Office furniture - what it is, existing features, what types there are and their characteristics

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It just so happens that we spend most of our lives at work - this is when we don’t sleep, don’t eat, and don’t enjoy our legal days off. Ideally, work should be loved. Doing what you like, communicating with people you like, being in a room in which you feel comfortable... Of course, not all of the above can be chosen or achieved right away, but some points can definitely be influenced. Let's take a closer look at the place, namely, the workplace.

Office furniture is something that has long ceased to be just necessities or interior elements. Nowadays, office furniture carries most of the functional load of the room. Without exaggeration, we can say that nowadays furniture for offices, enterprises and public institutions performs several quite important functions. Well, of course, aesthetically - after all, what do people pay attention to when they enter a room - that’s right, the decor, furnishings and interior design. However, in addition to visualization, modern office furniture is about functionality, ergonomics, comfort and convenience of both a personal workplace and the office as a whole .

Office furniture is designed to help the work process, make it simpler and easier. Properly selected staff furniture is ergonomic enough not to interfere with movement, functional enough not to create clutter and not waste unnecessary time searching . In addition, this office furniture for staff is comfortable just enough so as not to be distracted by a stiff back, lack of a footrest - and a little more so that you can relax during a break, lean back in your chair, drink a cup of tea or coffee.

Of course, in addition to all these “practical” definitions, we should not forget about aesthetics. Furniture for staff should appeal to both employees and clients . Modern office furniture is original design solutions. Really high-quality office furniture will fit seamlessly into any office, creating a holistic picture that will please the eye - both employees and clients. If we talk about furniture for a manager, for management offices or a meeting room, quality, design and beauty play an important role. That is why, even if you have a limited budget, you should not skimp on office furniture - this is your business card, an indicator of your taste and well-being. Furniture for staff and furniture for managers - truly high-quality and comfortable - is already half the success. This applies to the work of the staff, communication with clients, and the general mood.

Furniture for staff includes office tables - a personal workplace, if possible designed individually for each employee; office cabinets - individual or shared work cells, maximally spacious and convenient for everyone who uses their contents; other elements of office furniture... Each of these elements of furniture - both in itself and as part of the structure - must be carefully thought out and designed, made of high-quality materials, and durable. Below we will look more specifically at such furniture for staff as tables and cabinets.

Office desks - as mentioned above, an employee’s personal place, a place where a person works and relaxes, communicates with clients. Desk and computer desks, coffee and coffee shops, corner and round tables, classroom tables for meetings and various cabinets - these elements of furniture for staff and clients can differ in shape and size, functionality and purpose. Ideally, choose office tables, chairs and other furniture elements for each specific employee - depending on the type of work and, possibly, some personal data (your staff will be grateful to you - and this will be reflected in the level and quality of their work). But this is not always possible. Therefore, you can simply choose optimized office desks - ergonomic, maximally functional and comfortable.

Office cabinets are furniture designed for storing securities and office supplies, for filing and filing cabinets. In addition, wardrobes and wardrobes are used as furniture for storing things that have no place in the work process. As office furniture, cabinets can even serve as unique partitions and zone space. This is very convenient as it saves a lot of space. The components of an office cabinet - shelving, shelves, cabinets and mezzanines - can be combined to create just such a piece of furniture that is optimal for your staff. Modern office cabinets are functional and ergonomic. Occupying a minimum of space, they are able to perform maximum functions, limit and divide space, store large volumes of papers and other things necessary for work.

Furniture for staff, in addition to cabinets and tables, includes office partitions, chairs and armchairs, and upholstered furniture. The last one is furniture for the manager, for reception areas and break rooms. Office furniture nowadays has become more different from home furniture. If earlier it was the same desk or computer desk, chair and a couple of shelves, now designers are working on office furniture separately, and no less seriously. For example, a table-chair-shelf and a cabinet-shelf-cabinet for the office are now single structures. Furniture designs of this type allow you to save space and time (you don’t need to search for the right thing for a long time or go to the other end of the office to get it - you just need to extend your hand). Such furniture for staff is monolithic, and at the same time even more dynamic and functional. Ergonomics and comfort are maintained, and there is more free space.

Nowadays, furniture for staff is so diverse that it may not be repeated in any office or enterprise within a city, or even a region. There are many styles, colors and textures in furniture making. As for materials, natural raw materials, metal, plastic, glass or a combination thereof can be used. For example, furniture made of solid wood in a classic style or glass and metal in a minimalist or hi-tech style.

