Posts by Al Harlow
Camp bunk beds and three benefits
No matter what kind of summer camp you run, it’s always important to consider what type of beds you’ll need for your campers. Bunkbeds are a popular style of bed for summer camps, and for good reason. Here are three benefits that make bunkbeds a great fit for summer camps. SAVE ON SPACE: This benefit is huge…
Read MoreCONFERENCE TABLES AND CHAIRS
Without a doubt, meeting at a table makes a difference. It levels the playing field and gives everyone the same view. After all, Sir Arthur’s knights sat a round table on purpose. If you ever gather your co-workers or clients for a meeting you need a conference table and chairs that give you the space to set up…
Read MoreFive Useful Tips for Durable Summer Camp Furniture
The weather might not agree but the calendar says it is time to start planning for summer. Summer camp administrators and leaders have been busy attending national and regional conferences like the American Camp Association and Christian Camping & Conference Association to learn how to maximize camp attendance and programming. We have put together a few tips for facility…
Read More5 Ways to Spruce up Your Aging Lobby
Ever have one of those days when you walk through your facility on your way to your work day and something different catches your eye? It’s the day that it hits you that your lobby area is dated. What was once fresh and new is now drab and old. The saying “you never get a…
Read MoreCrate Style Furniture Has Taken a Major Fashion Step Forward!
Once upon a time in a far-away land, crate style wood furniture was trendy and fashionable. So, maybe not a far-away land but certainly crate style furniture was popular in a past time. I recall the first time I saw crate style living room furniture at my cousin’s house in the 70’s. The boxy seating pieces were…
Read MoreHigh Durability Furniture
High Durability Furniture: Not Clunky Anymore! High durability furniture might bring to mind images of clunky, heavy materials assembled on a thick, bulky foundations. But what makes furniture “durable” in today’s world is really just the opposite. Technology has improved furniture production methods to a point where lighter components can combine to create a high-style…
Read MoreWhy Can’t My Facility Furniture Ship Fast?
Planning for a furniture project for your new group living facility takes a lot of consideration for your clients’ and staffs’ needs, the best use of space, and the best use of budget. Choosing durable furniture and fixtures designed for group living help to create an extended furniture replacement cycles which is good news for administration. It is important…
Read MoreFurniture Designed for Sober Living Facilities
Furniture is an important part of every Sober Living facility. While your average commercial facility can pick out furniture based solely on looks, healthcare professionals have to consider how their patients and staff will interact with every piece of furniture and choose seating, beds, and storage designed for constant use while providing a feeling of home. These…
Read MoreThe Right Furniture Can Make Behavioral Health Facilities Safer.
Creating a safe and supportive environment is paramount in behavioral health facilities. From managing challenging behaviors to promoting healing and recovery, every aspect of the facility’s design plays a crucial role. In this article, we explore how the right furniture solutions can contribute to enhancing safety and comfort in Behavioral Health Facilities. Understanding the Unique…
Read More10 Signs You Should Invest in Contract Furniture for your Group Home
If you manage a community-based group home you know the challenges of converting a residential home into a functional group home. Contract furniture is a specialized branch of furniture manufacturing that offers compliant furniture for group living. Additionally, contract furniture providers have modified many traditional designs to enhance mobility and aid in fluid management and other sanitation concerns. Contract furniture is…
Read MoreBest Bed Bug Defense for Group Living
Bed bugs have increasingly become a concern for group living environments. So, let’s break those management methods down: Get The Metal Bedroom Furniture Catalog Bed bugs can cause your organization plenty of headaches. Investing in bed bug resistant furniture is a big step toward fighting off these pests and keeping you rooms safe. Create your own Furniture Concepts Wish List today…
Read MorePatient Populations With Incontinence
Furniture offers a surprising number of ways to help staff manage patient or consumer incontinence with dignity. Once an expensive, disposable item after incontinence accidents, seating is now an effective tool in fluid management. N7A range of options have been developed by dedicated furniture manufacturers in partnership with experts in senior living, developmental disability care, and limited mobility…
Read MoreAn Interior Designer’s Guide to Contract Grade Furniture
Recently I was talking to an interior designer who took her first healthcare design job. This particular interior designer had a lot of residential experience. Still, when I asked her about selecting contract-grade furniture, she was totally unaware that there was furniture designed for non-residential applications. While the elements of good residential interior design might translate…
Read MoreWhat is Contract Furniture | Group Living Facilities
Contract Furniture designed for heavy use environments like health care, higher ed, camp & conference centers, and other group living facilities must perform to standards that far exceed residential furniture standards. While the sofas and chairs you see in commercial use facilities might look similar to what you see in a typical residential home, what’s “under the hood” is…
Read MoreRoom Design for Addiction Recovery
First impressions when patients enter an addiction treatment facility really sets the stage for recovery. Good room design puts patients at ease and allows them to willingly enter treatment. So, what constitutes good room design in a healing environment? Facilities should include spaces in common areas designed for group sessions; semi-private areas for family visits…
Read MoreWhy Contract Furniture?
