Guest Article
Planning your office space can be a little bit brain boggling at times. It might seem a simple enough task, but there are plenty of things that could be on or off your list of essentials.
With so much choice in today’s commercial world, how do you know what you really need? Everyone will tell you that their product is perfect, but good planning will help you narrow down the choices to help create your perfect environment. Here is a great guide to help you decide what furniture your office needs.
A Practical Place
First of all, a practical furniture plan will keep your office working efficiently. Make a list of elements that you’ll need, like surface space, storage etc. What are the things you need to do your job well? Once you’ve got a quick tick list, then it’s time to think about your arrangement.
A cramped layout will make work difficult and motivation will be low! It won’t create a great office environment if you pick the wrong furniture. First, measure your space, and if you have the computer know-how, then make a scale plan drawing of your office. This way you can decide what will go where, and using computer programs you could even drag and drop potential elements into place, playing around with positions and sizes before you even make a purchase!
Future-proof
When buying your office furniture, a classic mistake is to just buy what you need now. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, because you will indeed buy what you need. The flaw comes months, years down the line when your shelves are full and you need to rethink your space once again. The key when you’re buying is to spend time considering expansion, how you will grow and what you are perhaps hoping to have or need in the near future.
Future-proofing isn’t just about investing in things early though; it’s about investing in the right things early. Budgeting often causes a lot of internal conflicts, but if you’re looking to make a good investment in your office furniture, then good advice would be to avoid cheap alternatives. You can pick up office furniture for next to nothing, that much is true, but how long will it last before you have to replace it? Buying for the future often means a little stretch in the beginning, but that little stretch now will always go a long way into the future.
Your Space Speaks
The last thing to do is realise that your space speaks about you. It might seem like an odd point, but actually your office might be a place that you meet clients, co-workers or potential investors in! Remember before you start buying that an office space doesn’t need to be totally practical, you want to create an environment that’s pleasing to the eye too. If you have an office that’s lovely to look at and a pleasure to work in, your motivation and your staff’s work ethic will actually improve too. So think color schemes as well as storage, and aesthetics as well as angles. Try to look at furniture that matches, you may not always be able to buy everything from one place, but if you can match up finishes, textures and colors. Your goal is to make your place of business an awesome place to work.
Get shopping!
The only thing left to do now is get browsing for office furnishings! Heading online for great price comparisons and using budget estimation are good ways to keep your costs as low as they can be, and make sure you get a great deal on whatever your final choices may be. Your office space will be an efficient, pleasant place to be in, once you’ve followed this guide to decide on your furniture. Who wouldn’t want to work in an office like yours?
“Modern Office Interior” courtesy of Rosen Georgiev / www.freedigitalphotos.net
About the Author: Tom Reynolds has written this article on behalf of Strictly Tables and Chairs, one of the leading suppliers of banqueting and stacking chairs. They consider office furniture hugely important and offer a wide range of seating and table options for every all purposes and occasions.
Great article. I liked the “future proof” point. It makes so much sense to visualize what we might need in our office down the line and get them upfront. It also makes the home office look complete.
If you have a small office, it’s really important that you find the perfect furniture, since your office ambiance must speak for itself and reflect the quality of what your office does.