Purchasing new office desks and other types of office furniture might sound like an easy task, but there’s actually far more to it than you might think.
Firstly, you’re spending money and that means you need to be sure that you’re getting the best office furniture for your cash. You also need to make sure that you’re making sensible choices, and not going down the route of fads which aren’t going to stand the test of time.
Despite those slight pitfalls, looking into cool office furniture ideas and changing your office around, replacing old furniture, or perhaps furnishing a new one, is a fun and exciting endeavour and if you involve your employees in the whole process, you can be sure that you’re purchasing the right types of furniture for their specific needs. Remember, your employees are the ones who are going to be spending the bulk of their time in that office, so their opinions count possibly more than anyone else’s!
So, what questions should you ask first and foremost?
It really depends on the type of furniture you’re purchasing. For example, if you’re buying new office seating, ask yourself how much you need, what you’re going be using it for, whether you need to go down the route of ergonomic chairs perhaps, and also look at how interchangeable you want the chairs to be. If you’re using a hot desking system for example, you’ll need chairs to be easily adjustable from person to person. In that case, ergonomic options are a good idea.
If you’re looking into buying new desks, you really need to think about space and placement first and foremost. Standard, rectangular desks are more flexible because they can be placed along walls, under windows, and can be pushed together. Despite that, curved desks are a very popular choice, albeit a space consuming one. How about glass desks? To make the ultimate impression these are ideal, but you do need to think about your budget and what you can realistically afford.
Within all of this you also need to bear in mind health and safety. If you cram too much furniture into a small space then you’re going to create a working environment which isn’t particular pleasant to spend time in, and possibly also cause a hazard in terms of someone tripping and falling. For instance, it’s not a good idea place large office storage close to a door, because someone might have the cabinet doors open looking for something and someone else walks through the main office door, crashing into it. It’s important to think outside of the box and understand which types of furniture are best for the space you have.
So, let’s sum up. When you’re thinking about buying new office furniture, what questions do you need to ask:
• How much space do you realistically have?
• Do you need the furniture to be bespoke, e.g. adjustable?
• Do you need the furniture to be moved around regularly? In that case, modular furniture could be a good option for you
• Do you need to make a positive impression on visitors? If so, choose stylish options which have a real ‘wow’ effect
• Would you consider second-hand furniture if it brought the cost down?
• What are you going to do with your old furniture?
Exploring your options and taking your time in your decision will ensure that you make the right one, rather than jumping in and making a snap decision. In this case you might end up purchasing furniture which is less what you need and more what you want in the moment. Remember, office furniture is an investment and in order to make it a good one, you need to explore options, think outside the box, ask the opinions of your employees, and shop around for the best deals.
Here at Calibre Office Furniture we have some fantastic and innovative furniture choices for you. For help and advice call our sales team today on 0800 0125 654 or email [email protected].