Maybe you’re new in this field or maybe you’ve been working in it for years but this is the first time you’ve been tasked with ordering new furniture for your facility. No big deal, everyone has bought furniture before—you go online or you go to the store, you pick out what you want, maybe from…
Read MoreWhich Bunk is Right for Your camp? Wood or Metal?
Bunkbeds and summer camp are natural companions – like peanut butter and jelly! With a variety of metal and wood bunks available, which is right for your camp? Let’s look at what they have in common and what sets them apart. Wood is traditional. Wood bunks are warm and inviting. For many parents, wood bunks evoke nostalgia from…
Read MoreHow to Clean Upholstered Furniture From Incontinence or Any Stain
Worried about upholstered furniture Clean-up? Start with Your Fabric and Furniture Choice. Crypton© is a remarkable fabric technology that adds a fluid and dirt barrier. Because Crypton© is applied in a submersion technique, the barrier is applied to the top and bottom of the material as well as within the fiber weave itself. Unlike other stain barriers…
Read MoreBack to Basics in Heavy Duty Furniture
Any administrator managing a group living or special needs facility knows that heavy duty furniture is not only important for comfort, but furniture also links consumers and residents to their concept of home. Contract lounge furniture and contract bedroom furniture is a must in facilities where heavy use is expected. Contract furniture combines the look and feel of residential style furniture…
Read MoreReplacement Cushions: A Small Investment That Can Pay Off Big.
It can be tricky to balance needs for new furniture cushions and budget concerns. group living facilities and summer camps have to deal with this issue every year in order to keep their facilities and camps up to snuff for discerning clients/parents. Replace Chair and Couch Cushions: Cushions on wood frame seating can start to look pretty dingy after…
Read MoreHow to Minimize Cleanup Tasks in Residential Settings.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 39% of seniors living in residential facilities experience incontinence issues. The associated cleanup tasks aren’t limited to the senior-care market, however. Camps, retreats and behavioral health treatment centers also need to create appropriate strategies for incidents involving bodily fluids. Ideally, fluid cleanup should involve a quick…
Read MoreColor Trends Can Refresh Your Design
There’s no doubt that color trends have influence on our environment. Remember the vibrant teal of the 1980s and the steely gray of the 2000s? What’s interesting is how color trends in interior design reflect the attitudes of the era as well as the users of the space. Consider 2019’s Pantone Color of the Year: Living…
Read MoreIncontinence Management for Heavy-Use Environments
Few retailers offer self-decking but almost all contract furniture providers do. Why should you care about self-decking? (844) 961-4100 Get Quote Now When faced with fluid and or incontinence issues make sure you talk to a qualified furniture dealer who will help guide you to the right solution. Understanding the importance of self-decking in the context of healthcare and social…
Read MoreLonger Lasting Furniture Keeps Waste In Check
Everyone agrees that the earth’s natural resources, such as clean water and productive farmland, are finite. That is, they won’t last long if we don’t take steps to conserve and renew them. One of the ways we humans are endangering natural resources is by stuffing landfills with tons of avoidable waste. This waste comes in…
Read MoreThe Secret of a Better Table
Tables serve an essential function in our lives. In our homes and our workplaces – tables are the place we share meals, organize paperwork, talk, listen, play games and maybe just put our feet up at the end of a long day. When furnishing a heavy use group home or group living environment, selecting a table that…
Read MoreYou Can Sleep Soundly Knowing Your Bunk Beds Are Safe.