Furniture for staff represents the bulk of office furniture , just as ordinary employees make up the main part, the stronghold of the company. This very furniture for staff, as well as high-quality, stylish and solid furniture for managers, helps ensure high-quality, efficient and coordinated work. That is why office furniture must be chosen thoughtfully and carefully. It’s good if the office is large and you can freely arrange all the necessary furniture in it so that it is convenient to move and work. If the office space is small, you need no less furniture, or even more, so-called operational furniture comes to the rescue. Such furniture for staff includes mobile office cabinets, shelving and cabinets, compact office tables and chairs. This furniture is very profitable; it is designed in such a way that it does not lose its functionality.

It was in small office spaces that the open-space style was born. Furnishing offices in this style is a little different from the large open spaces we are used to with workers scurrying back and forth or small, crowded rooms. Manufacturing furniture for offices in the open-space style is excellent because modular designs are used. Such furniture is compact, takes up less space, while performing the same, or even more, functions. This style implies maximum compactness, while maintaining individuality and convenience for staff and clients. Modern, high-quality and functional office furniture helps this in the best possible way. Modular furniture designs allow you to do this without compromising the workflow. Furniture elements such as partitions and low office cabinets allow you to zone the space, limiting personal workspaces. All this only contributes to collective creativity and personnel management.

Furniture plant Stoross knows that furniture for staff must be carefully thought out and designed taking into account all the requirements of modern offices. Our plant offers just such furniture. Furniture making is, one might say, our strong point. The furniture we produce is made from high quality materials using the latest equipment and using only the best technologies. The staff furniture offered by our plant meets all, even the highest, requirements. This furniture is high quality, comfortable and reliable. She will become an indispensable “assistant” in the work process.

Furniture for staff, as well as furniture for managers and other office furniture produced by the Stoross furniture plant is always an original design solution, a large selection of materials and textures, colors and shades. Our office furniture will fit perfectly into any room and will appeal to both employees and clients. The furniture of our plant is ergonomic and functional, beautiful and comfortable, most importantly, it does not take up much space. In addition, our furniture products are of high quality, reliable and durable. Order staff furniture from us - and your employees will express their gratitude to you by working conscientiously and with full dedication. True, it is possible that this is how they hope to get your, so beautiful and comfortable, executive chair.

How to choose the right office furniture

Choosing furniture is not an easy task, especially when it comes to office furniture. Indeed, in this case, you need to pay attention not only to your preferences, but also to such factors as: its influence on the company’s image, emphasizing the style of the office, the comfort of employees and visitors. In addition, the following points should be taken into account: the size of the premises, the number of office workers, the approximate number of possible visitors and, of course, the budget.

Let's look at tips to help you choose office furniture:

1. Office furniture must be reliable and durable; it is often used much more intensively than home furniture. In addition, many employees do not use office cabinets, tables and other staff furniture very carefully. And that is why you need to pay special attention to the quality of purchased furnishings.

2. The optimal office furniture has a neutral design while still blending with the overall style of the office. The fact is that rarely any pieces of office furniture have one owner, excluding only the executive’s offices, and even then not always. In addition, furniture is often moved from one office to another.

3. It is desirable that the selected series of furniture includes a large number of items - office cabinets, office tables, office chairs, cabinets, etc. Firstly, this will allow you to select all the furnishings necessary for the functioning of the office, and secondly, it will make it possible to subsequently modernize workplaces with objects from the same series.

4. You should choose office furniture that is ergonomic and comfortable. Comfortable furniture for staff is one of the main components of good performance of enterprise employees. And it’s better if potential clients and partners spend minutes waiting in comfortable chairs.

5. Excellent external qualities of furniture mean solidity and respectability of your office. Especially when it comes to such a concept as executive offices. In general, the external characteristics of furniture are a rather important aspect, since the office is the face of the company.

6. It is advisable to buy office furniture from companies that have their own production capabilities. This will allow you to order individual designs or modifications to some pieces of furniture if necessary.

Based on the above points, you are guaranteed to select office furniture that will delight you, your employees and visitors for a long time. For our part, we would like to add that office furniture from the STOROSS furniture plant meets all the stated criteria and is one of the most popular brands on the country’s furniture market. Once you make a choice in favor of STOROSS furniture, you will forever remain a fan of our products.

Solid wood

The beauty of solid wood furniture lies in the wood itself - a natural, “warm” natural material that gives the products a luxurious, elegant look and makes each product unique.

Before becoming a material for making furniture, solid wood is dried and the surface is treated with special protective agents.

