Commercial Furniture Articles

Over the past 10-15 years the idea of a productive office has been developed to understand the important role office furniture plays in encouraging team building and communication.

Office furniture has also changed to suit these growing consumer demands. Today you can find a large array of workstations that can be customised to suit specific work types and job requirements. Multi functional workstations, curved workstations, ergonomic chairs with lumbar support and work lounges are a few examples of growing trends for worker comfort and a happy office.

Another rising concern is the environmental benefits of choosing furniture suppliers that offer environmentally friendly furniture products. GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia) has become a popular name in the furniture industry. This organisation guarantees that products certified by them have been sourced from sustainable forests and natural dyes.

Consumers are also showing more concern for their community and are always looking for the option to spend money that gets put back into the Australian economy. Locally made and owned furniture that is designed and made in Australia has grown in popularity due to these concerns.

To get the best furniture for your company and workers you should also look at:

1. Health and Safety
Ergonomics needs to be addressed as you can avoid a lot of health and safety concerns by choosing ergonomic office furniture. Chairs with adjustable heights and high backs provide support for the spine and allow for longer hours of sitting. Similarly ergonomic desks with adjustable heights can prevent wrist strains.

2. Productivity
Aim for furniture that makes your staff happy, comfortable and relaxed, as this directly combats stress and increases productivity. The best way is to ask them as a whole what furniture they would like. Certain office furniture is designed to aid communication between workers through open pane workstation systems.

3. Company Image
New and trendy designs with stylish colours make your office stand out and will grab the attention of visiting clients. Whether you own an accounting firm or a marketing agency, all companies can benefit from an office fit out refresh.

Over the years growing consumer trends have led to an increase in demand for social office settings, environmental concerns and Australian made furniture. You can achieve an office that is functional, ergonomic and stylish. If you would like to find out more about modern office designs or if you are looking for new furnishings for your office consult with our experts in office furniture selection.

Choosing the right workstations for your office can greatly improve the comfort and productivity of your workers.

In this article we look at a few features that you may want to consider when it is time to buy office workstations.

Types of Workstations

Multi functional workstations can be open pane for team work or closed pane for autonomous work. There are many good options for reconfigurable workstations that can be easily converted into executive meeting tables, dry bars and plan benches and other uses.
Office Workstations can also be customised to suit the office area you are looking to furnish as well as the number of workers you need to cater for. Parallel, one side and double side, curved, cubical and division systems (such as star shaped divided stations) are all available to help maximise workspace for employees in the office space available.

Workstation Inserts

Depending on your work requirments your workstations can be customised with optional inserts including:

• Built in accessory panels for document organisation
• Optional modesty panels
• Whiteboard inserts if required in screens
• Shelf and paper tray inserts
• Desk mount wave top screens, full height screens or free standing screens
• Wire management for power and data
• Upholstered panels: colour and fabric of your choice with the option of a pin board surface, whiteboard surface or glass surface
• Adjustable leg systems
• Flat or rounded desk edges

A lot of workstation accessories can also be ordered as free standing units, such as whiteboards, blackboards, pin boards and storage units.

Weight and Strength

Well designed, modern workstations can be made to be very strong while still having a light frame. This can be very useful to your business if you are looking for some flexibility in your office fit out and may wish to move or redesign office layout occasionally.

Warranty

A good warranty can cover the workstation frames for at least 5 years and sometimes more.  

Environmentally Friendly

The GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia) certifies certain products as eco friendly. These products come from sustainable forests and use natural dyes as part of the manufacturing process. Workstations that have been certified by GECA come from recycled materials and do not damage the environment.

Buying Australian Made

There are many excellent Australian made designs and models to choose from. As well as supporting the Australian economy there are other advantages for selecting a product that is made in Australia. In the event of any faults being found they can be repaired or replaced much faster.

For More Information

To find out more about choosing the right workstation, call us because we are the Brisbane Office Furniture Specialists. We also supply and deliver throughout Qld and Australia.

We offer onsite visits where we can help you select the most appropriate workstations and office layout for your needs. Our expert designers can help with all your furniture needs including office chairs, boardroom tables and storage furniture.

Article by Guy Masson

If you are considering new furniture for your office here are three important topics to consider:

1. Will the furniture be comfortable for Workers?

It is likely that you and your office workers sit at your desks and workstations for long periods of time and perhaps the majority of the day. Fortunatley, office furniture designs continue to improve for comfort and ergonomics. Now you can find a large array of workstations and office chairs that are designed to be adjustable for specific workers and work types. More than just improve the comfort levels for staff, ergonomic furniture has been proven to increase productivity as well. Plus it will help reduce time off work for reasons such as neck and back pain which can be caused by poorly designed or out of date furniture. Consider multi-functional workstations and ergonomic chairs with lumbar support for comfort and productivity.

2. Is the Furniture Environmentally Friendly?

Another rising concern amongst commercial furniture buyers is choosing furniture suppliers that encourage environmentally friendly practices. Organisations such as GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia) provide accreditation to products that are deemed to be better for the environment. In the furniture industry this would indicate products that have been sourced from sustainable forests and natural dyes.

3. Do you want to Support Australian Made?

Buying furniture from Australian suppliers helps support local communities and put back into the Australian economy. Although there has been an increase in offshore manufacturing in recent years there are still many excellent Australian furniture companies. Furniture that is designed and made in Australia is often clearly labelled but you can always ask your consultant for more information.

For assistance in choosing suitable furniture for your office, contact the friendly team at Specfurn. Whether you need new chairs, office workstations or a complete fit out, our expert consultants will help customise a solution for you. Call (07) 3268 4848 - Australia wide service and delivery!

Article by Guy Masson