By Lisa Balschunat
Standing in her new creative design offices
at 153 Regent St., Saratoga Springs, in
a historic building, Dorothy Rogers-Bullis,
president/owner of drb Business Interiors,
insists, “if you don’t have space that works
for you, you don’t work well. We takes raw
space and trick it out to make it a great space
to work in.”
Rogers-Bullis’ interior design company offers
expert advice and quality office furniture
to suit the needs of small businesses and large
corporations, public spaces, restaurants,
small offices, manufacturing space and more.
Bullis and her design staff look at a space,
account for the functional requirements, then
meld them with a blend of hardware, fabric
and color. The aim is to create a business
office or commercial space that is stellar in
both design and functionality.
Since 2008, drb has worked with hundreds of clients throughout the country including hospitals, libraries, banks, small businesses, state government offices, schools and even an organic farmer, to design work space, procure commercial furniture and install the final configuration to provide a pleasing and functional work area that will stand the test of time, she said.
“Knoll is our main line,” Rogers-Bullis said, “It is classy, quality, reliable and it doesn’t go out of style. The Knoll tulip chair, the sprite chair, and the most sought-after ergonomic desk chair, the Generation, go unmatched. Knoll products have unbelievable warranties. They are durable, they are sleek, they are classic.”
Though Knoll is drb’s main furniture line, the design team also has access to over 100 lines of commercial office furniture from wood and glass, fabric and leather, made in the USA products, green office products, and lines such as Nucraft Global, OFS, Stylex and Kurg. drb has a full showroom in its’ newly purchased building. With an experienced and trained design and sales team of nine, drb creates both “inspirational and functional” office and business design space, she said.
Since its opening in 2008, originally on High Rock Avenue, drb has assisted numerous hospitals, libraries, banks, colleges, universities, restaurants, manufacturing facilities and small businesses.
“We are excited to be in this old Skidmore College theater building,” she said. “Now clients can visit drb, walk our showroom and imagine the possibilities.”
The staff at drb spend “a tremendous amount of time with the end user and/or commercial designers in the conception phase,” said Daniel Bullis, vice-president. “The design, procurement and installation has to be right the first time. We interview our clients to fully understand their needs, work with commercial designers if need be, handle the measurements, work up renderings of color, layout and furniture to provide the user with space that makes sense to them.”
drb clients can enter the two-level, 2,500 square-foot showroom to sit in the chairs, pull up to a desk or conference table, try out a work space, see the colors and touch the fabrics. Clients will find in the drb Technology Center a user-friendly way to brainstorm a project with the design team. After a detailed information session, the client will see a virtual image of the space they are maneuvering.
drb uses state-of-the-art computer aided design (CAD) system coupled with the most current software to show a client the space from ceiling to floor, and the colors and textures 360 degrees, before any procuring the actual interiors.
“Every job is different,” he said. “We spend a tremendous amount of time in the design phase to make sure we understand their needs. It’s got to be right the first time. The measurements, renderings of the space, color, layout to procuring furniture and installation are all part of our services.”
“If a client needs a particular kind of seat, for a hospital lobby, for example, that needs to be cleaned with bleach, but they want it to look good and be comfortable and durable, we can make it happen,” Rogers-Bullis said. “If someone wants a contemporary look, a classic feel or a high-tech slant, we do that, too. We recently designed an office for an organic farmer in Argyle. He had limited space. We maximized it and make it work well to suit his needs.”
Many local businesses and organizations like the Saratoga Public Library, Saratoga Hospital, Adirondack Trust Bank, SUNY Plattsburgh and AIM Services, have turned to drb to coordinate space as they build, grow or expand.
drb also works within the confines of manufacturing spaces. “We have one client that needs production space reconfigured frequently depending on the month. We have all of their floor space data on our server, and on a back up server, so at different times during the year so we can reconfigure the space accommodate their needs,” Bullis said. “To make this happen seamlessly, we offer them space in our warehouse in Malta to store several units until they need them back again in the production line.”
If drb’s half-year business results are any indication, he anticipates increasing the staff by one and capitalizing on future growth opportunities in Saratoga County, the Capital District, Tech Valley and Upstate New York.
drb Business Interiors is a New York Women Business Enterprise. For more information call 306-5233 or visit www.drbbusinessinteriors.com.