To make furniture made from solid wood more affordable and practical to use, often only visible work surfaces and facades are made of wood, and the remaining parts are made of MDF or chipboard.

In the luxurious Privilegia presidential office, solid beech wood is combined with high-quality MDF boards. The refined color of the furniture is given by the veneer of beech, olive, ebony, coated with a protective tinting.

How to care for office furniture

The office is the place where employees spend a significant part of their time, so it can be confidently called a second home. At home, we put things in order, clean, try to maintain cleanliness and take care of the situation so that it lasts for a long time. So in the office, every employee must not only keep his workplace in order, but try to ensure that it has a long service life. What needs to be done to ensure that office furniture serves faithfully for many years?

Assembly according to the rules

Special assembly diagrams will allow you to correctly assemble all pieces of office furniture, but self-assembly can lead to improper functioning and even breakdown. So it’s better not to neglect the help of a specialist, this is their job, and they are guaranteed to do it better than you.

Correct use of office furniture

Each piece of office furniture is designed for specific purposes, and the main thing in use is its intended use. You should not ride on office chairs or stand on tables to reach the top shelves in the closet. In addition, office furniture is designed for a certain load, so you should not overload shelves and drawers. Office cabinets allow a weight of no more than 20 kg, and office tables, or rather the bottom of their drawers, only 10 kg. If you cannot avoid placing heavy things, it is better to do it evenly. To make office cabinets and shelving more stable, they should be loaded on the lower shelves. After some period of operation, hinges, guide rails and locks must be adjusted and lubricated in order to avoid squeaking and difficulty opening doors and drawers.

High-quality care for office furniture

Different pieces of office furniture are made from different materials. Furniture for staff boasts laminated flooring and upholstered chairs, while executive offices feature genuine leather and varnished wood. And you should take care of the furnishings, taking into account the material and its quality. It is better to rub varnished furniture with a special product that contains beeswax, while laminated furniture simply needs to be protected from various damages and scratches.

In relation to leather furniture, it is necessary to avoid such products as: soap, washing powder, acetone and others. The ideal option for such care is a skin cleansing cream and a damp cloth.

Upholstered furniture in the office is not just a beautiful decor, it is a place where visitors can comfortably brighten up their waiting minutes. And this place should be looked after carefully. First, constantly vacuum or beat out dust. Secondly, wipe the upholstery of sofas and armchairs with a damp, but in no case wet, cloth or sponge. Thirdly, if a stain occurs, it is better to use a dry brush or warm soapy water, but only in small quantities. The following tips will make the life of office furniture as long as possible. They can be applied not only to office furnishings, hotel furniture and home furniture will also benefit from such care.

What furniture is needed for each functional area

Before you start choosing office furniture, it is important to understand what processes take place in each zone, who is involved in them and what the needs of these people are. Based on the data obtained, a list of furniture is formed, the quantity and required functionality of each product is determined. The office format plays an important role: traditional, with assigned workstations, flexible, where employees can change locations during the day, or mixed.

We draw up detailed technical specifications with representatives of companies that order office design projects in our studio. In them we record not only design wishes, but also the parameters of the premises, the functionality of each zone, and the number of employees in the departments. This allows you to understand how much area needs to be allocated for each zone and what to place there (in accordance with the functional purpose).

The document that we fill out together with the customer after studying the plans and visiting the site looks like this.

At the concept development stage, we select furniture taking into account the idea and budget, and after its approval, we create a specification in which we list the necessary items with article numbers and names of manufacturing companies. If the customer has entrusted the complete set to us, we order the furniture, control its delivery and arrangement.

Let's figure out what you might need.

Work areas

When setting up workplaces for those who are in the office every day, you cannot do without comfortable tables and office chairs. Then everything depends on the functionality of the employee. For example, accountants may need shelving or filing cabinets.

To understand what you can’t do without, analyze a typical working day for specialists from different departments. This will help you see who needs which set of furniture.

This is a description of the standard specialist jobs that most companies have.

It is important to provide places for storing personal belongings: for example, lockers with cells (approximate size - 40*40 cm) that can be opened using a code or card, located in the entrance area. They can be used by both those who are rarely in the office and all employees - the fewer items on the tables, the more productive the work.

We used such lockers in the Benua PAGE coworking space. The cells are of different sizes so that each resident can choose the right one. For example, a person who goes to the gym and carries a large gym bag with him rents a larger locker. And those who don’t want to carry a laptop and office supplies with them can put them in a smaller compartment. In office lockers, the cells are usually the same size.

