You’re finally ready to move out of your home office to a small-but-fancy office space at a nearby business centre – all thanks to the steady stream of business from loyal clients. While choosing an office space is one of the most important decision in your growing up phase, the growing pains don’t stop there: You’ll still need to choose the furniture to go with your fancy office space.
You’ve searched high and low for the best furniture for you, the CEO, and your two employees; you’ve kept your eyes peeled on offers you read online or furniture magazines. You’ve finally found out that, choosing the right furniture is not as easy as you imagine.
Firstly, you need to choose carefully because you’ll probably be on your office desk 9-to-5, five days a week – minimum. Choosing the wrong chair or desk can be devastating. Secondly, you need to consider your budget, as quality often comes at a price; striking a balance is quite challenging.
But fear not, we are here to help!
Here’s how to choose the right office furniture
Without further adieu, here are some tips to help you choose the best office furniture, courtesy of our friends at Order Office Furniture, an online store offering furniture experts’ pick of high- quality executive furniture:
1. Office layout vs. Furniture size
Yes, that desk is great-looking; but does it fit? Does it look great in the overall layout? Is there enough room to open the cabinets and drawers? Can you and your employees roam around the room easily and comfortably? And don’t forget about your emergency exit: Don’t let your furniture block the path as it poses a risk to your office (and there are workplace safety laws to comply to!)
Those are the kind of questions you need to put the check marks on when it comes to choosing office furniture.
2. Choose practicality over aesthetic
I love office furniture. However, I need to keep reminding myself to focus on the practicality first, and aesthetic factors second. Both are important – but functional, effective furniture goes a long way.
Here are the questions that you need to ask yourself: Does your desk have enough storage for files? Can your furniture accommodate different functionalities? Is there enough space for your legs? Should you invest on a regular desk or standing desk? Is it easy to maintain the furniture?
3. Opt for value for money, not the cheapest
Starting out in a new office and cash-strapped, it’s easy to say yes to the cheapest furniture that you can find. But hold on, and think: More often than not, cheap furniture often comes at a hefty price – quite contradictive, I know. Think about it: Quality does come at a price, and even if the furniture looks great, you need to consider the quality of the finishing. You want high-quality executive furniture that is affordable and durable; in other words, you should focus on value for money, not the lowest price.
4. Focus on ergonomics
Believe it or not, furniture can look great but have poor ergonomics. Some desks are too high or too low; Some office chairs are a pain to your, um, behind – no pun intended. And, oh, that back and neck pain – it’s often caused by a wrong sitting posture and a not-so-ergonomic chair.
Invest on ergonomics won’t hurt – it’s good for your and your employees’ productivity and overall well-being.
5. Most importantly: Choose comfort
Related to ergonomics, you mustn’t forget that comfortable workspace is a dream to many. It remains a dream for one reason: They don’t focus on comfort.
They often forget that they will work in the room, on the desk and chairs for hours, every day – so they opt for the bare essentials. You shouldn’t make the same mistake: Invest in comfort, as – just like ergonomics – it impacts the quality of your and your employees’ work.
Takeaway
Choosing an office furniture is not an easy task. Choose wrongly, and you’ll end up draining your budget for the furniture that you don’t really want. Therefore, you should take your time before making any decision. Alternatively, you may want to hire a furniture consultant or an interior designer to help you out.
Focus on practically and always keep your eyes on your budget – you don’t want to get started in a brand new location with big red figures at the end of your financial reports.