Weekly Round Up 13th November

Welcome back to our end of the week Friday blog. We're saying hello to Winter this week as the last of the leaves have fallen from the trees and we're adding layer after layer to keep warm at our desks but what else can we be doing to stay warm this winter...

 
Staying hot, hot, hot.
This week we're looking at movement in the workplace, plus what's hot and what's not when it comes to sit stand workstations. 

Firstly we want to  give you some great ideas for keeping warm in the office this winter. We are suggesting that you get out your chair and deskercise to keep warm, fit and healthy. 

Not heard of deskercising or need some more ideas for your current routine? Then have a look at these top 10 deskercises to get you started.


If you are already a king or queen of deskercise and you're looking for new ways to increase your movement at work, then you might have looked into the trend of sit stand workstations that's getting more and more popular everyday.
At Nomique we are getting really excited about this new drive for movement in the workplace.

As a manufacturer of office seating we are constantly looking at ways to make our chairs more movement concious. Our synchro and ISB mechanisms on our task chairs, can both be used in a "free float setting". This helps the user to activate their core muscles and prevents them from sitting too statically. 

Furthermore the signal from our Axia Smart Chair can not only be used as a trigger to correct your posture but also as a reminder to work standing up for the next 30 minutes.

At Nomique we are always encouraging our users to move as much as possible and if you are interested in any of the above products and would like to know more then please look on our website or give us a call on 01952 585828

Although Nomique do not produce sit stand workstations, our chairs are perfect examples of seating that could be used in conjuntion with them, so we were keen to find out more.

Firstly we looked up the pros and cons of the standing desk concept, to get an idea about the health benefits and the not so beneficial apsects. During our searches we came across this great article from notsitting.com that outlines everything good and everything bad about these standing desks, including ways to make them work better for you.

The main reaction across the web is that standing desks are a fantastic way to lose weight and reduce the risks of diabetes, heart disease and bad posture, which are all things we should be scared of if we're sitting at a desk all day.

However, we felt that we needed some more inside knowledge about the trend that's catching on fast and that's when we found this article by Chris Bowlby who tried out a standing desk for himself. Have a look at his thoughts here on the BBC news website.

There have been lots of questions asked about sit/stand workstations, such as "what's the best one?" or "what can I do if I can't afford one?".

Therefore we went on the hunt for what the world thinks are the best and found this article all about the top of the range and the easiest to adjust desking systems. 

The funniest part of this article though was seeing people's make shift at home versions. After all who doesn't want a desk made using Coco Cola cans and when all you've got is a plastic box it shows that that will do the job almost as well as the "Ergotron Workfit".

Well perhaps not but we can all hope that one day soon it won't just be Denmark that has made it mandatory for employers to offer standing workstations as an option to all employees, but hopefully the UK will catch on too.

The other question and the one that we find the most interesting is that all of those people who have caught on to the trend of standing at their desks, now don't know what they should be wearing. Standing up means that outfits are on show all of the time, skirts and suit trousers don't get creased and feet start to hurt. So what are our options? Well we found this great article on what to wear by The New York Times, so if you feel like you could use some tips then have a read about what these people in the know have picked out as the best options for standing up and looking good.




"Forest and Found"

Now we've all heard of Upcycling and it's now getting more and more popular across the UK. In fact it's getting so trendy that artists and craftspeople are setting up businesses relying on what they can find in skips!

We came across an article about two homeware entrepreneurs who have set up their own buisness called "Forest and Found" in the heart of London, in their back garden workshop. It's all about using waste wood that they've found on the ground or in bins and turning it into something new and unique.

Our favourite piece of Upcycling that we've found so far is this fantastic desk and shelving solution. All that's missing is one of our task chairs... have a look at our website for some options.

Also we would love to hear from you in the comments below with your ideas, inpiration and links to any exciting Upcycling, standing desks and your favourite deskercises.

We are looking forward to hearing from you soon.




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For more information please visit our website http://nomique.com/

Or give us a ring to chat about what our designs could add to your workspace.

Tel: 01952 585828

No time to chat but want to get in contact then send us an email to sales@nomique.com

Weekly Round Up 6th November

It's finally Friday! With colourful leaves swirling and falling all around it's definitely Autumn and not only that but it was the 5th of November yesterday so I hope you've all got lots of firework displays and massive bonfires planned for this weekend.

