6 Furniture Must Haves For A Trendy Office
The average person will spend 92,120 hours of their lifetime in the office, so ensuring that the workspace is practical and welcoming is essential.
With so much of our time spent in the office, it is surprising just how little thought can be placed on keeping the working place up to date with an atmosphere that keeps us motivated and gets the best out of us and all other employees.
It can only take for small changes to have a massive effect on an office, whether it is a large office or a home office – having the correct furniture and equipment is to the interest of any business or sole trader.
Laptop Stand
Dependent on the nature of the job and position, sometimes we take our work away with us – whether that is on the road or home. The introduction of cloud storage means that companies can easily save and transfer files from colleague to colleague, and machine to machine, easily.
In order to cut down costs, many companies now provide employees with laptops, as opposed to desktops, so as they are able to work remotely as and when required. For this reason, laptop stands that sit on computer desks are fast becoming an essential piece of furniture in offices.
New Computer Chairs
Computer chairs are where we spend the majority of our time in the office, so they must be comfortable and practical. Ageing computer chairs can be damaged, which can ruin the look of your office giving the wrong impression for anyone that walks in.
As well as killing your office’s sleek look, old computer chairs can be dangerous if they are too damaged. The risk of a chair breaking with someone sat in it increases as the chair becomes more damaged, which can result in an injury possibly resulting in time off or a claim against the company.
Matching Furniture
Aside from making sure that all of your office furniture serves its purpose, the most important thing is that your furniture matches. Think about the design of your office and the colour scheme in it – if the majority of your furniture is white, a brown cabinet is simply not going to fit in.
Try not to stick to tired traditional colour schemes, try and modernise where possible with contemporary finished furniture that injects life into your workplace. If you work from home then you have far more options open to you as the office is there for one person and one person only – you. Think about your likes and dislikes and incorporate that into your design and, when you have this, pick and choose your furniture accordingly.
Moreover, make sure your furniture reflects your industry. If you are a high-end financial or legal firm then classy french furniture, like some of these pieces from Homes Direct 365 could work really well, however if you are a funky tech firm you might want to stay on trend with modern Swedish designs (think IKEA, but with panache!).
Lighting
Office lighting can easily become an afterthought. After all, as long as there is light it’s alright, right? Wrong. Proper lighting is essential for an efficient office.
Do away with any flickering bulbs and lights that are not bright enough – by installing the correct lighting your office will become a much more inviting place to work, as opposed to a dull and dark prison.
Desk lamps are also a practical solution for improving the lighting of your workspace, particularly if you do share your office with colleagues. Incorporating your own furniture personalises your desk and improves motivation, which has a positive effect on productivity.
Storage
Proper storage units not only keep your office clear of mess and clutter, they increase productivity and allow for more space to let your creative side loose. Shelves matching with your computer desk present an opportunity to store important documents, as well as personal memorabilia such as certificates and pictures of loved ones.
A messy office is certainly not a stylish one and one that you definitely wouldn’t want potential clients coming into. Mess screams of a disorganised business – even if customers very rarely, if at all, visit your office you should always remember that your office represents your business.
Seating
Space permitting, seating such as sofas and standalone chairs help instil a relaxed atmosphere where colleagues can go to on breaks and socialise with one another. Encourage the team to step away from their computer desks as prolonged eye strain is not healthy.
Office seating can be an inexpensive way to improve the chemistry amongst your team and allow colleagues to get to know each other, even if their desks are on the opposite side of the room. Seating will also go down well with any clients that do visit as this will make your office feel more welcoming.
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