Furnishing a new office can be a daunting prospect, as you need to consider the overall aesthetic style you want your business to embrace, and decide how you wish to present yourself to any visitors. You’re sure to have questions: Where do you start? What should you choose from the massive range available?
Whether you want to go with a modern, minimalistic style or a more basic, traditional layout, business offices generally feature the same pieces of furniture, all of which perform vital practical functions.
Desks
Depending on the size of your team, you will have to accommodate a particular number of desks to ensure everyone has their own comfortable working space. For small teams, this may be just a case of placing five or so desks around the office, giving everyone plenty of room. For larger teams, fitting everyone into the space may become more difficult—you will have to choose designs which suit both the space you have available and the entire image you wish to convey. Function should always take priority over form.
Chairs
For staff sitting at their desk for long shifts, chairs need to be comfortable enough for them to feel relaxed and at ease. There are many different types of chairs available, from more basic designs (ideal for brief meetings) to ergonomically-designed chairs offering full support to ensure maximum comfort throughout the day. Whilst you may not necessarily have the budget to buy top-price chairs for everyone, you should place the comfort and happiness of your staff as a top priority: expecting them to sit in undeniably uncomfortable chairs all day may lead to problems further along the line (to say nothing of morale issues).
Reception
It goes without saying that the first thing visitors (and clients) to your business should see should impress them—sometimes, first impressions really do count. If you have a reception area, you should be sure to present it as well as you can: do the layout, colour scheme, and furniture represent your business profile as it should? There is a huge choice of reception desks available, ranging from the more basic design to modern, stylish versions, to suit a diverse array of offices. Ideally, your reception desk should reflect the overall décor theme for the entire office, showing visitors who you are as soon as they enter the building.
Storage
You will need storage in your office, there’s no getting around that. However, there are so many options available you’ll be able to find storage equipment—cabinets, shelving units, lockers etc.—to complement the rest of your décor. Whether you want varnished woods or sleek metal, storage equipment is a key practical aspect of furnishing an office, and will prove essential as your business progresses.
About the Author:
Debbie West writes on a wide range of subjects for many diverse websites, from today’s best modern office furniture to cooking; she uses sites such as www.calibre-furniture.co.uk for research. She is a fan of fantasy novels, hang-gliding and calligraphy.