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Creativity is something I cherish and I really resonated with a video I found of Dr Michael Beckwith of Agape International Spiritual Centre in California in LA.

I find this really exciting for two reasons firstly as I relate to the value put on creative energy and holding  a vision for the future, but also because I am going to be flying to LA really soon so may even have a chance to visit the Agape Centre! In fact I love California so much it is part of my vision for the future – somewhere I see myself living.

Wishing you all the best this Christmas and I hope you enjoy Michael’s video as much as I did. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video and your vision for the future in 2016!

This week we are grateful to have a guest post courtesy of Neil Maycock of Non-Slip Mats!

The Many Uses Of Mats In Commercial Buildings

Door and floor mats are used for a variety of purposes in buildings not just to be aesthetically pleasing. Here we highlight how floor mats can serve many different benefits to office and industrial buildings.

Anti-Fatigue Mats – Anti-Fatigue mats have a very important health and safety role to play in the office and especially industrial buildings. The body is not supposed to stand still for any length of time. In fact this has really big health implications. This can put pressure on the joints and the lower back and this is especially a problem with buildings with hard floors such as concrete. For those working on machinery or food preparation areas this can cause severe discomfort after a while. To alleviate this employers place down anti-fatigue mats. These mats work by allowing the body to change position slightly in the calf and leg muscles. This causes the blood to flow freely back up to the heart. The name for this is “dynamic ergonomics”.

Non-slip Mats have an obvious benefit in commercial properties especially those which could be subject to spills such as food preparation areas, retail outlets and industrial buildings. Some even have drainage facilities to allow the water to drain efficiently. These kinds of mats can be completely durable and hard wearing.

Logo Mats – Logo mats can have two way benefits. They can help to trap dirt and debris away from your office building and help reflect your brand image. Branding is not just about your logo you use on your website, it is the way your staff speak to your customers and suppliers, the stationary you use and even your premises. Logo mats can have your own personal brand on them and act as a great welcome to prospective clients.

Electrical Mats – The risk of electrical shock to those working with electrical apparatus is high. Electrical mats, often known as “switchboard matting” can protect operators from the high risk of working with electrical equipment. These are made out of a special type of insulating rubber and can often act as a safety mat promoting workplace safety with bright coloured borders

ESD Mats – Electro-Static Discharge is a real problem, especially in office areas. As human beings we can generate static very quickly from even the slightest of movement’s i.e. walking on a carpet, running the fingers through the hair. This static is extremely dangerous to computer equipment. The use of conductive anti-static mats draw static away from the user to the mat. These mats must be grounded at an electrical point to properly dissipate the static discharge.

Author Resource: Neil Maycock writes articles for Mats Direct

http://www.matsdirect.co.uk

I’ve loved watching Kelly Hoppen’s Superior Interiors on Channel 5 have you? Each week she tackles different rooms (and personalities) with varying needs and gives them a complete makeover with the aid of the client nominated project manager. Kelly’s style is keeping the palette neutral with lots of taupe, black and other neutrals carefully balanced, attention to lighting, exquisite textures and beautiful delicate fabrics which let the light stream through. What I particularly enjoy is the way Kelly gets the clients buy in by taking them to fantastic spaces such as a converted basement for family use or a high tech caravan. This shows them the principles she will use in their design to make it work on a practical as well as aesthetic level; improving their life.

You can bring a little Kelly Hoppen style to your home – her wallpaper is available in B&Q  for those on a budget and she has just launched a range of plantation shutters which you can have made to measure with them too!

Kelly Hoppen’s Superior Interiors airs the last episode on Channel 5 next Tuesday 1st November at 8pm. You can catch old episodes on demandfive.

Link to the first episode here:

http://youtu.be/6NASaitBZFw

Find her plantation shutter range here:

http://www.californiashutters.co.uk/Order-Kellys-Shutters/