The need for cabinets and chests of drawers is becoming less and less common, because information is stored primarily in electronic form. Sometimes so-called pull-outs are used: pull-out cabinets that are installed between tables.

We used such pull-outs in the Kemira office. They help avoid desk clutter and separate workspaces, creating a sense of privacy.

To calculate the amount of furniture, focus on how many employees you have and where they work. For those who visit the office sporadically, the optimal solution would be a shared desk. They need to be provided for 70% of employees who work outside the office: for example, there will be 14 seats for 20 people. If it turns out that all 20 arrive at the same time, the remaining 6 will have to be located in lounge areas, meeting rooms, waiting areas, etc. It is important that there are enough places in the office where you can work with a laptop or phone if necessary.

Entrance area

This is the point of first contact between customers and your company and, as a rule, the workplace of at least one employee.

To decide on the area of ​​​​the zone and the set of furniture, you need to understand:

• how often do visitors come to you?
• how many of them there can be (during the day and at the same time);
• how long do these people wait to be invited into the meeting room or manager’s office;
• who works in the entrance area and what is the functionality of these employees (does the administrator, for example, need to accept letters and parcels from couriers).

The entrance area, as a rule, is one of the areas of the office where nothing limits the creativity of designers; here you can use bold solutions to achieve a wow effect. It usually contains:

1. Reception desk
   It is advisable to make it closed in order to place shelves inside for storing documents. Height - up to 120 centimeters: this way employees will be able to work comfortably and will be able to see incoming clients. Be sure to choose ergonomic chairs for administrators.
2. The waiting area.
   Here you need:

• Sofas or armchairs. It is better to choose furniture of medium hardness so that it is comfortable to sit on, but visitors do not relax too much. Chairs can be selected with adjustable height in case the area will be periodically used for work.
• Coffee tables. There are models with the ability to adjust the height - this is convenient if you think that someone may need to work in the waiting area.

How many sofa groups there will be in the entrance area depends on its area and how often clients come.

In the office of the management company Cosmoservice, we have equipped a small waiting area, since the flow of visitors is moderate.

We placed different armchairs and poufs to create variety and choice. The blue chair has acoustic properties, it is convenient to use for talking on the phone - the material absorbs sound, and the conversation is not so audible to others.

In the office of Element Tampere (Finland), a large sofa with a table and lockers were installed in the waiting area.

• Wardrobe.
  Usually this is a separate room, inside of which there are open shelving with a clothes rail and shelves for shoes. The area is calculated taking into account how many employees the company has, including those who come to the office occasionally or come on business trips from other branches, as well as the number of visitors. There can be more shelves for shoes than there are employees: for example, if the company hosts many events with different dress codes, then everyone needs to have a place to store several pairs of shoes.

Recreation areas

We try to make lounge areas as different from work areas as possible, so that it is easier for employees to switch during the day. The productivity of specialists depends on how well the space is organized.

Seating furniture (poufs, sofas, armchairs) here can be soft, promoting relaxation. Power modules are sometimes integrated into it so that you can charge your laptop or phone during a break.

Minimum set of furniture for the lounge area:

• sofas, armchairs, poufs;
• coffee tables.

Non-standard elements can be used, for example, swings and hammocks - monotonous rocking helps you relax and switch to relaxation mode.

In the relaxation area of ​​the office of the IT company Fortis Online, we proposed placing not only soft sofas, but also swings.

If this fits into your corporate culture, you can place sleep capsules in the relaxation area - chairs with a dome that protects you from external factors and allows you to get the most quality rest in a short time.

The quantity and functionality of furniture depends on how many people work in the office and what the recreation area is used for. For example, if employees will periodically work in it to change the environment, it is better to choose tables and chairs with height adjustment and purchase acoustic partitions. If events can be held in the lounge area, modular furniture will come in handy, which will allow you to quickly refurbish the space.

We selected modular furniture for the lounge area of ​​the Kemira office. This allows you to quickly refurbish the space if you need to hold an event.

In the Emergn office, the seating area is equipped with high-sided sofas that provide visual privacy. High soft backrests contribute to better sound absorption. Round acoustic panels called baffles are installed on the ceiling.

At the Metso&Outotec office, the relaxation area is combined with a coffee point.

Conference hall

This zone is intended for holding diverse public events, as well as negotiations with a large number of participants.

It is better to choose furniture that is stackable, so that it is easier to store, and transformable, so that you can quickly adapt the room to the format of the event.

Standard set:

• chairs or armchairs - light, comfortable, stackable;
• transformable tables on wheels that can be easily folded and moved to the storage area.

