Before taking the plunge and filling your room with new office furniture, there are a few things that you will need to consider. Since you are the one who will be using the furniture, you will want to think about your personal taste, your work style, and even how your body fits with the pieces. Another item on the agenda is your clients and the impress that they get when they enter your office. Do you want to project an image of stately conventionality or urban modernism?
Don’t dismiss this as a waste of your time. You may be busy, and decorating decisions were never on your schedule. However, by taking a few minutes now, you will save yourself a lot of time, energy, and money later on.
Feel Good and Work Better
Although your mind may be crunching numbers or writing reports, if your body isn’t comfortable, your ability to think will be impaired. When selecting an office chair, make sure that it is adjustable so that it fits your body. When sitting in a good chair, your feet will rest flat on the floor and your back will be supported.
To help support your posture, most office chairs adjust to fit your frame. Others even offer lumbar support to help with lower back pain. Arm rests also can be fine tuned for your body. This is important because comfortable arm rests provide support while typing and can relieve arm and shoulder stress.
A Desk is the Heart of the Office
A desk is more than a table that holds your computer, a notepad, and a pen. It is an important piece of furniture that is there to serve you, your work style and your personal taste. When choosing a desk, you need to apply a different set of rules than you used to buy your chair. A chair has to fit your body. A desk has to fit your work style. Before you commit to a desk, ask yourself a few questions. Do I need large work surface? Is my life surrounded paperwork and files? Do I need a place to store them?
This is also the time to consider your own taste. If you are all about minimalism, a large stuffy grandfather desk may not inspire the most creative work. Style also tells people about your company before they have even met you. An old family law firm may want to express an image of confidence, money, and sophistication. They do so through dark, heavy, wood furniture usually made from oak or cherry. A young, modern firm specializing in advertising or design will most likely want bright colors and clean spaces that communicate their style.
Room for All of Your Stuff
One byproduct of every office is the accumulation of stuff. This can be piles of files, reports, prototypes for experimental products, proposals, and plans. You will need a place to store all of the information that you collect. Many stylish storage units today are made as modular units so that you can pick out the parts that suit your style and needs. It is important to first consider how often you need to access this material. If it’s a struggle to reach, then your system isn’t working. How big is the item? Make sure that your materials fit into the shelving units and that they will not be damaged there. What about prying eyes? Is this information confidential? Does it need to be store out of sight or do you want it displayed for all to see?
A Place for Everything
The most important thing when selecting office furniture is to measure the size of your office. Large library-style pieces can provide a rich, luxurious look. But, if your room is so cluttered with furniture that you can’t get through the door, your office cannot function. Conversely, the clean minimal look is young, stylish, and hip, but it doesn’t always account for all of the papers, files, and tools that come into our work lives.
Do you know what things to consider when buying office furniture? Get the inside scoop now with our Office Furniture Brisbane overview.