Do you know where the secret to productivity in your office hides? Obviously, work processes and interactions between employees matter. But there’s another important element that few managers ever think about. This element is office furniture.

Getting new furniture contributes significantly to overall office renovation costs. According to statistics, it accounts for anywhere between 10 and 25 per cent of the entire remodelling budget. The number of choices on the market is growing. In addition, many businesses are opting for custom solutions that are bound to satisfy their every need.

According to Statista, the spending on office furniture in the US alone is expected to reach 84 billion dollars by the end of 2021. This means that more business owners than ever before are getting to understand the importance of this office interior design element.

Are you currently planning an office renovation? If so, you’re probably wondering about furniture selection and making the right choice. Singaporean furniture makers and retailers offer a good range of options and here’s how to make an optimal pick.

Popular Types of Office Furniture

Before making a final selection as a part of your office renovation project, you need to acquaint yourself with the huge diversity that the furniture market has to offer.

Generally speaking, office furniture can be categorised in several broad groups.

Cubicle furniture solutions aim to increase privacy and help for better concentration. At the same time, the office pieces selected for a cubicle need to be streamlined and clean, reducing the sense of clutter or being stuck in a tiny space.

Open plan furniture choices are usually introduced in professional premises focused on collaboration. These open layouts should encourage communication while still giving employees a bit of privacy (through the use of partitions or storage shelving that offers a degree of separation from colleagues). When open plan or hot desk furniture is being selected, a focus on distraction-free environment should be guiding.

Finally, free-standing tables and desks are gaining popularity. Free standing tables are often chosen by managerial staff, being added within their office or at the side of the individual space.

Needless to say, these categorisations are very general. Many companies mix and match solutions from these groups to benefit from everything that a respective category has to offer.

What does it take to select and make informed decisions? Your line of work, the number of people in the office, the specifics of the commercial space and the interior design challenges that will need to be overcome are all going to play a role in picking the right types of furniture.

Office Furniture Selection Tips

If you’ve hired professionals to carry out the office renovation on your behalf, you’ll get suggestions about the furniture types and individual pieces that make the most sense within the respective professional context.

Still, it’s a good idea to understand the guiding principles that determine the selection of the best items for an individual workspace.

Unless your company is tiny, you’ll need to mix and match some of the categories mentioned in the previous section. Most companies opt for both cubicle and hot desk furniture choices. Ensuring both are available makes it possible for employees to enjoy a bit of privacy whenever they need to concentrate and to also collaborate easily with co-workers.

Sit down and draft a list of the roles you have within the team. How many of these require privacy and optimal concentration conditions? How many creative professionals need to collaborate, brainstorm and bounce ideas off each other? Such a list will give you a good idea about how to mix and match furniture choices. It will also simplify the task of determining how many pieces you’re going to require and what the anticipated furniture shopping budget will be.

As a manager, you have a good idea about operations and verticals within the company. Still, you’re not really aware of everyday interactions and the things that could hinder the execution of certain tasks.

This is why you need to consider getting employees involved in the layout and furniture selection process.

Representatives of the different departments will give you good feedback on the choices that will work the best. Not only will you end up making optimal furniture selections, you’ll also foster a collaborative environment. When people feel that their voices are being heard, commitment and engagement levels will grow.

Seek Professional Assistance

Choosing the right types of furniture for your office goes beyond coming up with a few table, chair and storage unit designs.

Furniture contributes to the overall environment within the workspace. It affects safety, effectiveness and employee satisfaction. Since you are going to be spending money on new office furniture anyway, it’s best to do it right.

Seeking professional assistance will optimise your choices, create the perfect workspace and reduce the need for additional furniture shopping in the near future.

An experienced Office Renovation Contractor like the SORDC team can guide you through the sea of options. We offer comprehensive office renovation and remodelling solutions. This means our team will handle every part of the project, from the initial conceptualisation to the finishing touches.

We can also recommend and execute bespoke office system furniture solutions that are a perfect match to your professional needs.

Don’t hesitate to contact SORDC now and schedule a free of obligations first consultation. We’re excited to get to know your business and help you bring corporate spaces to the next level