Carroll Seating, Author at Carroll Seating Company

Published: 30 April 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Seating Solutions

School cafeterias are unique places these days. You have to ensure a solid traffic flow so students can get through the serving area in time to eat, but you also want to make it an inviting place for every student. The standard industrial look just doesn’t do it these days. Our work with Plaza Middle School was an excellent proving ground for us. After all, there are no tougher critics than twelve and thirteen year old kids.

What We Did
We were asked to come in and provide every inch of the design work. For us, this meant creating a cafeteria seating layout that worked for students and staff, coordinating existing food service equipment into a layout that breathed efficiency, and looking at things from a “that’s cool” standpoint so students would really love the new lunchroom.

On that front, we created a custom laminated focal wall behind the service line itself, came up with an amazing railing system for the kids to line up at, developed custom logo graphic tables, and added durable custom artwork pieces throughout. The crowning jewel, though, was the eye catching school logo’s Tiger Eyes soffit that is actually backlit to make the eyes pop out at students.

The Results
Students and staff alike love the new space. It’s an environment students actually want to be a part of. We managed to combine their mascot and important themes to the school to help amp up student pride a bit, and because we used school colors throughout, it helped to personalize the space.

The lunch hour is one of the only times each day students can easily interact with friends, and that’s an essential life skill too, so we created intimate small group sections and booth seating for students to help invite students in. The booths and clustered seating area give it that fast-food feel students are so accustomed to, and we managed to meet all of the ADA seating guidelines in the process of our design work.

Middle school kids are tough critics, so we were nothing short of surprised at all of the positive feedback we got with this project. Now if our own kids would only think we were that cool.

Published: 26 April 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Locker Solutions

Hallway lockers can be the perfect addition to a variety of facilities, particularly educational facilities. They’re a great way to store lots of things in one place safely. Before you decide on the right lockers to meet your needs, though, you may want to consider the following:

Strength: There are lots of reasons those on your campus may be using lockers, but you can bet that none of them are delicate. You need a choice that is strong enough to handle books, sports equipment and more. If you’re in a school setting, you also need a choice that can handle some abuse from students. A stack of books sitting in a locker is one thing. A backpack full of books slung into and out of the locker day after day is another thing entirely.
Durability: You probably plan to use these lockers in the years to come, so durability should be a serious consideration. While there are lots of new materials out there for locker construction, you’ll want to choose something that will hold up in the years to come. Most lockers take quite a beating year after year, so make certain that you choose one that will hold up.
Maintenance: As much as you’ll be relying on these lockers, you want them to need very little maintenance. It can get old to spend school holidays working on them time and time again, so ensuring that they’re nearly work-free as often as possible is an absolute must.
Cost-Effectiveness: Lockers aren’t going to be one of the cheaper line items in your budget, but you can make certain you get your money’s worth, particularly if you choose Carroll Seating Company to meet your needs. With a variety to choose from and a personalized project manager on every job, you’ll always get what you need at a price you can afford.

As you attempt to find the right lockers to your needs, talk to your project manager to get an idea of the best lockers for your facility. They’ll help guide you with all four considerations in mind.

Published: 23 April 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Casework & Millwork

With new buildings or even redesigns, it’s often the little things that make a difference. Paint colors, for example, instead of a dry, matte white finish could make an office look more inviting, helping to propel your business forward. Specialty millwork, too, can serve the same purpose.

Understanding Customized Millwork
From creative doors to great baseboards and crown molding, specialty and custom millwork provides those special little touches you just can’t get with off-the-shelf solutions. It helps to bring together the whole picture of your office, tying in the right design themes that will help put your customers at ease again and again. Think the millwork details don’t matter? Think again. Consider an unfinished room for a moment. It likely feels incomplete. Now add in the right millwork components. Even if you have the same drab white walls, you have a far more complete look, helping you get more done every day.

Carroll Seating Company has been providing specialty millwork solutions for decades. More than just a company that designs seating solutions, we can create the ideal look in almost any setting. We’ve worked in schools, libraries, hospitals, and lots of offices in the past. Our work has been featured in offices of some of the biggest brands in the nation, and we would be proud to feature it in your office as well.

From start to finish, we provide turnkey solutions to help meet your needs and your budget. We can help with the initial planning phase and recommend the right products for every job. We know you want the highest level of satisfaction at the right price, and we’re committed to meeting your needs.

Excellence defines Carroll Seating Company, so as you look for a custom millwork provider, please keep us in mind.

Published: 16 April 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

Outdoor seating has gotten a bit of a black eye over the past several years. Thanks to a number of wind incidents, storms, and a variety of other accidents, outdoor bleacher safety is a fairly hot topic these days. Whether you’re an athletic facility, a concert venue, or something completely different, the last thing you want is to put your patrons and entertainers or athletes in danger, so both choosing the right outdoor seating solutions and performing regular maintenance on your existing seating is a must.