The only furniture in the Solar company conference room is chairs. They are stackable and compactly stack on top of each other if you need to free up the area.

In the office project for the IT company NBCompany, we used an interesting modular design: when assembled it is a podium, when disassembled it is poufs.

The amount of furniture depends on the size of the room, what type of events are held there most often, and how many people participate in them.

Negotiation rooms

If the office has small rooms that are used only for negotiations, meetings and meetings, they do not need stackable and transformable furniture - just a table with built-in sockets and chairs or armchairs. The main selection criterion is convenience, since people can stay here for several hours in a row.

In the project for a legal office, we proposed using “smart” glass in the meeting room, which can change its light transmitting properties depending on needs: become transparent or frosted. For example, when negotiations are underway, the glass is opaque - confidentiality is ensured, no one can see what’s inside. When the meeting room is free, the glass is transparent.

If the meeting room is spacious, designed for 10 or more people, you should think about buying transformable tables and chairs. This will allow the room to adapt to the changing composition of participants.

For the meeting room at the Jotun Paints office, we selected mobile tables on wheels with a folding tabletop. They can be arranged in different ways, depending on the task: like desks in a classroom, in the form of a rectangular conference table, in the letter P, etc.

Organizing your office space correctly. Practical advice

How often have you seen almost identically decorated office spaces in different companies? Probably quite often, since furnishing many offices comes down to standard procedures: choosing office furniture and its arrangement. This is how typical offices appear, similar to each other, not standing out in any way and completely unmemorable. But the office is an integral part of the company, its face, which must not only be kept in order, but also, if possible, made memorable, inviting and pleasant. There are several tips that you can follow to make your office space lively, with its own personality and style.

Manufacturing materials

A large number of materials are used in the manufacture of furniture. In many ways, they determine the cost of products, their appearance, and service life. The choice of material may also depend on the stylistic design. Each type has its own characteristics, which you should know about in order to choose the optimal office interior solution.

The budget category of furniture is practical and can have a different look due to the use of veneered facades. Chipboard is often used to create products intended for personnel. MDF belongs to the more expensive segment because it has increased wear resistance, immunity to moisture and temperature changes. Expensive office furniture is always made from solid wood, so it is not available to all companies.

Modern interiors often use designs made from non-standard materials. Often glass and metal, plastic and wood, or stone can be combined in one product. Such creative solutions are especially characteristic of the loft style. Textiles are widely used: synthetic fabrics in budget furniture, natural fabrics in expensive ones.

Chipboard

laminated chipboard

Plastic

MDF

Glass

Solid wood

Combined materials

Cabinet furniture

Among the types of office furniture, cabinet products are considered the most popular. They allow you to arrange the interior with maximum comfort and taking into account the characteristics of the room. Cabinet furniture can be made on the basis of chipboard, MDF, PVC, fibreboard, solid wood and even rattan. Pressed sawdust reduces cost and is therefore often used for the production of inexpensive products. To increase service life, the canvases are laminated. Fiberboard is one of the most budget-friendly materials, but does not tolerate moisture well, so it is better to avoid it. For cabinets, MDF is the best option; it has good strength and is environmentally friendly.

Chipboard

MDF

Fiberboard

Array

Rattan

Chairs, armchairs, sofas

Budget chair models are most often made using powder-coated stainless steel and textiles. PVC can also be used, which is durable and easy to maintain. Plastic reduces the weight of the structure, so using such chairs is convenient.

Armchairs are most often created using artificial leather. This is the best option, which looks aesthetically pleasing and is characterized by low cost. More expensive types of chairs can be upholstered in genuine leather. Products for modern high-tech interiors are made from plastic, glass or metal, often used to create designer furniture.

Stainless steel

Plastic

Faux leather

Glass

Metal

Synthetic fabric Genuine leather

Choosing the right room

If the process of arranging an office is at the stage of choosing a premises, then this advice will come in handy. The fact is that often the office space is so unsuitable for these purposes that no office furniture and no interior planner can correct the situation. Very often, a room is first rented, and only then they start thinking about how to arrange everything here. In this case, the main criteria for selecting one option or another are cost and location. And that's wrong. Of course, both the price and where the premises are located are important factors, but the internal layout is also very important. Therefore, when choosing office space, we advise you to involve a specialist in this matter, who will be able to determine whether the premises are subject to further redevelopment, whether it is possible to create comfortable workplaces in it, and whether it will acquire individuality. Such an analysis will take very little time, but at the same time it will save you from further regrets or investing money in expensive repairs, including a complete re-equipment of the interior space.