Burning Logs to Firing Questions


Not only have we been getting excited about bonfires and fireworks at Nomique this week but we also couldn't wait any longer to spread the news of the official start of our 2015 student competition.


This week Isobel Coleman from our marketing team went to the University of Wolverhampton to announce the funiture competition to all those passionate creative students studying Interior and Product Design.



The presentation included telling them all about Nomique and introducing the competition design brief. Lots of questions were asked and Isobel felt the students had a very clear idea of what they now need to do to be in with a chance of winning.

With cash prizes for the top three winners, as well as a tour of Nomique for the first prize winner we're sure there will be lots of entrants.

We look forward to telling you more about the competition and the students fantastic design work as we get ever closer to the Wednesday 16th December competition deadline.

If you are interested in finding our more about the University of Wolverhampton or the courses that they offer then why not have a look at their website.












This Week's Hot Topic


It was "National Stress Awareness Day" on Wednesday 4th November and we've been catching up on all things stressful.

Our student competition applicants all have plenty of stress ahead of them but did you know that people don't only suffer from stress during study but that stress also follows people throughout their lives, even into the workplace.

The Mental Health Foundation suggest that there are over 13.3 million working days lost every year, due to stress, depression and anxiety.

It's great to see that National Stress Awareness Day has been trending all across the world on Wednesday as people come together to relate to one another in the form of hashtag expression.


We found this great article that explains why this has become such a hot topic this week.

As well as being aware of stress it's just as important to act on it and find ways to reduce stress in the workplace. We found this great article about just that.

One of the ways for employers to decrease that stress, as mentioned in the article above, is to create break out zones in the workplace, for staff to move away from their desks and communicate with each other. This can help to increase wellbeing and productivity throughout the office.

If you are looking for ideas for those stress free zones then you have come to the right place as Nomique have a huge range of furniture suitable for all types of break out. Check out our website for some inspiration or pick up the phone and dial 01952 585828 to see what we could do for you and your stress.

                                       
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For more information please visit our website http://nomique.com/

Or give us a ring to chat about what our designs could add to your workspace.

Tel: 01952 585828

No time to chat but want to get in contact then send us an email to sales@nomique.com

Weekly Round Up 30th October

It's that time of year again when we will don our cloaks and witches hats, grab our brooms and bulk buy huge tubs of sweets! Yes it’s Halloween and things are getting spooky at Nomique...



Pumpkin Showcase

This week at Nomique we've been getting over excited about Halloween and everything it involves. There have been fangs and fake blood in the office as well as pumpkins in the showroom.

And we thought you might like to see just how great these two fantastically carved pumpkins look on our Nomique chairs!









Take a look at our favourite shots below and see if you can guess what seating they've been shot with...


To give you a clue there's definitely Milo, Lux, Rocco and Elements featured in the above photographs. I hope you can tell which is which. If not feel free to comment below or give us a call on 01952 585828 to discuss any of our products.

You will also find some more clues by looking on our website and checking out our product pages.



Inspiring Workspaces

Well perhaps Pumpkins aren't your preferred objects for jazzing up your workspaces. Maybe you'd like something similar to the new Google office's in Sydney. We found this article on The Daily Mail online website and now we all want an office just like that.

With privacy pods, pool tables, piles of lego and a rock climbing wall who doesn't now want to move to Sydney and work for Google!

We'd really like to hear from you about the inspiring workspaces that you spend your time in and also about the ones you want to be in one day. So please comment below with your ideas, aspirations and any links to workspaces that we really need to see.




Creative and comfortable Workstations

You might not be working in a Google like office yet, with rooms deticated to gaming. However you are definitely sat in front of a screen whilst reading this, whether that be a desktop, laptop, tablet or phone.

Technology surrounds us in the workplace these days and it's really important that everyone should learn how to set up their personal workstation to achieve better posture and wellbeing in the workplace.

We thought we'd give you our top tips for "Ergonomics in the workplace" so have a read and see if your workstation is set up as good as it could be.

Most importantly don't forget to take lots of breaks and move away from your workstation. Bupa have some great reasons and tips for more movement, productivity and better wellbeing in the workplace, why not have a look at what they are suggesting here.

