A Short Office Furniture Guide for Beginners

Are you a business owner or employee looking to set up a good office? Are you a homeworker wanting to make the most out of your home office? The office is a place where we spend a lot of time, and having the right environment is key to keeping your office productive and the people comfortable. Here’s a short office furniture guide made by experts from Hurdley's Office furniture to help you get started.

Picking the right desks

The desk is probably one of the first things you’ve thought of, and there are plenty of options out there. How do you decide which one is right for you? Here are our tips on finding the right desks.

Size: If you have the space available and you’d like to have a lot of things easily accessible at your desk, then go as large as you can afford to. If, on the other hand, the desks will only be used sporadically throughout the workday or you don’t have a lot of floor space available, then opting for a smaller desk might be preferable.

Type of desk: A straight regular desk is just fine in most cases. If the space you have available to you is in a corner, then a corner desk could also be a great way of utilising space while providing a comfortable workplace. If there’s little floor space available, you might want to consider wall-mounted desks too.

Ergonomics: The ideal option, if your budget allows and people will spend a lot of time at their desks, is to go for ones that are height adjustable. This helps us spend the workday in ergonomically good postures. Standing desks are also an increasingly common alternative that offer many health benefits. However, if people won’t be sitting at their desks for long periods, you can go for non-adjustable desks.

Picking the right chairs

Again, if we spend a lot of time sitting at our desks, we definitely want the right chair to stay comfortable and prevent issues associated with poor posture. This is how you choose the right chairs.

Comfort: Dont buy a regular plastic or dining chair for your office or workstation. Those are fine for short periods of sitting, but not a full workday. Invest in proper office chairs. If you have the opportunity, make sure to try the chairs you’re choosing between. Online guides are good, but they won’t help you figure out how a chair feels to sit in. Find a design and material that feels good to you.

Ergonomics: If you can, invest in ergonomically sound chairs that promote good posture and provide support in all the right places. If there isn’t enough budget for specialised ergonomic chairs, make sure to at least get ones that can be height-adjusted. If the chair has armrests, these should ideally be adjustable too.

Chair alternatives: Of course, many offices forego regular office chairs these days. Consider options like kneeling chairs, yoga balls or standing desks and whether any of these would be the best one for your office.

Storage

Finally, storage is a crucial part of keeping an office productive and looking nice. Here is some office furniture you need to maximise your storage space.

Shelves: Shelves are a great place to store many items, whether they’re out in the office or closed inside a storage room. They let you take maximum advantage of floor space.

Drawers: Keeping drawers under all desks utilises floor space and allows people to keep items easily accessible without cluttering their desks.

Filing cabinets: Documents and files should be kept in filing cabinets so that they can be properly organised and easy for people to find. This increases productivity and keeps your files safe.

Use these tips to choose your office furniture and design a productive office.