Is it possible to find more affordable alternatives?

If you need to cut your budget, you can replace some items with more affordable ones. But this is not always justified, which we openly talk about and give arguments - there are cases when a replacement is undesirable, because it will worsen the final picture. For example, in the Metso&Outotec office the reception desk is made of stone (we have already written about this project). The customer wanted to use a more affordable material, such as enamel. But we were able to defend the original proposal, arguing that:

• the stone looks more presentable;
• it is more durable: it can always be sanded, but it is more difficult to remove scratches from the enamel - you will have to re-glue the film;
• According to the idea, there are many joints on the stand, which are too noticeable on the enamel, because of which the feeling of a monolithic structure would be lost.

Tell designers what budget you have and listen to recommendations. Competent specialists can always predict how this or that replacement will affect the interior.

We allocate enough working space for staff

Of course, if the office itself is small, then there is no need to talk about a large area for workspaces, but then you shouldn’t count on good returns from the staff and a stylish appearance of the premises either. Unfortunately, according to building codes, 6 meters is enough for a person to feel comfortable and at the same time do his job well. But in reality, it turns out that these meters are not enough, and the employee has to huddle in a cramped space, which is surrounded by office cabinets, an office desk and other office furniture. And what’s surprising is that it’s enough to allocate a little more space to employees, arrange staff furniture correctly, make the room well ventilated and lit, and labor productivity increases significantly. So, by saving on square meters, you lose much more.

What affects the price and when should you pay more?

The dispersion of prices for visually identical furniture can be confusing: it is not clear where such a difference comes from and whether it is worth paying more. Sometimes it's worth it. Let us explain using the example of office chairs.

In appearance, a chair that costs more may be no different from its cheaper counterparts. The secret is in technology: many European manufacturers invest large sums in studying the structure of the spine, its diseases and their connection with body position during work. They create chair models that promote maximum productivity - when a person is comfortable and pain-free, he can fully concentrate on work. We recommend not saving on work chairs. The table may be simple, but the chair must be individually adjustable and comfortable to sit in.

We carry out the correct zoning of office space

If zoning is carried out incorrectly, this will significantly complicate the work of all employees of the enterprise. And note, these will not be one-time difficulties; company employees will have to deal with these inconveniences day after day, which will lead to the loss of precious time and work spirit. To divide a room into functional zones, it is not necessary to use solid walls; partitions or office furniture will do the job perfectly. The latter is even preferable, since it will perform two tasks at once: the furniture itself and the partition. Office cabinets and shelving are ideal for this.

Kinds

Whatever type of activity office employees are engaged in, furniture for the workroom requires the presence of the following items:

• tables - needed for staff, reception and director;
• chairs, armchairs, sofas - must take into account the characteristics of the room where they are located. Will be needed both for staff and directors, and for clients;
• cabinets, racks, cabinets - necessary for storing archives, documentation, spare elements of office equipment.

All types of office furniture should be combined with each other and with the surrounding environment, helping employees organize their work process.

For staff

The workspace in which office employees are located should be simple, concise, but cozy. So that people feel comfortable there, but at the same time think only about work. This means that it is better not to experiment with office furniture for staff.

Furniture that is too “homey”, deep soft chairs or too bold creations by designers will distract and unnecessarily relax workers. But to prevent the office from turning into a barracks, it is permissible to have details that add coziness, such as indoor plants, figurines, framed photos, neutral images on the walls.

An uncomfortable chair will disrupt a person’s posture, cause tension in the muscles, and his performance will suffer as a result. Therefore, the workplace must be equipped taking into account anatomical features. Cabinets and shelving should be located so that it is convenient for any employee to use them. The height of the shelves depends on the height of the folders stored there.

For guidance

If you buy designer furniture for an office, then for the director’s office. This is a place where important visitors are received, serious negotiations are held, and fateful decisions are made. The furniture in the boss's office should emphasize his status and position. The integral elements of the room are a table and a chair.

The chair should be comfortable, with a high back, armrests, and adjustable height. The table is moderately massive. It would be better if it was made of valuable wood, but not every organization can afford such a luxury. The best and, at the same time, budget option is a table made of ordinary materials, trimmed on the outside with natural wood.

Another point to consider when choosing a desk for your boss’s office. This piece of furniture should look solid, but should not inspire fear in the person on the other side, be it a client or an employee. During negotiations, he should unite the people sitting behind him, and not divide

It is important not to overdo it with massiveness

It is necessary to take into account the external characteristics of the director. Thus, a short person sitting in a giant chair at a massive table will look ridiculous, which is unlikely to inspire respect.