When eager kids first arrive at camp, they are a picture of pure excitement. It’s a beautiful thing to see. However, kids must be able to learn, play and sleep in an environment that is designed for safety and able to withstand all that unbound energy week after week. One measure of fundamental safety includes…
Read MoreHuman Hustle Needs Contract Furniture Muscle
Each year, millions of people live, learn and play in group settings such as campsites, residential centers, assisted living or community housing. (844) 961-4100 Get Quote Now It all adds up to a lot of people and a lot of activity—day and night. And that means every table, chair, bed and couch on campus endures…
Read MoreBig and Tall Healthcare Furniture Improves the Patient-Centric Experience
Whether your customers are senior care residents or behavioral healthcare clients, the concept of patient-centric facility design has become paramount. Essentially, it means everything you do adopts its primary focus from the customer’s perspective. It’s all about them. One often overlooked aspect when designing for the customer experience is the relative comfort of your furnishings. Chairs…
Read MoreConsider Biophilic Design to Inspire Today’s Modern Campers
One noticeable attribute of Generation Z—those born between 1995 and 2015—is how much time they spend with their beloved digital devices. Because of this tech-heavy lifestyle, concerned parents are increasingly looking to overnight camps as a way to balance their kids’ life experiences. Professional camp directors strive to offer well-rounded activities for health, learning and…
Read MoreTrend In Senior Suicide Calls For Safer Furniture Choices
Safety In Senior LivingThe sobering suicide statistics are an extraordinary wake up call for operators of senior care centers. They must pay closer attention to clinical risk factors for suicide, such as mental health disorders, physical decline and loneliness among their residents. But clinical factors aren’t the only aspects in suicide prevention. At the same…
Read MoreCommunity Tables Now Lead the Dining Design Trend
When looking at interior design trends for residential campuses, directors tend to focus on the first impression made by the entryways, followed by the details of the sleeping spaces. It’s unfortunate that the dining room is often a secondary consideration. All that is changing, however. And not a moment too soon. Today, more residential site leaders are…
Read MoreFurniture Designed with Seniors in Mind
The U.S. population is growing, and our overall age profile tends to be older now than in years past. Remember when a 100th birthday celebration used to qualify for a segment on the local TV news? Today, there are so many centenarians, your evening broadcast could easily be nothing but birthdays. As America ages, more…
Read MoreSelection is a Must Have for Furniture Buyers
Every trend has a counterbalance for buyers. For example, online shopping, with its voluminous capacity for search results, has given rise to consumer demand for unique items. Instead of the same-old, off-the-shelf product choices, everyone from the college athlete to the urban mom is looking for something special. In fact, customization has become the latest…
Read MoreFurniture Enhances Safety in High-Risk Environments
Professionals who interact with high-risk populations have changed their philosophies over the years in how they manage outbursts. A growing body of literature now supports only rare and minimal restraint applied exclusively to prevent harm—with a larger vision toward eliminating the use of seclusion and restraint. For example, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) has…
Read MoreYour Business Plan Must Include Furniture Investment
In the business world, the hunt for revenue never stops. You’re always on task to acquire new customers and clients, while keeping up relationships with the existing ones. And once the revenue hits the books, you need to make the most of it, whether that means investments in personnel or infrastructure, paying down some debt…
Read MoreDetails Make a Difference In Furniture Quality and Customer Satisfaction
Quality and customer satisfaction matters. It’s true for automobiles, electronics and even health services.That’s why we’re not surprised that the “Best Hospitals” list produced by U.S. News & World Report still receives positive feedback, even now in its 30th year. We’re especially pleased to hear that for the first time standardized patient satisfaction scores were added…
Read MoreHow To Assess Quality in Wood Furniture Surfaces
When you look at wood furniture, you might quickly gauge it to be good quality because … well … it’s wood. Doesn’t wood always mean quality? Not so fast. Here’s a handy guide that will help you look for the distinctions in wood furniture surfaces to ensure you’re getting the quality you want. These features are…
Read MoreThe Furniture Budget Survival Guide
Many of Us Know That Panicked Moment When the Wants of a Furniture Buying Project Exceed the Project Budget. The realization that some well-planned part of the project has to be dropped or altered can be hugely disappointing. So what strategies can you put in your negotiating arsenal to help bridge the gap between the budget…
