Corporate interior design firm brings distinctive style to Hacienda

Interior Motions helps furnish and design Hacienda businesses

Every business is different, from biomedical to finance to technology to start-ups, but there is one thing they all need; a space to work and furniture to help create that space.

Like most aspects of business, office space and furniture have evolved from traditional office configurations with a desk, chairs and filing cabinets to more open environments that accommodate people working in many different ways.

After signing a new lease or deciding to remake a work environment, Interior Motions is the design company to call. In business since 1988, Interior Motions is an office furniture supplier that provides space planning and interior design for corporate interiors. They feature products from many leading designers and manufacturers; one of their main suppliers is Herman Miller.

Jennifer Burton is a Principal and Director of New Business at Interior Motions who works with local businesses to develop and enhance their corporate identity. Burton's work with clients includes creating practical working environments through thoughtful interior design, furniture selection, and even their signage. Burton and her design team work closely with their clients to develop innovative spaces that enhance productivity and general well-being in the office.

Interior Motions has worked in the office design industry for over 29 years and they like being located in Hacienda. When Burton and her business partner Dan Bernard joined Interior Motions four years ago, they made Hacienda their work home. In fact, prior to joining Interior Motions, Burton has always had an office in Hacienda because of the convenience for clients and the overall welcome feeling the development offers.

"The benefits of having our office in Hacienda are ease of access, having BART close by, the shuttle, as well as having a lot of parking makes it easier for our clients," says Burton.

Burton has seen a lot of growth in Hacienda and has helped furnish that growth, working with a wide variety of businesses in the area.

"We have a mixture of clients, there is no client that is too small or too large and every kind can be found here in Hacienda," says Burton. "We offer a blending solution, which means depending on their budget, need and schedule we can mix different product solutions that meet their needs."

One of the things Burton enjoys most about her job is working with a customer as their business grows. A lot of companies have discovered they do not need to look any farther than Hacienda for top quality service providers like Interior Motions.

"We have a lot of clients in Hacienda, and it is very exciting because many of them are start-ups or they start out small, and it is really fun to watch them grow and expand their offices. It is very exciting to see the growth of clients here," she says.

For any company, new or established, the furniture and office design they select help to define their culture and style. Space planning and trends in office design and furniture have gone through many changes in recent years. Recently, there has been a shift toward open, "plaza style" settings that allow employees to be more collaborative and connected.

The diversity of Burton 's clients is matched by the variety of furniture solutions each client needs. "We have clients who want a signature component as a part of their environment. They want something impactful in the reception area or in another highly visible area. We've used driftwood from the Bay or reclaimed wood from an old factory to come up with a beautiful sculptural piece," Burton notes.

Technology is a regular contributor to changes in office space design. For example, the influx of laptops allows people to sit almost anywhere, so the need for a permanent workstation becomes less necessary. Also, because more work is now digital, the need for the large filing cabinets is reduced. By eliminating cubicles and cumbersome file storage, space is freed up in an office for open common areas, more meeting spaces, and larger more spacious settings.

Not only has there been a fundamental change in how offices are designed and used, but office furniture itself has gone through essential changes. Ergonomics has become a functional requirement that impacts employee productivity and their health.

In a report by the Institute of Medicine, in the US the annual value of lost productivity in the workforce because of back, neck and eye pain is more than $7 billion per year. The cause of the pain is associated with poorly fitted desks and chairs, sitting for too many hours, sitting at the wrong angle and improper lighting.

Businesses now design their space to allow for employee mobility which in turn improves their wellbeing. The modifications include desks that can be used while standing and sitting, installing better lighting or taking advantage of natural light with workstations that have low or no walls.

"Creating spaces that support employee health and wellbeing helps them perform at their very best and is easier to accomplish now than ever before. The key is planning and flexibility for physical ergonomics which includes the desk and chair, but also cognitive ergonomics which includes natural lighting and environmental atmosphere," says Burton.

Design is at the heart of Burton's business, and the demand for creativity by her clients is what makes her job interesting. "We've found a great home for our business in Hacienda. With many of our clients right here and easy access to those in the surrounding areas, we've been able to develop our business and our passion for what we do."