You could also check out our recent blog all about the imporatnce of taking that well earned break.

Need more ideas for making your workstation more creative to help motivate you through the day? Why not check out these 50 inspirational workstations for something a little bit different.







As promised our next team intro, read on to be in the know about our Nomique team.

In The Know Profile:

Name: Peter Cole

Age: 53
Job Title: Operations Director

My job at Nomique involves... 
Production, purchasing, operations, quality and H&S

I have been working at Nomique for...
18 months

Before Nomique... 
Systematic Products

When I was growing up, I wanted to be...
A P.E. Teacher

My favourite place in the world...
England





I can laugh about...

Most things.

A random fact about me...

My right leg is 15mm shorter than my left leg.

If you want to know more about Peter's role here at Nomique then feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Also please follow us on our social media pages to keep up to date with all things Nomique.                  
                                       
Facebook          Twitter          LinkedIn

For more information please visit our website http://nomique.com/

Or give us a ring to chat about what our designs could add to your workspace.

Tel: 01952 585828

No time to chat but want to get in contact then send us an email to sales@nomique.com

Weekly Round Up 23rd October

This week we're back with another blog and everyone can't seem to stop talking about Back to the Future. 




Future misconceptions 

On Wednesday 21st October 2015 the well known 1989 film "Back to the 2015 Future" caught up with itself and caused lots of discussion of how far we've come since then, as well as what we're still yet to achieve to keep up with the film's original expectations of 2015.

Social media couldn't stop "buzzing" about it, with everything from limited edition "Pepsi Perfect", to grooms arriving at weddings in DeLorean cars (with the addition of time travel of course). Have a look for yourself on the Telegraph Website as they've followed the countdown closely, with everything documented in one place.

We might not have the perfect hover board, flying car or self drying jacket but we do have so much more technology at our finger tips than we ever thought possible 30 years ago; as the actors Michael J. Fox & Christopher Lloyd discuss in the new Toyota advert, "We've got 3D movies," Lloyd says as the two actors sit in a diner. "We've got fingerprint technology," Fox answers.

Back to the Future got one thing right about 2015 though and that's how we're integrating technology into everything. Every new technological invention is an every day object made better by adding some tech.

For example turning a pair of Nike trainers into something that makes people's lives easier and therefore better. However we don't seem to have self tying shoes yet like in the film but Nike did tweet Michael J. Fox on Tuesday saying "see you tomorrow", leaving everyone speculating the future of self-tying Nikes. We're still holding our breaths though.



The Future of Furniture

Furniture is getting more high tech too, with tablets, TVs, PCs and power sockets all getting embedded into anywhere and everywhere. We might not be arriving at work in a flying car yet but there's nothing stopping you from using a chair that tells you how to sit properly and sending emails and charging your phone on the move.

Our favourite bit of tech at the moment is the aircharge wireless charging solution. The idea behind this clever tech is that the user can use it wherever they are, no need for cables or trying to find power sockets. This can be used in cafés, offices and at home.

So if you'd like to add the aircharge or any other technology to your seating, why not give us a call on 01952 585828 and see how we can integrate it for you into any of our soft seating and modular seating ranges.




Buzzzzz...

Talking about "creating a buzz", our customers have been doing just that because of how great our Lux range looks in Camira Fabrics' Velvetesse. We posted up this image on our social media pages and got quite a lot of attention. Even Camira Fabrics on Facebook said that they "look forward to seeing the result".


Then we started posting photo after photo because it really does look great in Velvetesse.

Camira's Velvetesse Embellish is really hard wearing so works well for a long lasting upholstered seat. With a change of colour it looks completely different too. Hopefully you've also noticed the fantastic button detail as well.

Everyone can't get enough of our Lux high back chair and I predict a lot more going through the factory soon.We think all our Lux products look great in Velveteese so keep looking around and see if you can spot any more of these fantastic chairs in beautiful fabrics. If you do we would love to see the results so please share your finds with us on our Twitter page.

Then if you'd like one or maybe one hundred, have a look at our website for more ideas and info about our Lux range or give us a call on 01952 585828

Also there are plenty more colours to choose from in the Velvetesse range and we are looking forward to seeing them all... so click here for some more ideas of what to do with your Lux chairs.