For visitors

People who come to the office and wait in the reception area are in most cases worried. Especially if it's a job seeker. While in the main part of the office the furniture should set the mood for work, in the reception area it should relax and create a pleasant impression.

First of all, you need to make sure that the visitor is comfortable to sit. Soft sofas or armchairs are appropriate here, but hard office chairs are not. A small table with magazines and company brochures placed on it will help pass the visitor’s time.

The guest should have a good impression of the company right from the door. Therefore, there should be no shabby tables, wobbly chairs or cabinets with doors hanging on one hinge. It is appropriate to place photographs on the walls telling about the history of the organization, its successes, and achievements.

Individual approach to the selection of furniture for staff

How do you most often choose office furniture? There are pieces of furniture that are suitable in style, external characteristics, and cost. Items are then ordered for all employees, regardless of what those employees do, with the exception of the manager's office. This approach is initially erroneous, since all people are different, perform different tasks and the furniture should be appropriate. Of course, ordering furniture for each employee is almost unrealistic, and more or less feasible in small companies. However, you can purchase office furniture based on what a particular department, division, etc. does. For example, for a department where employees spend most of their time in the office at computers, large ergonomic computer desks are needed, on which all the necessary office equipment is conveniently located, and comfortable chairs. For a department where there are managers who spend a significant part of the working day outside the office, small tables, comfortable chairs and comfortable chairs for visitors are suitable. And of course, the furniture for bosses should be different from the furniture for staff; such a difference is one of the means for maintaining subordination.

Seat selection

Chairs

Of course, this type of furniture is the most inconvenient, but at the same time, the most budget-friendly. Chairs can be chosen for clients, or for those employees who are in the office less of the time.

Executive and staff chair

If your job is mostly sedentary during working hours, you need to choose good and comfortable office chairs.

Are you still wondering how to choose furniture? Read on!

For comfortable work of staff and management, it is necessary:

• Chair height adjustment available
• Availability of (preferably ergonomic) armrests
• Choose a chair with a high and comfortable backrest
• The chair had wheels and, of course, a swivel mechanism.

Sofa

Such furniture is usually used to furnish a lounge or reception area. The most durable sofa upholstery is genuine leather.

How to properly furnish a small office

There is so much room for imagination in a large office space: you can arrange furniture for staff comfortably, harmoniously include decorative elements, put a coffee table and comfortable large chairs for visitors, and make the manager’s office chic. But, unfortunately, not every company has a spacious office, and in such cases problems arise with space planning. Below are some tips on how to properly arrange office furniture and make it comfortable and functional:

Table selection

Executive desk

Such an object should have a sufficiently large width and spaciousness. After all, sometimes it is necessary to accommodate several employees or visitors at the executive table.

Choose an option that has drawers and, preferably, more than one. This will avoid clutter on the table surface.

In addition, sometimes negotiations and meetings are held in the director's office. In this case, there should also be a side table or tables.

For staff

What furniture to choose for an employee depends on his position and the specifics of the work performed. Of course, if the main work involves a person being at a computer, choose the right computer desks. If the work involves drawing up drawings, the tabletop should be large and comfortable.

Also, the table should have drawers, bedside tables, etc. This is necessary so that the upper part is not cluttered, and so that it is hidden from prying eyes.

Meeting room table

It is necessary to select its size based on the number of people who will gather behind it, adding to this number (in reserve) three or four seats. Well, if this happens, and a lot of people gather in the meeting room, you can always deliver chairs to equip the meeting table for the required number of people.

No drawers or bedside tables are needed here. The maximum that can be here is a small shelf placed directly above the tabletop so that negotiators can put their things there.

When choosing a table that has the shape of an oval or circle, the number of people behind it can be easily changed if necessary.

To avoid awkward situations during a meeting or conference, you should not choose a tabletop made of transparent glass.

Office cabinets

Filing cabinets should be placed under the walls to save as much space as possible. However, if several employees engaged in different types of activities sit in one office, cabinets can be used as partitions, that is, they can be used to divide the space into several work areas. In addition to filing cabinets, the office should have wardrobes for outerwear. In small offices it is better to put small single-door pencil cases, but if there are not very many employees in the whole company, then you can put one large common closet in the reception area or corridor.

