Modern Office Furniture

What is the impression of your employees, business associates and customers when they walk into your office? More and more companies are downsizing and failing to see how the addition of modern office furniture can upgrade their appearance to those who are visiting!

Today with more and more people working from home, offices are becoming dinosaurs and unfortunately all too often the furniture in them is reflective of the ‘old school’ mentality of doing business. It’s time to consider your office furniture seriously and see if it properly reflects your business style, is appealing to customers and business associates as well.

What is the difference between ‘modern’ and ‘old fashioned’ furniture?

Today the primary difference in furniture is that ‘smaller is better’. More compact work spaces, corner desks, enough space to hold critical technology all makes for a modern work area. Your office staff needs to have sufficient workspace to work, however the old large solid oak desks that our fathers and grandfathers loved are no longer practical, they appear ‘old’ and we can update to more modern furniture very easily as costs have come down considerably for furniture, especially since fewer large offices exist.

Spending Wisely

The first thing to be aware of when you are considering modernizing your office is your budget. Since your ‘front office’ is the first place that your employees will see (creating their mindset for the day) and your customer see (creating their mindset for your meeting) you’ll want your front office entrance to be as modern as possible. In today’s growing technology markets, our customers don’t necessarily look for that ‘old school’ look that has been popular for so long. Massive desks today are more a sign of waste than they are a sign of ‘established successes’.

For those who work in a large office setting, normally the reception area will have the most impressive of desks and the other offices (or cubes) will have more utilitarian desks (though the old putty colored metal desks are seldom seen today). Inside sales persons desks may also be a little more elaborate than those in telephone sales person’s offices as well, as they will meet with customers more frequently in their offices.

There is no need for spending exorbitant amounts of money for a smart looking desk. Today, there are hundreds of options for modern looking furniture that is sensible, smart looking and offers all of the features that you need.

Modern looks in furniture

Sleek lines in desks, ergonomically designed chairs and sleek bookcases are the style of the day! You no longer have to have the ugly green and putty colored filing cabinets in the corner to show people the success of your office! Let’s face it, in today’s competitive market place, your workplace and communication systems distinguish you from your competitors!

Since the desk is the focal point of your office, it sets the style for the entire office! This desk should reflect the style of the work that is being done! If you’re making a lot of telephone calls and simply typing on a computer all day long then you probably would prefer a smaller desk, but if you’re really working on your desk day in and day out then a larger desk is probably in order! Your desk should be elegant, comfortable and functional all in one! You want to establish a ‘friendly’ workplace that is comfortable and functional and your desk is going to be the centerpiece of your office workspace. For those who are ecologically minded you have thousands of newer options that are made from sustainable forests and the benefits are tremendous (a) natural wood has a natural aroma and (b) you won’t get toxic compounds in the air you’re breathing!

Do you need filing space at your desk? Selecting a desk that offers filing options today is so easy, many have both letter and legal sized capabilities! Since space is always a challenge, you can do more ‘space planning’ by selecting corner desks, corner curios which will hold your computers, printers and paper. Your office furniture should maximize the ‘open’ space in your office setting – this gives the impression of a much larger area of work! An open work area makes your employees more comfortable with their work, your clients more comfortable when meeting with you and provides and overall ‘friendlier’ feel when you have someone walk through the door!

Maximizing Space

Maximizing open space in your office is sometimes the key to making it appear that it’s larger than it is. Coordinated pieces of furniture as shown here can give the impression of much more space than is really there. This type of a set up with desk, credenza, storage cabinets above the credenza and a matching filing cabinet offer all types of possibilities when you’re setting up your office to maximize the open space. This type of a set up reflects clean lines, a streamlined approach to storage and allows you to rearrange the furniture in a way that is best suited to the space that is available to you. The contrasting of the brown/black allows for endless possibilities for brightening up the work area with art work, carpet and window treatments.

Making the most of limited space and having easy access to filing, storage and other areas for spreading work out can be a major challenge. For those who prefer slightly smaller desk, this type of a set up allows you to have the smaller desk (maximizing your open space) and still allows for additional storage components to be within easy reach of the desk user. This can allow for easy access to necessary files when working on a telephone and still allows a suitable meeting location for meeting with clients.

Home Office Desks

With more and more people working from their homes today, there is an entirely new market that has been created by people who now want an office in their home. Desks for a home environment are typically much different than those that might be found in a local office building. For instance veneers might be used more commonly in a home setting, generally corner desks that include filing space and storage space play a role in selecting a home office desk are the best option for at home workers as they take up less space and provide the user with more working space.