As promised our next team intro, read on to be in the know about our Nomique team.

In The Know Profile:


Name: David Houston

Age: Too Old
Zodiac Sign: Big Fish
Job Title: No Idea


My job at Nomique involves... 
No idea. Oops, dealer support and sell sell sell!

I have been working at Nomique for...
3 years

Before Nomique... 
Office furniture industry for 31 years!!
6 years with my own business and 20 odd years as a Director with Samuel Bruce.
Before that memory loss...





When I was growing up, I wanted to be...
Pro Golfer but couldn't hit a ball straight.
Pro Footballer but couldn't drink enough.
Spaceman but realised I already was.

My favourite place in the world...
HOME... Oh and Nashville.

I can laugh about...

My hairline and my waistline.

A random fact about me...

Guitar player and massive country music fan... and an awesome chef.

As an extra see if you can guess which one is David in this old photo. Write your guesses in the comments below.

If you want to know more about David's role here at Nomique then feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Also please follow us on our social media pages to keep up to date with all things Nomique.                  
         



                             
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For more information please visit our website http://nomique.com/

Or give us a ring to chat about what our designs could add to your workspace.

Tel: 01952 585828

No time to chat but want to get in contact then send us an email to sales@nomique.com

Weekly Round Up 16th October

It's starting to feel like winter and all we all want to do is be curled up in fluffy blankets, cradling a mug of hot chocolate, in front of a roaring fire and watching reruns of The Great British Bake Off. Whereas we're actually still heading into the office, the only difference from summer being that now we turn up wrapped from head to toe in all our clothes. With the windows shut and the heating switched up high it's that time of year again when we can't escape the dreaded colds and flu flying around, so we end up home anyway but this time with lemsip and a banging headache. That's why this week we've got tips to help you stay healthy in the office this winter.

At Home
Firstly we've got some great tips from the NHS to help you stay fit and healthy through all those cold months until Spring.

Did you know that the more you exercise the less likely you are to get a cold. Regular exercise helps to boost the immune system .

Did you also know that you're 80% more likely to get a cold during winter!


The cold weather also makes us want to eat all the time to keep our bodies warm. Try to remember to still eat healthily though, by including lots of fruit, veg and milk in your diet. It's important to make sure you're getting all the right vitamins to fight off those nasty colds.


At the Office
It's not just what we do for ourselves that keeps those colds at bay, it's also our office environment that can help or hinder our immune systems. We've found some office tips that work for the employers and the employees out there.

Firstly go out and buy a plant for your desk.
We recommend cacti because they need so little care and look great all year round.

Not only will you have something to gaze at when you're looking for inspiration but you'll also be decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the room and fighting of bacteria without even lifting a finger!

If you still aren't convinced then have a look at this article, which gives even more reasons to have plants in the workplace.

It's also really important to sit comfortably and we know all about sitting right!

Therefore we suggest the Axia Smart Chair to make sure you are feeling at your best. Have a look here to find out more about it.

Not only is it important to sit right but it's also important to move too, the Axia Smart System will help you remember to get up and get active every 30 minutes.

Have a look at the stats in the article at the end of this section to see what a bit of movement could do for you.

Lastly it's really important to think about all the places where bacteria collects.

For example did you know that in a 2008 study it showed the average keyboard to be dirtier than a toilet seat!

Another study has also shown that 90% of mugs in the workplace are coated in germs.

So get scrubbing to keep that harmful bacteria away.


If you'd like more detail on these points then have a look at this article.


 
Home Again...

...or not as the case may be. It turns out that almost a third of employers have reported an increase in their staff coming in to work unwell.

It's really important for businesses to put employee wellbeing above the importance of operational demands and deadlines. Not only are staff less focussed when ill, but they could also infect their colleagues causing less productivity across the whole company.

If you'd like to read more about this and the studies that prove the facts then have a look at this.







As promised our next team intro, read on to be in the know about our Nomique team.

In The Know Profile:

Name: Zohaib Ali
Age: 26
Job Title: Area Sales Manager - North 

My job at Nomique involves... 
Drinking coffee with our friendly dealers. More importantly I am there to help the dealer network, whether that be with projects, product knowledge, presentations, samples or anything they may need assitance with.

