Everything evolves over time, from food to drinks, clothes to jewellery, and that also includes office furniture. The earliest desk began with a chunk of wood, the earliest chair didn’t even move, the most simple of storage cupboards was literally a shelf. When you think about the all singing, all dancing office furniture we have these days, it’s really quite mind-blowing to think about the many developments that have occurred.
Office furniture has really taken a dramatic turn, and thankfully, it’s much safer than it has ever been before too! The earliest office chairs really had a high risk of falling out of them, and the earliest desk was not in the slightest bit comfortable! Ergonomics were a word that nobody knew even existed, even less what it was! A breakout space? Nobody had the first clue, but these days we’re all about the modern twist on office space planning and office furniture.
To give you an idea of just how far we’ve come, let’s check out the evolution of office furniture over the last few centuries.
The Earliest Office Furniture - The 1800s
When the first office really came into function, the furniture which adorned it was super basic. You can imagine what we’re talking about, wooden chairs and desks, nothing had wheels, nothing moved, it was all static, and really quite uncomfortable. It was during this particular century that the office chair was actually invented, by none other than Darwin himself. This chair was the most basic prototype you can imagine, but a little further into the future, wheels were added to the design, by US President Jefferson. You really wouldn’t have pictured those two having much to do with the type of office chair you’re currently perched on today, right?
It wasn’t all totally basic during the 1800s however, as towards the end of the century, roll top desks were introduced, and basic filing systems. These usually consisted of a drawer separated with pieces of cardboard, much like the old separator systems you saw up until the early 1990s. Thankfully, we’re more into the digital side of storage these days!
We didn’t have the desktop computer or laptop at this time, let alone the tablet, so it was all about the good, old typewriter. This didn’t come until 1867, and because of this development, which was quickly adopted by offices everywhere, the roll top desk become literally redundant, and was replaced by the regular flat top desk you still see occasionally today. More upmarket types of desk had drawers on either side, but in all honesty, it was literally a wooden table, and not the most up-to-date office desks you see today! Can you imagine sitting for seven hours or so at a flat desk with a chair that simply had wheels and no adjustment capacity? A numb behind and a rather aching back was the end result of a long day in the office for many.
The Technological Age Begins - The 1900s
By the dawn of the 1900s, more and more knowledge was apparent about health and safety in the workplace, and this really changed the way an office was set up. We still didn’t have a clue what ergonomics were, but placement of desks was a hot topic. Placing a desk close to a window or near to natural light was considered a good thing to do, something which still rings true today. Not packing too many desks into one space was also a trend that started to catch on, although the ‘battery hen’ style open plan offices still caught on halfway through the century.
Offices by the mid-1900s, compared to the 1800s, looked hugely different, and that was mostly down to the development of technology. We of course had the telephone by the start of that century, but computer technology was fast starting to take over. This shaped the way an office was set out, but it also changed the way furniture was designed. A desk which held a computer (albeit a rather large and chunk desktop) needed to have more of a shape, compared to a flat table design from the 1800s. Curved desks started to be developed, to allow greater comfort during a long day at the computer screen.
In addition to this, office storage was starting to become a big thing. Rooms were often set aside as storage rooms, with huge filing cabinets adoring the walls.
The biggest changes really came down to:
• The material desks were made of
• Reduction in distractions, thanks to office partitions and screens
• A great awareness of health and safety, and the implantation of plants, better lighting, ventilation, etc
• Security, e.g. locks on desks to keep personal items (bags) safe during working times
Whilst desks were previously made of heavy, cumbersome wood, metals were starting to become the fashion addition to offices. There were many reasons for this, but the most common was down to cost. Metal desks were also easier to move than wooden ones, although less aesthetically pleasing in many cases. These days, we have a mixture of the two, so this one trend which didn’t catch on completely.
The use of office screens and partitions is still something which is used today, for privacy and for quietness during in-depth tasks. In the mid to late 1900s, screens were used to segregate teams of workers, and allow collaboration, without distracting those around them. A lot of research into workplace psychology was starting to be done around this time, showing that privacy and quiet was a great way to boost employee productivity.
We mentioned plants and nature, and again, during this particular time, a lot to theories were starting to come out about the use of nature and how it all affected employee performance. During this time, you would often see a heavy use of plants dotted around large offices, often to the point of too many! Watering them was quite the task …
Finally, we mentioned locks on office desks, and this was for a security reason. Because offices were often open plan during this time, there were always countless people milling around a busy space at any one time. Employees didn’t feel secure in terms of their bags and other personal belongings, so an employee wellness tack was to implement desk locks, to give greater peace of mind.
As the 1900s came to an end, nearing the year 2000, technology was really the order of the day. We were still using the large desktop computer, but laptops were starting to become a trend that would catch on in a much bigger way in the next few years to come.
Ergonomics is The Buzz! - The 2000s and Beyond
The 2000s have all been about employee wellness and productivity boosting, and much of that was started by the importance of using ergonomic office furniture. This can be modular office furniture, a simple chair, a desk, anything you can think of, but the idea is to make it as safe and healthy for use as possible.
The beginning of the 2000s was really a continuation of the last few years of the ‘90s, but as the century has worn on, we have seen major changes to the way an office is run, including it’s overall design in terms of the furniture chosen. We are now much more aware of how space should be used, as well as how to get the best out of an office in terms of employee health, wellness, and productivity. Technology has also advanced ten-fold, meaning that huge desktop computers are used much less often nowadays, and instead we have laptops and tablets taking their place.
Regardless of the type of computer used, furniture still needs to be ergonomically designed to ensure the health and safety of the person using it. Office chairs needs to be adjustable, and desks need to be shaped correctly for the task, as well as being height adjustable if at all possible. We also have zones and breakout spaces, which help to bring about a sense of teamwork and worth in an office environment. We better understand the idea of first impressions, in terms of making the reception area as welcoming as possible for visitors. We utilise our space better, we know about nature and art to boost the feel of an office, and we understand the different working methods, such as home working, distance working, freelancing, activity-based working, hot-desking, etc.
Put simply, the way we work, the way we organise our offices, and the way our office furniture has changed, really has come a very long way indeed.
If you’re looking for new office furniture in London, or indeed in any location, head online and search for ‘office furniture near me’. We have some great choices here at Calibre to help towards decorating your new space, or to renovate an existing one.
How do you feel about the way office furniture has evolved over the years? Could you imagine yourself working in an office in the 1800s? Where do you think we will go in the future?