Office furniture is arguably as important, if not more important than the location of your office.
With the amount of time you and your colleagues spend in the office over a given week, you need to be comfortable, functional and happy in your surroundings in order to be motivated and productive.
1. Make sure the office furniture you choose fits the room and that there is enough room to open cabinets and drawers, and that people have enough room to get to their desks, and in and out of the office. There are by-laws that require wider corridor widths for fire access.
2. Office furniture needs to be suitable for the purpose. A cool looking desk isn’t necessarily functional. Cafe style chairs and tables might look good in a catalogue, but are they appropriate for a legal office?
3. Don’t forget extra office furniture items like storage cabinets, bookshelves and computer stands as these will provide additional functionality and storage space for your office.
4. Make sure that your office furniture is ergonomic. It is important that it is comfortable as well as stylish and practical. Health and Safety requirements need to be adhered to, as many strains, aches and other work-related ailments could be avoided.
5. Divide the room where possible by having separate areas for different types of staff. Those who spend all day on the phone will have different furniture needs than those who need room to view design ideas or those who need peace and quiet.
6. Different moods can be created by using different coloured chairs, desks, or tables. Partition heights offer acoustic assistance and shelving options.
7. Stylish hi-tech modern designs, or functional basic shapes? What you choose will depend on the nature of your business and your budget. Your office furniture may be fashionable today, but will it still look stylish in 5 years’ time?
8. Think about the impression your office furniture has to give to clients as well as staff. Office furniture for a firm of accountants needs to be different from a graphic design company or a call centre. The office might be part of a factory or a restaurant or shop, so it needs to be appropriate and in keeping with the company image. A design agency will want to appear creative and vibrant, whilst a solicitor’s office will want to appear calming and welcoming.
9. Think about the future: how easy is it to expand the office layout using your chosen furniture? New employees, technology or processes and procedures may mean that the office layout has to change frequently. Can you move desks around yourselves, or do you need the fitters to take the desks apart so they can be rebuilt in a different part of the office? The one thing we can guarantee is the office will change.
10. Good office furniture will encourage and assist employees to be more productive by ensuring that all they need is at hand, and they can carry out their duties without disturbing others.
These tips should help you to decide which office furniture is best for your needs and will meet the needs of your staff, giving the right impression to your clients and other visitors. The right office furniture will look good, be comfortable and last a long time.
