Remodeling or starting from scratch, you are likely to get confused if you’re looking to design your office with Furniture.
U-shaped desks or L-shaped? Vertical cabinets or lateral? Bankers lamps or torchieres? When you’re outfitting an office, the furniture choices can seem endless.
But before you start throwing items in your online or in-store shopping cart, industry experts recommend that you consider several main issues, including budgeting, space allocation, and business image.
Let’s look at these aspects one by one.
Budget
Determine how much you can realistically spend on furniture, then research places with the best prices and selections.
Furniture dealers, office supply stores, and online stores like Anima Domus are obvious stops. If you order online or through catalogs, make sure you’re familiar with the product and check the return policy if the FurnitureFurniture doesn’t meet your expectations. Also, check to see if the dealers will install your FurnitureFurniture.
Modern Italian Furniture can be the way to go. You can get a lot of luxury furniture items to choose from. They are minimalistic and can stun the people who will visit your office, right from the word ‘go.’
Estimate The Time
Consider the number of hours you and your employees plan to spend in the office. For example, if your work is primarily outside sales, you may be able to forgo expensive or ergonomically designed pieces. But if your job is computer-centric, such as accounting or programming, appropriate lighting, ample deck space, and a comfortable chair are essential.
The Office Size Matters
Industry experts also advise that you calculate your office’s size and figure how the Furniture will accommodate the employees – including future workers as your business grows and the anticipated number of visitors.
Choose Furniture That Matches With Your Business
Think about the image your business is trying to project and buy Furniture and artwork to match. An upstart paralegal service will likely use more conventional pieces and corporate photography or art. At the same time, a graphic design shop is expected to look funkier, with modern paintings, even sculptures. In either case, local artists looking for exposure to a wider audience might be eager to hang their work in your office for free.
Time To Shop: Cover All The Bases
Now you’re ready to shop. Take an inventory of essential items – desks, chairs, lamps, filing cabinets, and bookshelves – before spending money on frills. While the brushed steel lamp may seem irresistible, consider going with chrome and funnel the savings into items that can affect the quality of your work environment, such as an ergonomic computer keyboard or deluxe desk chair.
Don’t overlook communal Furniture such as conference and breakroom tables and reception chairs. Remember to include small items like trash cans, fire extinguishers, desk organizers, coat racks, and bulletin boards.
If you’ve ever spent eight hours sitting in a wobbly, low-back chair, keyboarding at a dimly lit table – and have the carpal tunnel to show for it – you know the most important components of an office are chairs, desks, and lighting. The chair seat should be 16 to 20 inches high and be deep enough so that it doesn’t hit the back of your lower legs. Make sure the chair is adjustable, has tilt tension, armrests, and offers lower and upper back support.
Note: When you sit in the chair, there should be 1 inch of space on either side of your body.
Fix The Lighting
To avoid eyestrain, appropriate lighting is essential. Ambient light should shine from the side of your computer. Don’t put a light in front of your eyes or place your computer in front of a window. A desk lamp can help illuminate your work, but don’t let the light shine onto the computer screen. If glare is still a problem, consider purchasing an anti-glare screen for your monitor.
Final Word
Your office is your business’ base. The last thing you’d want is to have a bad impression on the clients due to poor lighting or Furniture. Avoid that from happening by taking cues from this article and designing an amazing office.
