Aesthetic, functional and interior-matched walls and ceilings from Hunter Douglas. From the series "Ceilings and Wall Coverings - Trends 2022"
Companies and institutions are paying more and more attention to the appropriate interior design in which they work and receive clients or customers. This is not only a matter of prestige, but also a matter of nurturing a good work culture and relationships with partners. A good environment can be created with the help of many elements, one of which are the right walls and ceilings.
How we feel is greatly influenced by the character and design of the interior in which we find ourselves. This applies not only to the homes we live in, but also to usable spaces in public places such as offices, museums, banks, shopping malls, etc. While in the case of our homes we can arrange the interiors according to our tastes and change them according to our needs, in the case of public places it is different - we have to take into account the opinion of the people who visit them, so that in the future they will want to come back, stay and work in them.
Business Garden Wroclaw, Solid Wood Grid
Photo: © Hunter Douglas
The art of making a good impression
So how do you make sure that the interior has the right atmosphere so that people want to stay in it? Of course, it is important to choose all its elements properly - furniture, floors, light and room layout.
However, there are aspects that are often not given enough attention - these include the walls. Despite the fact that they are one of the first things one pays attention to in a given interior, we often associate them primarily with boring white or gray surfaces. And with the right materials and a bit of imagination, you can make them almost works of art," says Jacek Szeląg, General Manager at Hunter Douglas Poland.
The Hunter Douglas representative also adds that ceilings are also an extremely important element of interior design, which is often forgotten.
Although hardly visible, they give a sense of closure to the space, help diffuse light and muffle sounds. It is also important that they harmonize with their surroundings and thus enhance a positive feeling, says Jacek Szeląg.
Solid Wood
(overview photo)
Photo: © Hunter Douglas
Non-trivial walls in office space
Examples of investments where it was decided to use non-trivial walls include the Citi Bank branch in Olsztyn and Warsaw, as well as the Chmielna 89 office building in Warsaw, which was entirely occupied by PKO BP. Solid Wood Grid wall coverings from Hunter Douglas were used in the office spaces in all these locations. They created truly natural walls with excellent acoustic performance and superior fire resistance.
Thedecision to use the Solid Wood Grid system arose from the desire to use a sustainable and timeless material in the design - solid oak wood, which with its natural warm color balances the neutral color palette of the office spaces, says Antoni Konarski, Director of Architecture at Broadway Malyan architectural studio, which designed the interiors of these locations. - In the case of Citi Bank in Olsztyn, Solid Wood Grid also refers to the local context of Warmia and Mazury, where oak is often present as the main building material, he adds.
Antoni Konarski also notes that the versatility of the system allowed it to be used both as a wall cladding to improve room acoustics, and in the form of openwork partitions separating individual zones in common spaces.
Solid Wood Grid from Hunter Douglas is a solution that is easy to install and can be used in all types of buildings. Solid Wood Grid wall systems are made to measure, making it very easy to match its components.
Hotel Mercure Krakow, Solid Wood
Photo: © Hunter Douglas
Ceilings - underestimated heroes of interiors
An example of an interesting solution is a wood ceiling with the same name as the aforementioned wall system - Solid Wood Grid, also from Hunter Douglas. It has been used, among others, in the Manufaktura shopping center in Łódź - one of the most recognizable buildings of its kind in Poland due to its industrial character, among other things.
Each of SUD Polska's projects is unique and closely related to the DNA of the investment. The range of solutions offered by Hunter Douglas allows us to implement most, even very ambitious concepts. Not without significance is also the high quality of the products, which allows us to use Hunter Douglas ceilings without worrying about the final effect," says Natalia Jabłońska, Interior Design Manager of SUD Polska - the studio that chose Solid Wood Grid for use in the Manufaktura shopping center in Łódź.
Also worth noting is Heartfelt Linear, a ceiling system that was used, among other places, in the Józef Piłsudski Museum in Sulejówek near Warsaw. It can be found in almost all parts of the museum - exhibition halls, offices, corridors and staircases. Heartfelt Linear is a modular felt ceiling available in the form of round and rectangular panels that can be easily attached to specially designed support rails. Its important advantage is that it provides great acoustic comfort, which affects our well-being. With HeartFelt® panels, it is possible to achieve a sound absorption index (αw) of 0.45 (module 100) to 0.70 (module 50). What's more, five shades of gray are available, as well as a palette of five earth colors, so you can create a warm atmosphere in a room. Heartfel Linear is also an environmentally safe product, as it is 100 percent recyclable or easily reused.
Heartflet Linear
(overview photo)
Photo: © Hunter Douglas
Keep up and stay ahead of the competition
The desire of investors and architects to ensure that people have a positive experience of being in a given space has not only a prestige dimension, but also a business one.
An environment that is aesthetically pleasing, functional and fitting can be the kind of element that people will pay attention to and remember. If this happens then there is a better chance that customers - but also contractors - will want to return to us. New employees also want to work in a friendly environment, so good interiors also have an employer branding aspect," says Jacek Szeląg of Hunter Douglas. - That's why you can't accept solutions that meet only the minimum requirements, and you should look for those that meet the increasingly exorbitant expectations of customers and employees. This is one of the elements of gaining a competitive advantage," he adds.
For more information, visit the company's Hunter Douglas Polska Sp. z o.o. page on the A&B portal.