I have been working at Nomique for...
Two and a half years. 

Before Nomique... 
I worked in Business Development for a Tea Room and Patisserie (I ate lots of cake and drank lots of tea). 

When I was growing up, I wanted to be...
A lawyer




My favourite place in the world...
Ras Al Khaimah, more specifically the resort where I spent my honeymoon with my wife.

I can laugh about...

Almost anything, probably also when I should not be laughing.

A random fact about me...

I once won "The Apprentice" although it was only part of a competition at College loosely themed around the famous BBC show and not on the show itself.

If you want to know more about Zohaib's role here at Nomique then feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Also please follow us on our social media pages to keep up to date with all things Nomique.                  
                                       
Facebook          Twitter          LinkedIn

For more information please visit our website http://nomique.com/

Or give us a ring to chat about what our designs could add to your workspace.

Tel: 01952 585828

No time to chat but want to get in contact then send us an email to sales@nomique.com

Weekly Round Up 9th October

This week we want to tell you all about our experience at London Design Week 2015 but mainly we'll be blogging about wood.


Wood, wood, wood and more wood...

Even though we weren't exhibiting at LDW this year we certainly made the most of the event by sending down our Product Developer and Marketing Assitant to go and pick out the top trends from this year. The main one being wood so there was lots of it!

Read on to discover our favourite woody items from the event...




Robin Day at the V&A

Robin Day has often been classified as a highly significant figure to the 20th century's furniture design industry. With a career lasting seven decades his aim was always to solve practical problems and he therefore shied away from anything created for novelty or showiness. His furniture was always soundly constructed and built to fulfil its purpose.

His philosophy was that new design should always be made because it’s better than what came before. As well as every piece should be produced with regard to the limited resources on the planet, meaning they must be reusable and long lasting.

The V&A wanted to celebrate the centenary of his birth with an exhibition about his lifelong passion for design and his relationship with wood. This exhibit has marked the huge contribution his work has made to our everyday lives. After all there aren’t many people who haven’t sat on one of his designs.

For more information on this exhibition have a look at the V&A website or for more information about the man himself have a look at the Day Foundation website.



Wood Awards at 100% Design

The main place to see lots of wood all at once was at this year’s Wood Awards exhibit at 100% Design, showing the best of British design and craftsmanship in wood. The shortlist was selected for the show, so that they could be on display before the final winners are revealed at the 44^th annual Wood Awards ceremony at Carpenter’s Hall on the 10^th November.

Pictured you’ll see one of our favourites but have a look at this link to see the others that have been shortlisted as well as some more information about the products and their designers.




Life Design 


The Se7e Life Design is all about creativity and we just thought it looked so different that it deserved a mention on our blog. If you’d like to know more about it have a look here.

Nomique's Wooden Relationship 

At Nomique we also care about where our wood comes from. Using wood from environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically managed forests, we offer products with a FSC® chain of custody.

If you'd like to find out more about this then have a look on our website.















As promised our next team intro, read on to be in the know about our Nomique team.

In The Know Profile:

Name: Sarah Ralphs
Age: Considerably older than I was 20 years ago!
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Job Title: Area Sales Manager

My job at Nomique involves... 
Maintaining and increasing sales of the company's products by servicing the needs of our existing customers whilst expanding our customer base. 

I have been working at Nomique for...
1 year







Before Nomique...  

I worked for a fencing manufacturer as a Product Manager looking after the landscaping range for National Accounts such as B&Q, Jewson, Buildbase & Screwfix

When I was growing up, I wanted to be...
A strawberry picker!

My favourite place in the world...
My sofa on a cold winters night!

I can laugh about...

Myself!

A random fact about me...

I have 3 Blackbelts

If you want to know more about Sarah's role here at Nomique then feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Also please follow us on our social media pages to keep up to date with all things Nomique.                  
                                       
Facebook          Twitter          LinkedIn

For more information please visit our website http://nomique.com/

Or give us a ring to chat about what our designs could add to your workspace.

Tel: 01952 585828

No time to chat but want to get in contact then send us an email to sales@nomique.com