The Right Office Furniture

Office furniture is about comfort, functionality, appearance and value. These things apply to both home offices and traditional business work environments. Granted, many people settle for furniture that gets the job done, and that works. But, with a little thought and effort, the workplace (wherever it is) can be enhanced with the right selection of office furniture.

Office furniture should, first and foremost, be comfortable to use. Anyone who works at a desk knows the importance of this aspect. The right chair means finding one that can be adjusted to adequately fit your specific body. The right desk means it is big enough for the tasks at hand, has adequate drawers and / or cubbies, and has enough leg room for you to work with a little freedom. A desk that is too small for your chair and legs to maneuver under properly is frustrating and annoying. Work in comfort and you will be more productive, and certainly more content.

Functionality of office furniture means it actually does what it was designed to do. Store lots of books, manuals, and software? Then make sure your bookshelf can handle the weight. If your desk has a credenza to go along with it, make sure that it is a height you are happy with. I've seen mismatched sets that are sold as a set, but that really shouldn't go together. Turning from a task on your regular desk to one on your credenza should be seamless. Side tables, conference tables, end tables, and all sorts of other surfaces need to be at good heights. If at all possible, find units that can be adjusted to suit different people. Keeping everyone happy can be quite a challenge when you are buying for an entire office, but this sort of effort will help.

Of course, office furniture that looks great is not only nice, but in many office environments, is essential. You don't want your place of business to make you look sloppy, tacky, cheap, or just plain lazy. I admit a bit of hypocrisy on this point, as my work area tends to look like a tornado just went through. The point is, find pieces that look good to you and represent the type of feeling you want to portray to your employees, clients, or most importantly, your spouse!

Finally, office furniture should represent value. A $20 particle board desk may be a great value for a college kid who just needs something to get her by. Great. No problem. However, that same desk would not be a good value for someone with a greater demand for functionality and appearance. Value is purely subjective, so give it some thought at least.

All told, the right office furniture will represent your sense of value, be comfortable and functional for how you know you will use it, and should look nice. Thankfully, there are some wonderful options out there for your considerations. Whether you spend a little or a lot is up to you. A little thought at the beginning will pay off handsomely down the road.