Read MoreHow to Use Furniture to Aid Consumer Independence
Incontinence can severely limit patient or consumer independence. Limited mobility can also be a big obstacle since aiding consumers in their movements from one area to another is demanding on staff time and resources. So what can you do to help build confidence and independence in your patients or consumers? Believe it or not, your furniture can be…
Read MoreThe 5 Benefits of Metal Furniture
Metal furniture has recently become an interesting topic in facility planning and design. Once considered too utilitarian in style, contract metal furniture has developed a fresh surge in popularity for a variety of reasons including durability and cleanability. While wood furniture will always remain a popular option, here are the top five reasons to consider metal…
Read MoreThe Camp and Dorm Mattress Buyer’s Survival Guide – Part III of III
In Part three of our three part blog series we will be exploring the extra stuff contract dorm mattress suppliers offer on their mattresses. The first item to choose from is the type of binding. Your choices are inverted seam or tape edge. (844) 961-4100 Get Quote Now Speaking of bed bugs, mattresses are a prime source of concern…
Read MoreThe Camp and Dorm Mattress Buyer’s Survival Guide – Part II of III
Buying mattresses for group living facilities is a big task. Furnishing mattresses for hundreds of sleepers is an intimidating prospect. So how do you decide which type of mattress to buy? Why do the prices span such a wide spectrum from suspiciously cheap to crazy expensive? In Part I of this three part blog series, we compared buying mattresses…
Read MoreThe Camp and Dorm Mattress Buyer’s Survival Guide – Part I of III
Choosing the right mattresses for dormitories and camps is crucial for ensuring comfort and durability. In this three-part series, we’ll explore the key factors to consider when selecting dorm mattresses, starting with Part I focusing on mattress cores. From foam to fiber and innerspring options, understanding the pros and cons of each core type is…
Read MoreMaking Group Living Spaces Livable
Any time you have more than one person sharing a living space the lines of functional spaces are bound to start blurring – living rooms can become a place for abandoned shoes and jackets; dining tables can end up collecting mail and magazines; and the bedrooms? Well they just end up collecting everything else! So…
Read MoreThree Crucial Tactics for Group Dining Facilities
Group Meals Are an Essential Part of Any Group Living Environment. Whether in a therapeutic or purely social setting, providing the right furniture to make dining comfortable for consumers as well as functional for staff takes a bit of planning. Rest assured there are many tried and true ways to set up your dining space regardless of the size…
Read MoreComfort Has Value in Healthcare Residences
The dictionary defines comfort as “a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint.” But comfort is much more than that. There’s a psychological element to comfort that helps an individual feel taken care of Residences, nurtured and supported. With the busy (and sometimes totally exhausting) routines typical in America, we’ve noticed an…
Read More5 Creative Ways to Manage Patient Incontinence
Patients and consumers with incontinence create a special kind of demand on staff and direct service providers. Not only is there risk to the health of patient, but cleaning both the patient, furniture and flooring takes the time and effort of staff trying to manage broad responsibilities, incontinence. Furniture can often be ruined by bodily fluids that…
Read MoreThe Myth of Crate Furniture
Crate style furniture might have been inspired decades ago by excess shipping crate inventories, but what has evolved is an enduring style that is far from its utilitarian roots. The Appeal of Crate Furniture Typically constructed from renewable pine, wood crate furniture is warm, inviting and comfortable. Not convinced? Consider the following: Furnishing a health care or group…
Read MoreContract Lounge Furniture Buying Mistakes and How to Fix Them
As a leader in the contract seating industry, we hear from lots of people who become responsible for buying the furniture for their facility despite having no real experience with furniture buying. We often ask these buyers if they feel like they drew the “short straw” and we overwhelmingly find that is the expression they find most…
Read MoreThe Modern Rules of Institutional Furniture
The phrase “institutional furniture” is still used as a broad reference to furniture for group living and health care environments. This phrase suggests high durability and virtual indestructibility, but the phrase “institutional furniture” also calls up images of unattractive, sterile and uncomfortable seating, bedroom and dining pieces. In today’s group living and health care environments, institutional furniture has come…
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