Our home office desks tend to be less ‘formal’ in terms of looking like furniture as they’re often kept in a separate room and are not necessarily a centerpiece of a room that is used all of the time. This results in a different ‘look’ and ‘feel’ of home office furniture versus the type of desk that might be suitable for a professional office environment.



For those who are space aware and don’t want their office furniture to be an eyesore in their home, coordinating furniture like this cab be used very effectively. The open working area, hidden storage space and filing space is very convenient when working in a smaller area and allows the user to access everything easily from a comfortable chair.



Credenza Desks

Credenza desks are basically secondary desks that allow for additional work pieces. Often they have hutches attached to them for storage purposes and allow users to keep their ‘main’ work space cleared. Credenza styles are often used in executive offices where there is a requirement for several meetings a day allowing the user to keep their main desk cleared of clutter to allow for meeting with clients or business associates throughout the day.

Armoire Desks



Generally these types of desk have a writing table within a large cabinet that allows the doors to be closed to keep out dirt and grime as well as providing a cleaner appearance than a desk (as you can hide the cluttered work area!) – many times you’ll find these types of desks in homes or in smaller offices. Work surfaces are generally adjustable to provide ergonomically correct work surfaces. Some armoire desks are direct descendants of the antique roll-top desks since they provide the same way to hide and store current work.

Ergonomic Chairs

Today we’re becoming more and more aware of the damage we are doing to our backs when we spend our entire day sitting in our chair. This is the one part of any office you want to splurge on if necessary. Nothing will help more with back pain and discomfort than a comfortable chair that fits the user. Chairs are not always one size fits all; different users need a different chair in most cases. It was once generally accepted that a chair was a chair, but today, those who are very tall need chairs to accommodate their frames and those who are short need chairs that don’t put additional pressure on the backs of their knees while they’re working.




Whether you’re interested in a leather executive chair, a simple task chair or an ergonomically designed chair, your choices are extremely varied. Today’s office chairs come in a variety of models, colors and fabrics and are best selected with the user in mind as well as the amount of wear and tear they are going to take. If you are going to be in your chair only an hour or two a day, you may not need to take the same things into consideration that someone who is going to be in their chair for eight to ten hours (or more a day).



Ergonomically designed chairs are made for those who spend many hours a day seated at their desks. With specially designed backs, seats and arm rests these chairs are meant for long term sitting to minimize back pain, leg pain and even swelling in the feet. Some people prefer chairs without arms while others prefer chairs with arms.



When selecting an office chair for ergonomics you should look at some specific types of features on them. First off the seat height should be easily adjustable and should have at least a five inch range, you want the person using the chair to be able to easily put their feet flat on the floor and still allow their arms to be at an even height with the desktop. Seats need to be wide enough and deep enough to allow users to be seated comfortably. Most chairs are generally between seventeen and twenty inches wide. In a best case there will be two to four inches from the back of the knees to the chair allowing the user to sit comfortably without pressure on the back of the knees.



Ergonomic chairs should allow for lower back support to avoid strain on the lower spine. Look for chairs with a good lumbar adjustment (height and depth) which will allow the chair to be shared with multiple users if necessary. Backrests should be between 12 and 19 inches wide and allow for natural support of the curve of the spine with proper support of the lumbar region of the back. Backrests that are adjustable forward and backward are preferable; making sure that there is a secure lock to prevent it from going too far back. Because the amount of time sitting in an office chair is so varied, it’s best to pick out a well cushioned seat that has breathable fabric versus a hard surface. For those who prefer armrests they should always be adjustable to the user and swivel chairs allow for easy reach and less strain to reach different areas of the desk.

Kneeling Chairs

While you’re not actually kneeling in these chairs they are designed to shift your body weight forward and supported by your shins. This particular type of chair is designed to reduce strain on the lower back as well as encourage good posture because your hips are slightly forward and your weight is distributed more evenly between your pelvis and your knees reducing stress and tension not only in your back but also in your leg muscles. If considering this type of chair be sure to purchase one that allows for some lumbar support and have adjustments for height and angle.

Summary

When searching for your office furniture, it’s important to know up front what look you’re striving for. There are many pieces of modern office furniture that will help you set up your office and establish exactly the look you are searching for.