Whether you’re expanding your office space, setting up a new office, or fitting out your home office, office furniture shopping is always exciting. But it’s important to ensure that you shop for furniture in such a way that it works for you and the space you’re equipping. Here are our top tips for shopping for office furniture, for a large, small and a home office.
LARGE OFFICE FURNITURE SHOPPING
Large offices are often a blank canvas when it comes to office furniture shopping, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t focus on the basics. First of all, what is it that you do in your office? Is it mostly desk and computer-based work? Do you need areas to collaborate in, or a break-out zone? One or two segmented private offices? All of these factors – and more – will need to be thought through when shopping for office furniture.
For example, have you thought about employee well-being? If you are mostly desk-based and your employees have designated desks, have you considered height adjustable sit-stand desks?
These are great for both wheelchair users and those who prefer to stand whilst working. Similarly, many people like the collaborative, team-feel of working together, or maybe your team use laptops, effectively hot-desking? If any of these apply to your team, is an open plan office layout something that works for you?
Once the basics have been established, you can then shop accordingly. Large open tables work better for collaborative teams and hot-deskers, especially if you do not rely on a lot of telephone-based work. If you do work on the telephone a lot, consider desks with acoustic sound dividers so as to absorb colleagues’ conversations and make it easier to hear your own phone calls. You can also think about private office spaces and segmenting large offices off, as well as furnishing them with executive office furniture or boardroom furniture, too.
MEDIUM OFFICE SHOPPING GUIDE
Medium sized workspaces can be trickier when it comes to shopping for office furniture. Often not quite big enough to go large with office furniture shopping, yet they have a decent amount of space to fill. As such, it’s essential to think about the type of work you do and what you need the space to do for you.
Is a small team using the space, and as such, will there be a variety of occupations within the office? If so, will some be on the telephone whilst others need large desk space for multiple screens or creative work? And how about meeting or collaborative spaces? You may find that cluster desks or a cluster system works well for small teams in a medium sized office, perhaps with a separate breakout table. Some canteen and breakout tables also fold for optimum space within a medium office.
BUYING FOR A SMALL OR HOME OFFICE
Whether you’re furnishing an individual office within a shared space or a home office, the great thing about shopping for a small office is that you can choose pieces to suit your individual sense of style and needs. However, you’ll also need to consider:
- How much space you have
- Your budget
- How often you’ll be using the space
The space will obviously determine the size of the desk you purchase, for example. However, there are plenty of compact office desks available. And when setting your budget, think about all of the little extras that you may need, such as office storage, desk furniture and any fixtures and fittings such as blinds or curtains.
In addition, how often you’ll be using the space? If you’re planning on working a 40 hour week in your office, then you’ll need an ergonomic chair or a sit-stand desk.
On top of this, think about how all of these things will fit with your style. This is especially true if it’s a home office, as you will want the space to blend seamlessly with the rest of your home. For example, you may choose the likes of a coffee table with built in storage; this is both practical and stylish for your home and yet presentable should you have clients come to visit.
Ready for some office furniture shopping? Talk to ADD office.
As a UK-wide supplier of premium office furniture, ADD office is where you should be doing all of your office furniture shopping. Our extensive range of high quality furniture features something for the big, medium, small and home office, to make it a functional yet stylish space. Contact our expert team today for bespoke advice on the space you are trying to shop for.