Selecting the Right Outdoor Bleachers
Selecting the right outdoor bleachers is the first step to maintaining a safe environment. You should consider capacity, available space, and sightlines as you develop the right outdoor seating plan. Remember that outdoor bleachers don’t simply have to be hard metal benches anymore. Instead you can customize your solution with backrests, various colored powered coats, and even customized seating arrangements that will make your area work for almost any event. There are even press boxes you can choose to sit on top of your bleachers.

The key to getting the right ones for you is to talk carefully with the company you’re considering. You want to let them know about your needs as well as your safety concerns at the outset. There are all sorts of different solutions to consider, from tip and roll bleachers (ideal for pools and other venues where bleachers may need to be moved) to customized grandstands. Talking with your company about exactly what you want will help you design the perfect solution from the outset.

Bleacher Safety
Even after you select great outdoor bleachers, proactive maintenance is going to be an ongoing need. It will help you lower your long term costs, and it could ensure you reduce your accident levels, as well as any legal risks you may face from those potential accidents. You need to not only take into account the general safety of those who may be using your bleachers, but also whether or not they’re in compliance with local and state codes. Don’t forget to document all of your inspections and repairs carefully, and if your seating company suggests any aftermarket products to protect your investment, you should certainly consider it.

Outdoor bleachers can be the perfect place to cheer for the home team, but quality seating has to be part of the equation. Make the right choice at the outset, then maintain it well.

Published: 9 April 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Casework & Millwork

Public libraries are unlike any other spaces on the planet. They’re not even really like other libraries. College libraries serve only the needs of university students and academics. School libraries are specifically designed for kids of various ages. Specialty libraries are often dedicated just to experts.

Public libraries, though, have to meet the needs of the many. From great reading areas for kids to help entice them in day after day to careful spaces constructed for elderly patrons, public libraries need special attention when it comes to design, so we’re nothing short of proud to put our name on the design work of the Alsip Marionette Park Library.

A Year in the Making
Some design projects take just a few months. Others, like this one, take quite a bit more work. We got started in January of 2012. After preliminary designs, pricing, and all of the details that go into any of our projects, we were finally able to install some of our Brodart Contract Furniture line in February of 2013. All of it was custom made for the library.

In the adult sections, we were able to design double faced computer carrels to save space as well as individual study carrels with pop up power and data for those using laptops. We also integrated new reading tables, study tables in the study room, double sided book displays, and custom OPAC stations as well as dictionary and atlas stands.

In the children’s area, we designed square and round tables at heights that worked for both children and adolescents. We also created half-moon computer stations with velcroable front panels for reading fun. Additionally, we added a customized children’s puzzle table among other things.

This project really demonstrates how far we’ve branched out from the idea of seating. We wanted to be part of this from the start. With us, you know you’re never going to have to flip open a catalog, point to what you want, and have us assemble it. Instead, we invest ourselves in delivering exactly what you’re looking for, and we succeed with quality and precision.

Published: 25 March 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Seating Solutions

Whether you stop by a local fast food joint or you’re having a seat at that hip little bistro down the street, you may see more communal tables than you ever have before. Not familiar with the concept? They usually seat up to sixteen people, and the benefits can be enormous. In a world where online communities are quickly becoming everything, promoting actual communities through seating like this is certainly not a bad idea. It can help regulars sitting near each other get to know one another by passing the salt and pepper shaker, and it may help them feel more at home. It can also keep people in the area longer than you’d imagined, which may mean additional profits.

Thinking about going this route with your food court seating? You may want to consider the following:

Make certain the table works with the dining space itself. If you’re doing a retrofit, you need to carefully consider traffic flow and the actual spacing. Communal seating means larger tables than normal, so think carefully about layout before you go with communal tables.
Think about your customers. Communal tables don’t work well in every setting. Big tables may mean louder conversations, particularly in the food court setting. That may even be disruptive to others, so consider customers before you make your choice.
Table height matters. You can get community tables in both the high topped variety and the more standard size, and finding the right one to meet your needs may take a customer survey. In most cases, something standard will work best, but a bar-height can also work well.
Don’t forget about lighting. This is a big concern in the case of retrofitting an area with communal tables. You’ll need fairly specific lighting for the table you choose. If you don’t make that consideration, you could certainly end up leaving it in a light void. Communal tables can work in a food court seating area, but make certain you carefully consider them before you install them.

Communal tables can work in a food court seating area, but make certain you carefully consider them before you install them.

Published: 19 March 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Casework & Millwork

College dorm designs are becoming increasingly complex. While it was once enough to simply have a standard room with two beds and two desks as well as a bathroom on every floor, these days, colleges have to create a very different home away from home for those students who choose to live on campus. We were recently asked to work on the first new dorm in 40 years at Northern Illinois University, and our innovation and creativity made the project nothing short of success.

