George Alonso offers decorative services including murals, wall finishes, faux textures and metals, as well as decorative elements like lighting, furniture and color consulting. The document provides tips for decorating an office on a budget, including using color to reflect the business, selecting affordable yet functional furniture, and keeping the decor minimal and simple with plants, art and lighting to improve the space. Color psychology and plant choices that clean the air are also discussed.

1. “ Decorating and Design for Business on a Budget” George Alonso 21-52 80th Street Garden Bay New York 11370 • 646.270.5608 • www.ofhandandsoul.com • galonso@ofhandandsoul.com

4. Embrace yourself & customers with color Lets paint the office walls!!! We recommend picking a color that reflects the spirit of your business. If you work in a traditionally conservative industry such as banking or legal services, you're better off choosing a neutral color such as light green, beige, or a shade of white. If your business is traditionally staffed by more creative types such as designers or artists, feel free to go for walls with more visual pizzazz. Whichever tone you choose, be sure to use high-quality paint that will last for a long time, as repainting an office space can be a disruptive event. Is your ceiling really high? If so, you can paint it virtually any color that goes with the rest of the room. If you’d like to bring the ceiling down visually, consider a color darker than your wall color or a warm color (both will advance and appear to bring the ceiling down to a level that is more in scale with your room). Also consider adding crown molding if not already there. The molding will also bring the ceiling down by calling your eye s attention to it. And it really finishes the room. Is your ceiling low or average height? Consider painting it a tint of the wall color. If your walls are a medium blue, then your ceiling would be the very lightest blue on the color swatch or even lighter (white with a dash of blue). This will help to round out the room and make the ceiling part of the overall decor not just that white sheet over the top. Paint Resources - Janovic Plaza Long Island City -718.392.3999 COLOR George Alonso 21-52 80th Street Garden Bay New York 11370 • 646.270.5608 • www.ofhandandsoul.com • galonso@ofhandandsoul.com

7. Selecting Furniture • Make sure the office furniture you choose fits the room and that there is enough room to open cabinets and drawers, and that people have enough room to get to their desks, and in and out of the office. • Office furniture needs to be suitable for purpose. A cool desk isn't necessarily functional. Café style chairs and tables might look good in a catalogue, but are they appropriate for a firm of solicitors? • Don't forget extra office furniture items like filing cabinets, book cases and computer stands as these will provide additional functionality and storage space for your office. • Make sure that your office furniture is ergonomic. • Divide the room where possible by having separate areas for different types of staff. Those who spend all day on the phone will have different furniture needs to those who need room to view design ideas or those who need peace and quiet. • Different moods can be created by using different colored chairs, desks, or tables. • Stylish hi tech modern designs, or traditional woods? What you choose will depend on the nature of your business. Your office furniture may be fashionable today, but will it still look stylish in 5 years time? • Think about the impression your office furniture has to give to clients as well as staff. Office furniture for a firm of accountants needs to be different from a graphic design company or a call centre. The office might be part of a factory or a restaurant or a shop, so it needs to be appropriate and in keeping with the company ethos. A design agency will want to appear creative and vibrant, whilst a solicitor's office will want to appear calming and welcoming. Think about the future, how easy is it to expand the office layout, using your chosen furniture? New employees or technology or processes and procedures may mean that the office layout has to change frequently. Can you move desk around yourselves, or do you need the fitters to take the desks apart so they can be rebuilt in a different part of the office? George Alonso 21-52 80th Street Garden Bay New York 11370 • 646.270.5608 • www.ofhandandsoul.com • galonso@ofhandandsoul.com

8. Healthy hardy plants for the Office The most effective plants and the ubiquitous Areca Palm came first for removing ammonia, and formaldehyde (found in many cleaning products) from the air and releasing moisture into the air. Great cleaners of chemicals in the air. Areca Palm Rubber Plant Peace Lily Weeping fig Dracaena English Ivy George Alonso 21-52 80th Street Garden Bay New York 11370 • 646.270.5608 • www.ofhandandsoul.com • galonso@ofhandandsoul.com