MDF

MDF (fine fraction) is a type of wood board made from very fine sawdust (almost like flour) of softwood and hardwood, resin and wax, which are pressed under high pressure using high temperatures. The boards vary in their density, the densest of them is called HDF (High Density Fiberboard).

MDF uses paraffin and lignin (a natural resin) as its “glue”, so it is considered the most environmentally friendly of particle board materials. The fine-grained structure of MDF gives the board excellent qualities for milling and shaped processing, which makes it possible to produce furniture of any shape, including asymmetrical, rounded surfaces.

Advantages of the material:

• a variety of types of decorative coatings - from PVC to natural veneer;
• high strength (higher than solid wood and chipboard);
• plasticity (you can create any shape);
• aesthetics (excludes the presence of rings or knots);
• excellent moisture resistance.

The rounded lines of the MDF tabletops create the original design of the Accord collection furniture.

Smooth curves of MDF tabletops create good furniture ergonomics for comfortable work

In premium collections, in presidential offices, MDF coated with veneer is often used. This solution serves as a worthy alternative to solid wood furniture due to its high strength and preservation of the aesthetics of natural wood.

Additional items

Once the main pieces of furniture are in place, you can think about additional elements. A coffee table, floor vase, wall painting and other details will be a great addition to the style of your office.

Furniture plant STOROSS has in its assortment many compact pieces of furniture that will fit perfectly into even the smallest office. We will help you create a cozy working atmosphere, not overloaded with unnecessary elements. STOROSS – office furniture for rooms of any size.

Design and color

To decorate the workspace, they choose office furniture in the styles of modern, loft and minimalism; they are considered the most relevant. Not inferior to them in popularity is the classic, which always remains in fashion, but it is typical for the executive zone. Each direction uses its own colors and shapes:

1. Modern. This style is characterized by the presence of smooth forms, free space and non-standard design solutions. It is chosen by modern companies that want to emphasize uniqueness. There is always a lot of light in interiors, so light products and models in pastel shades are most often chosen. In the photo, office furniture in the Art Nouveau style always looks beautiful and sophisticated. It is made from natural materials and may have floral patterns on the facades.
2. Loft. This direction looks very unusual and modern. A somewhat brutal style has recently begun to be used in commercial premises. It combines old things with innovative new items, so loft-style furniture is often artificially aged. Sofas and armchairs with a metal frame, upholstered in natural or eco-leather, are also suitable. In a loft, the zoning method is always used, so you can choose mobile cabinets, shelving, U-shaped tables and sofas for it. In this case, almost any color scheme is used. You can choose bright products, using them to create accents, or stick to designs in classic white and black tones.
3. Minimalism. It is characterized by practicality, so the furniture is simple and functional. When creating it, no decor is used; it always has clear shapes and straight lines, only slight bends are acceptable. The interiors are decorated in one color scheme - gray, white, black. Natural materials are used in production.

Modern

Loft

Minimalism

What are the differences between office cabinets?

Unlike home cabinets, office furniture has a more discreet appearance. Externally, products can be:

• open;
• closed;
• combined;
• with glass or mirror surfaces.

According to their purpose, cabinets are divided into the following types:

• book;
• for documents;
• dressing rooms;
• narrow pencil cases for storing other things;
• racks;
• bedside tables.

The structure can have any dimensions, including height, depth and width. Depending on the required functionality, cabinets are purchased with different numbers of doors and compartments.

Considering the size of the room, you can order a closet with hinged or sliding doors. The latter option allows you to free up space, and the ergonomic design will decorate the interior. In rooms with a small area or in offices designed for a large number of employees, a rational solution would be to install a compact corner cabinet.

Design of a work area for employees

Furniture for employee workplaces, at best, should be made in the same style and help maintain the appropriate atmosphere. A variety of tables, chairs, shelves and cabinets allows you to select items that suit the image of any company. Having a certain area, you can choose both rectangular and corner tables for office workers. The more people there are within a space, the more carefully you need to think through the issue of ergonomics.

Manager's workplace

The first impression of the status of the manager and the prestige of the company is made by the design of the main office. Today, office furniture manufacturers can offer a wide variety of designs and styles, so everyone can choose products that express their individuality and character.

The interior of the office includes a workplace and a relaxation area. The desk should have a substantial size and be made of good quality material.

As a rule, all office furniture is selected in one restrained style. At the request of the customer, the interior can match the general design of the offices or have distinctive features. It is worth paying attention to ready-made modules that include everything necessary for holding conferences and meetings.

The manager's chair must support his status. We recommend wear-resistant computer desk chairs upholstered in genuine leather.