One-Thousand Units and Counting
The project itself was quite varied. With 1,000 different units in the complex as well as common spaces and a sizable community center that included a food court, recreation facility, and a lounge, creating a number of different challenges to overcome. Durability was a must in a college setting, as was the custom casework that would be necessary to give the residents the right level of space throughout the units while making everything look amazing at the same time. Our results were fantastic.

In the 80 cluster kitchens inside the complex, we installed the casework necessary to make them functional thanks to Case Systems Inc. Throughout the full 1000 units inside, we installed closet shelving and rods as well as solid surface tops and sinks. We also created an amazing look at the security desk thanks to the custom wood veneer panels. We installed a custom wood veneer mail counter to help make certain students had the mail facilities they needed, and in the food court, we created a custom checkout station to make certain students could get in and out with ease.

Diversity Means Everything
As a company, we’ve met many challenges in the past, but few quite like this one. It was a unique opportunity to step things up to the next level, and everyone loves the results, particularly the students who now call that building home.

Published: 12 March 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Locker Solutions

Employee lockers are a wonderful way to make certain employees have a secure storage area, but in some professions, they’re more than just a good way to make sure your employees have a bit of personal space. For firefighters and police officers, lockers are a must-have. Before you choose just any set of lockers to outfit a new station or facility, though, there are several things you must keep in mind.

Durability. Keep in mind what will be stored in these lockers. These aren’t junior high textbooks. In most cases, you’re going to see heavy, expensive gear in every single locker, so make sure you’re getting a product that will tackle that gear without a problem.
Materials. Along with durability, you want to make certain that the locker you choose is made from materials that will ensure a long life. Go with something that includes heavy-duty construction. Steel is usually a good choice. A powder coat finish may also help. The last thing you want to do is replace lockers like these on a regular basis.
Use. Lockers for firefighting gear are likely going to be very different than security lockers for weapons. Don’t think for a moment that there’s a one-size-fits-all solution for police and firefighters. You may even need to go as far as a custom solution depending on the type of locker you need.

First responders need real storage solutions that help them do their jobs effectively and the first off-the-shelf locker you find simply won’t handle that level of reality. Before you outfit a new station or facility, carefully consider your locker options to make certain these heroes get the storage space their jobs demand.

Published: 5 March 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Seating Solutions

Whether you’re talking about a local community center, a high school, or one of the best universities in the nation, gymnasium seating can be nothing short of difficult to purchase. The seating is easily one of the most important products you’ll purchase for your gym, and getting it right the first time is key to the success of your facility.

Telescoping Options

In many cases, you’ll want telescoping seating included somewhere in the plan. While you may end up with half of your facility dedicated to fixed seating options, adding some telescoping seating options to your gym can really be a help for events that are simply bigger than you’d initially planned. What’s more, though, is that since they don’t have to be present all of the time, you’ll have the flexibility you need when it comes to floor space.

There are really two main choices when it comes to telescoping seating. You can either go with bleacher style seating or platform style seats, and the differences here depend a bit upon your goals. While bleacher style seats are sure to help you pack the crowd in for every event, platform seats are likely the more comfortable of the two options. In some cases, you may want to go with a mix of both seating styles, but decisions like those have to fit into your layout and the aims of the facility. You may also want to look into flex seating options that could allow you to carefully configure seating arrangements that will better suit the needs of the various sports your gym plans to host.

As you shop for telescoping seating options, make certain you look for a solid combination of durability and reliability. It could also be important that you look into ADA compliant seating to help make some guests more comfortable and help to make sure your facility meets the code requirements.

Customization
No matter what seating option you end up with, don’t forget that with many companies, you can customize your choices to help make it unique to your gym. In many cases, you can add wireless remotes and even audio alerts to help make your seating safer and easier to operate. You can also typically add school lettering or logos that help to make your seating choices look unique.

With gymnasium seating, you don’t have to go with the first solution you find. These days, technology appears even here, and no matter what your goals, the right company can help you meet them with perfect seating.

Published: 27 February 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Seating Solutions

With a heavy heart we announce the passing of Anita “Nita” Frazier. Taken too soon in life Nita will be remembered by all those she leaves behind. Her twenty-three years of service and dedication to Carroll Seating Company was unwavering. Detail orientated and the ability to direct, Anita wore many hats, Personal Assistant to Pat Carroll Jr, Office Manager, friend, confidant, but above all part of the Carroll family. Her undeniable love for all that crossed her path will resonate in the hearts of those she touched forever.

We are fortunate and immensely grateful to of had our time with Anita may she rest in peace knowing she was loved by so many!