Like it or not, people will judge you by the appearance of your office. Whether you want to convince your clients to do business with you or if you wish to hire excellent employees, the state of your office plays an important role. The décor must be appealing, elegant and stylish for clients to believe in you.
Furnishing your office will take astute planning and a considerable amount of your time and money. Your office is not just a bunch of furniture, stationary and other things kept together. It is your home away from home. It is your companion on a journey towards your goal. You will probably spend more time at your office than at your home. And it’s not just yourself you have to take care of. Your employees become your responsibility and it is your duty to provide them a motivating ambiance.
Here are 5 things you should keep in mind while furnishing your office.
1. Get comfortable furniture
Let’s start with the essentials: desks and chairs. There is absolutely no doubt that desks and chairs are the most used pieces of furniture in any office. People spend most of their working hours sitting on chairs poring over some problem or simply handling the paperwork on their desks. It is. therefore. imperative to make sure you have comfortable desks and chairs that are nice to your body.
Desks need to be big enough to hold computers, files and other necessary office items as well as personal items of the people using it. The desks should be of appropriate heights which depends upon the height of the person doing work as well as the nature of work the person is doing.
Chairs should be properly cushioned with proper backrest and armrest. Adjustable chairs that allow you to alter their height, tilt and recline are very useful as they can be easily modified according to users’ needs.
Uncomfortable desks and chairs can have severe effects on your health and induce long-term pains in your back, neck, arms and legs. Therefore, getting comfortable and cozy furniture should be a top priority for you.
2. Quality over price
As long as your business stays you will need your office. And you will want your business to run forever. So make sure you get good quality furniture that lasts long even if it costs you more. You will notice a substantial price difference between poor and better-quality items. But the cheaper goods usually come with a lot of risks– the legs on chairs break, desks become wobbly and the file cabinets fall apart. Simply put, they do not last long.
Make sure to buy items that are made for heavy-duty use – Desks and chairs that last long, file cabinets that can actually hold files without breaking down and that survive for years.
If your budget is an issue then, search for good quality used furniture than buying cheap, new, lowly items. Buying expensive, durable furniture may seem an unnecessary financial burden at first, but it makes more economic sense in the long run.
3. Add a personal touch
A stylish office with a beautiful décor can send a strong positive message about your business to your clients giving you an advantage. But to truly capture a client’s interest, you should give a glimpse of what you and your business are all about.
Your office should be an extension of your personality. It should reflect your values; its décor should accentuate things that you believe. Paint your walls with bright, vibrant colors to give a sense of welcome. Hang portraits of people you admire. Buy and put artifacts that you love. Personalizing your office not only makes it unique from so many others but also helps you communicate a lot about what is important to you.
Investing your hard-earned money, time and effort to make sure your office has a unique (and of course spectacular!) look is, therefore, very important.
4. Strive to create a serene environment
If you want to your employees to work peacefully, it is your job to create a calm environment. The ambiance around your office can have a great impact on you and other people working there.
There is no way you can have a productive session with clutter, commotion and bad lighting disturbing you into frustration. Offices should be designed so that most part, if not all, can receive natural lighting. If there is not enough natural lighting, artificial lighting with appropriate brightness should be available. A well-formed plan to manage huge piles of paper that are collected must be put in practice.
Keeping plants in office space can do wonders to keep a tranquil work environment. Plants can add beauty to the environment, reduce noise and stress among other things.
5. Invest to keep things fun
Gone are the days when work and play were considered opposites. There has been a shift in the way people think about work – to be productive in work you need to be having fun.
Human beings quickly get bored with monotonous tasks and need a break from time to time. Making workplace fun not only motivates people to work harder and faster, it also makes them more happy and stress-free.
Workplaces in big corporations today have different facilities including gyms and spa to pamper their staffs. However, these facilities are not feasible for all. Making smaller but effective facilities like ping-pong tables, pool tables or massage chairs available can help people blow some steam off.
Furnishing your office is not just about buying furniture and filling up space. It is about creating an elegant appearance and a lively, vibrant ambiance. You together with the furniture you buy, the color you use on your walls, the art and photos you hang, the plants you keep and the employees that work for you build an entity that embodies your principles.
Featured photo credit: Pixabay via pixabay.com
