When it comes to decking out your office, this doesn’t sound like the most inspired space to be fitting with furniture – it seems to be more of a necessity to do so than anything. However, creating a productive and aesthetic office is actually something that you should take seriously and put some consideration into.
If you’re unsure where to get started, then keep on reading our article. Not only will we discuss the importance of choosing the right workplace furniture, but we’ll give you our top 10 tips to consider when doing so.
Why is it Important to Choose the Right Workplace Furniture?
Often, most people’s initial thought when they picture an office setting is a relatively bland space filled with rows of desks, computers and swivel chairs. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Of course, offices are spaces to work, not relax, yet you still want to create a space that encourages productivity.
In order to increase productivity, then it’s essential that you promote employees’ wellbeing, encourage collaboration and enhance your company’s brand identity. Focusing on these things in your office design will help you to achieve a space that people enjoy working in, which can subsequently lead to a boost in productivity.
This is why it’s important that you choose the right office furniture. If you’re not choosing your workplace office furniture pieces with these goals in mind, then you’re less likely to reap the benefits they offer. Think about what furniture will be beneficial to your employees physical and mental wellbeing, what furniture will encourage employees to collaborate and what furniture can be used to suit your brand image.
Having these in mind is a good place to start when looking at office furniture to choose. In the next section, we’ll look at 10 additional, more specific considerations you should also be making in order to make the most successful purchases.
Key Things to Consider
1 | Budget
As is important to factor into any financial decision, when looking to invest in office furniture it’s essential that you create and stick to a budget. This needs to be a realistic budget that finds an ideal balance between your finances and your needs.
It can help to first come up with a ballpark number on how much you’re initially willing to spend on workplace furniture. Then, think about what furniture needs you have that need to be met – do you need desks and chairs or just chairs? Do you need communal seating for employees to relax during their break? Are you looking to invest in visitor seating?
Once you’ve determined what exactly it is you need and the quantity you need, do some research to gain a rough idea on how much this will cost you. You can then compare the prices of the furniture you’re seeing with your initial budget, then determine which you’re willing to compromise on and tweak each accordingly if they don’t initially match up.
Once you’ve determined your final budget, make sure that you stick to this. Doing so can also help you in deciding between one piece of furniture and another depending on which is more financially appropriate.
2 | Style
Just because your workplace is a place for, well, work, that doesn’t mean that it has to look dull and drab. Quite the opposite, actually; a positive and inspiring environment (without being too distracting) works as a great motivator for employees. This is why style should be high up on your list of considerations when picking out office furniture.
There are a few ways you can interpret style when choosing your furniture. Firstly, you want to choose items that match the rest of your office space and work well together, rather than appearing completely out of place, then you want to think about how the appearance of certain pieces affect their purpose and lastly you want to ensure that everything is ergonomic and easy to use.
Essentially, these can be condensed into three separate subcategories: comfort, practicality and aesthetics – which we’ll go on to explain next. You want to tick each of these boxes when choosing the best style of furniture.
3 | Comfort
Making sure that any furniture you buy, chairs especially, is comfortable is part of your responsibility to your employees. Thankfully, many modern office chairs are made to be ergonomic, meaning they fit the shape of the body in a way that is comfortable and supportive to sit in.
There are, of course, also other factors that play a part in comfort, such as fabric, size and adjustability, which should all be thought about alongside how supportive they are. Chairs with padding, soft fabric seats, high backs and lumbar support are some of the best kinds for those who sit at a desk all day.
4 | Practicality
Of course, most pieces of furniture will be fit for purpose. A chair offers a place to sit, a desk offers a place to put a computer – you get the jist. However, you should think more about specifics.
For example, do each of your employees have a double screen setup and still need room to jot down any notes or work on their laptop, as well? If so, then you’ll want to ensure that your desks offer enough space for this. Perhaps your employees are often in meetings or needing to collaborate with other colleagues, in which case a swivel chair would be much more convenient than a static one.
Make sure you choose furniture that’s fit for your specific purposes.
6 | Aesthetics
When it comes to aesthetics, you have free reign over what styles and colour schemes speak to you most. Although, we would recommend opting for pieces that match each other and would work well visually within your current office setting.
Opting for colours that match your branding is also a plus!
5 | Space
Space is up there with budget when it comes to key considerations. It’s all very well investing in all this new furniture, but if you don’t have the space to cater for it without everyone being cramped together, then you would’ve been better off without it.
Make sure you crack out the tape measure and note down what space you’ve got available and refer back to this, being sure to check the sizes of that new reception desk and those new sofas to make sure they’ll fit before you go ahead and buy them!
7 | Quality
When investing in office furniture, you want your investment to last. This is why you want to look at the quality of the pieces you’re buying – low quality items are less likely to last you as long before breaking or deteriorating, although at the same time the higher the quality the more expensive an item might be, which is why you want to try find a good balance between the two.
8 | Brand Identity
When it comes to establishing your company’s brand, you don’t only want to do so for your customers, but you also want to establish it internally. By upholding the presentation of your business’s brand image within your offices, not only will this reaffirm a sense of company identity for your employees and help them to feel like part of a collaborative team, but it will also allow you to upkeep your image should you have any visitors to your company.
Your furniture choices can play a part in this – from sticking to a colour scheme with unique, fun styles, or perhaps more refined and sleek designs. Regardless, consistency is key.
9 | Current Needs
Ideally, you will have already done this in the planning stage, but remember to focus on what your current workplace furniture needs are. You want to make sure that you are prioritising your most pressing needs. For example, if employees currently have nowhere to sit and relax during their breaks, then you’ll want to focus on finding a sofa(s); alternatively, if many employees are sitting on broken or faulty chairs, then you’ll want to focus on replacing these.
10 | Future Needs
As well as your current needs, it’s also helpful to think about what your future needs may be. As your business continues to grow and succeed, you may need to start making changes to cater for this growth. Think about what you see happening for your business in the next couple of years and decide whether you can afford to start planning for it in your office space now.
This could be investing in more desks to make room for more employees, or creating and fitting out a reception area if you expect to receive more guests and visitors to discuss business with you.
From the Haworth Zody Chair to the Vitra Alcove Sofa: Corporate Spec Refurbished Furniture
If you’re looking for high quality, stylish office furniture that doesn’t break your budget, then you need Corporate Spec – the UK’s leading stockists of refurbished branded office furniture.
We carefully restore and reupholster all the furniture we supply, so you don’t have to compromise on quality whilst still paying the best price. We stock and supply office furniture from some of the leading brands, including Haworth, Herman Miller, Vitra, Boss Designs and more.
If you would like to learn more about the pieces we sell or have a query regarding one of our products, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today. Alternatively, you can book a visit to our showroom.
