck and Commonwealth Engineering on a successful remodeling project.

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Comfortable Seating: Our Expert Advice

by Rayanne Rzepka | Jan 26, 2023 | Design News

r.o.i. Design has been supplying clients with furnishings for more than 20 years and the need for comfort in seating is crucial, especially when you can’t test out the sit.

Here are some helpful tips we have learned when shopping for comfortable seating.

Upholstered Seating

Something to look for in comfortable upholstered seating is the dimensions. The overall height plus the depth of the seat needs to total 38” to 40”. So, if the seat height is 19”, then the depth of the seat needs to be 19 to 21”. If the seat height is 20”, then the depth of the seat needs to be 18 to 20”.

Some other items to consider are:

An older person may need a taller seat height and less seat depth. Arms are essential for helping a person get themselves up out of the chair.
A younger person is more likely to sit at a lower height but may need the option of a back cushion.

In a commercial setting, it is important to use durable fabrics. Technology has come a long way and r.o.i. Design recommends using Crypton woven fabrics or vinyl-coated fabrics. We recommend no less than 30,000 double rubs (an industry standard of wearability), but we specify fabrics closer to 100,000 double rubs for our projects.

Break Room Seating

While most companies want their employees to be comfortable, don’t plan on break room seating to be used for more than 30 minutes at a time.

Chairs with a poly shell that has some movement in the back improve comfort.
An upholstered seat in a wipeable fabric is nice but take into consideration how it changes the seat height (see the note above on dimensions for upholstered seating).
A chair with a metal sled base will be easier to move and more likely to keep its structure than a four-legged chair.
Four-legged metal chairs are more stable when built with stringers (metal rods that go between the legs).

Proper floor glides should be used based on flooring material to prevent damage to the floor. Most chairs are sold with hard vinyl or metal glides.

We are continually informing our clients to help them make good decisions when purchasing commercial furnishings. Let us know how we can help you!

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Evanoff Dental Builds New Office

by Rayanne Rzepka | Jan 26, 2023 | Interior Design, Medical Design

Dr. Karl and Deidre Evanoff were introduced to r.o.i. Design by Dixon Architecture and First Companies.

Evanoff Dental’s previous location in Muskegon didn’t allow for growth or the level of service and care they desired to provide their patients.

From the beginning, it was clear that they wanted a simple and clean design that looked professional but now “showy”. They wanted all their patients to feel comfortable and welcome.

The color palette was neutral but included some warm wood tones and hints of blue.

Some of r.o.i. Design’s favorite features include:

Painted board and baton siding in the reception area.
Textured and blended carpets.
Ceiling details in the exam hallways.
Ceramic light fixtures.

Evanoff Dental moved into their space in 2022. Now their patients have a place where they feel comfortable and welcome. When talking to Dr. Karl about the project, he commented, “Things are going very well. I am very happy with the outcome. Thanks for all your help.” We appreciate working with you as well.

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Vos Glass Moves into New Offices and Fabrication Plant

by Rayanne Rzepka | Jan 26, 2023 | Interior Design, Retail Design, Workplace Design

Vos Glass started making plans in 2020 to build a new headquarters that would allow them to grow their business, expand their showroom, and improve their fabrication and distribution center.

Ken Watkins of Architectural Concepts was the architect of the building. Our previous relationship with Vos Glass, as a designer and customer, and with Architectural Concepts, made for a smooth integration for us to design the interiors. We worked directly with John Turner, President of Vos Glass, and Dennis Moomey, Prefabrication Leader. Dennis was also the construction manager for this project.

The design criteria for this project could be summarized as clean, contemporary, flexible, inspiring, and within the Vos Glass Brand.

The finished product delivered these criteria with some notable features:

Polished concrete floors throughout.
Very well-lit spaces.
Tall ceilings.
Showcasing glass everywhere. Their office area is on display for customers to see a variety of glass installations.
Mindful use of Vos Glass’ brand red color in paint, carpet, and acoustical baffles.

r.o.i. Design visited Vos Glass shortly after they moved in and spoke with Dennis about the process and outcome. He was kind enough to say, “It was fun working with you folks.” We can say, “Vos Glass it was great to work with you, too.”

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Durable Casegoods: r.o.i. Design Expert Advice

by Rayanne Rzepka | Dec 14, 2022 | Procurement and Purchasing

r.o.i. Design has been supplying their clients with furnishings for more than 20 years and the need for durability in casegoods (tables, storage units, non-seating furniture) is a budgetary and maintenance must. Buying a casegood for your commercial or hospitality use should last more than 10 years.

Many of our clients have opted to buy residential-grade furnishings based on their sense of price and value. We have several examples when these same clients called after 18 months, saying they need to replace the furniture because of poor wear, the inability to maintain, or general breakdown.

Contract furniture has these qualities that many residential furniture pieces lack:

Frame Construction: The base frame is hardwood or steel, with fewer pieces and joints. Joints in the frame are reinforced. Non-exposed surfaces are fully finished/sealed.
Maintainable Tops: Many contract grade casegoods offer laminate top options, versus wood veneer. In many cases, stone and resin tops are also available. These are more durable finishes that permit typical cleaning using non-caustic cleaners.
Internal Hardware: Hinges, drawer glides, and feet glides all are tougher than residential grade.
Warranties: Most contract casegoods are sold through qualified distributors who can advocate with the manufacturers when issues arise. Most contract manufacturers offer a 1-year warranty on frame and construction issues.

r.o.i. Design supports all our local and regional office furniture providers. We have been engaged with clients to provide more “residential in feel” furnishings for lobbies, lounges, and break rooms.

When we are asked to procure furniture for other spaces in a project, we use two local manufacturers or work with a local office furniture provider.