With all the current trends and styles in commercial office furniture, having your office fitted with new furniture may seem like an overwhelming task. A great amount of thought and consideration must be placed into selecting the most appropriate office furniture and fixtures for your office space. Having the right office furniture can reap various rewards including an enjoyable work atmosphere, increased employee productivity and even health benefits.

Your office fitout can also help create a good and lasting first impression. How you would like your clients and partners to perceive your business may be portrayed through its decor. Office furniture with sleek lines and basic colours speak professionalism while more modern pieces portray creativity.

Without a doubt, selecting the right office furniture is a job that can’t be overlooked. Here are some tips to help you find the office furniture you need for your business.

1. Know your budget
How much are you willing to spend for office furniture? There is a wide range of office furniture available with varying prices. But take note that high quality office furniture does not come cheap. Be ready to allocate a considerable part of your budget to invest in high quality office furniture. This actually enables you to save in the long run as quality office furniture will not need replacing or repair for years.

2. Study your office space
When furnishing your office, the office area is an important concern. Do you have a large or a small professional space? Larger office space may have more room for storage areas separate from workstations while smaller spaces must aim for slim, minimalistic and multi-functional pieces that maximise the space available. How many meeting rooms do you have? These will need to be fitted with appropriate boardroom tables and chairs.

Does your business require you to receive clients in your office? In this case, you will need to have an area fitted with client seating. Does your office space allow for a pantry or recreational area for employees? Furniture for client and recreational areas may be contemporary office furniture that includes sofas, cafe chairs and stools.

3. Set time restrictions
When installing new office furniture, it’s important to keep business operations running and employee productivity high. How much time can you spare for the set-up of new furnishings? Do you have a weekend for the job or do you need it to be set-up after work hours? If you have limited time for set-up, then choose office furniture and fixtures that are easily and straightforwardly installed.

4. Consider your industry
As mentioned previously, your office decor can speak volumes about your business. Consider the industry your business is in. Are you in the finance industry as a consulting company? Then perhaps your office space merits a more traditional look. Are you in the publishing or advertising industry as a fashion magazine publisher? Then perhaps your office furniture can be more contemporary to reflect a creative feel. Your office’s aesthetics needs to reflect the nature of your business.

5. Pay attention to office chairs
Many employees nowadays are spending more time at the office, working longer hours. Spending hours seated can be tiresome especially if they are sitting on an office chair that does not offer the proper support. Pay close attention to selecting quality office chairs that offer comfort and proper support to their backs and arms. Having the appropriate office chair will help avoid any health problems and discomfort from back strains and also enables your employees to work at their best.

6. Consider the lights
Lighting is another important factor that must be considered when installing new office furnishings. Make sure that the work area is well lit and that the lighting is not harsh on the eyes. Professional lighting consultants are available to help you with fixture arrangements and wattage output concerns.

7. Consult your employees
If you are still unsure of what office furniture to get for your business space, it would be helpful to ask your employees. Remember, these are the people who spend hours in the office so their input will be very important. Ask them what they are looking for in an office chair or what type of storage system they need. When you are able to provide office furniture that supports a healthy and productive work environment, you can rely on the best possible performance from your employees.

Some Final Words

There are various trends in office fitouts and office furniture today. To know which one is the most appropriate for your business, it will be helpful to consult with a professional and experienced office fitout provider.

(Source: Integrity Office)

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When a client visits your office for the first time, their first impression of your brand is set in stone as they enter through the front door.  This first impression is hugely important and depends greatly on the quality and professionalism of your office fitout.  Your fitout should reflect the brand you are aiming to project.  If you are an advertising company, then you need an office fitout that will reflect creativity and innovative ideas.  If you are a law firm or an accounting firm, then you need a fitout that will reflect professionalism.

If done correctly, your office fitout can complement and enhance your business image.   In this article, we provide some tips on how you can create an office fitout that reflects and strengthens your company brand.

1. Be creative
Many large international companies such as Google and Microsoft invest in office furniture and fixtures that are a mix between modern and conventional, giving their office fitout a fun, creative yet professional feel.  It is important to incorporate more modern pieces and layout designs in your office fitout because this can reflect your innovative products and services  and can show customers that your company is thinking and moving forward.

Are you having your office renovation or office fitout on a budget?  You do not need a huge budget to get creative.  Try to incorporate your own products in your office fitout.  If you are a magazine or book publisher, then perhaps you can gather all the covers of your bestsellers, have them mounted on screens and use these screens as partitions.  If you are an IT company, perhaps you can showcase the evolution of computers by putting a mini-exhibit of the oldest to the most modern products you offer in the reception area.  In this way, not only are you putting your own products on display, but you are also showing how much your business has progressed.

2. Be consistent
Implement a consistent design and theme in your office fitout.  If you want to have an open office design, implement this across the entire fitout.  If you want to adapt a green, environment friendly theme, make sure all areas of your work space have this theme.  Being consistent makes your brand appear clean and professional.

3. Keep a clean office
A messy and cluttered office will translate to a messy and unorganised brand.  It will appear as if you and your employees have no regard to be clean and orderly and this will reflect very poorly on your products and services.  Implement a clean desk policy wherein employees are required to have their work areas clean and clutter-free before they leave for the day.  If they wish to have photos and other mementos on their desks, they may do so but limit the number of personal things they can display.

Also provide segregated trash bins, one for biodegradable and another for non-biodegradable trash, to keep the office clean.

Another tip for minimising the cluttered look of an office is to incorporate sleek and slim office furniture into your fitout.  This will create more space in your office, making the office appear less congested.

4. Have a well-thought out layout and design
Make sure that your office layout and design reflects the culture and values of your company.  If you want your company to be known as an advocate for the environment, then implement earth friendly pieces in your office fitout design.  Also, make sure to include items such as lighting, phone and power outlets and ventilation in your layout.  Providing items such as adequate lighting or office chairs that properly support the body will show that you care about the health and wellness of your employees.  Surely, a business owner who values his employees also values his products, services and customers.

5. Keep office furniture and equipment up-to-date
Make sure that your desktops, fax machines, printers and other equipment are some of the latest technologies today.  New equipment not only gives your office a more professional feel, but also tells your customers that you use the most modern technology in your products and services.  Again, having modern office furniture and the latest equipment and technology reflects that your company is thinking and moving forward.
(source: Integrity Office)

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The new building, called Home and designed by Mecanoo Architects, will house the Cornerhouse gallery and theatre and the Library Theatre Company in Manchester.

Construction is set to start this month for completion in 2014.

The structure will incorporate three existing viaduct arches that will house the venue’s education rooms. There will also be a 500-seat theatre, a studio, a gallery and a five-screen cinema.

The project forms part of an £80m programme at First Street North, which will also see a new hotel, multi-storey car park and restaurant area built around a new public square.

Wates was awarded the work through the North West Construction Hub following its appointment to both the medium and high value Hub frameworks in 2010.

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Leader of Bolton Council, Councillor Cliff Morris, said: “We are delighted to have appointed Willmott Dixon to redevelop Bolton Market as they have a long and successful track record with retail and refurbishment projects like this. They have worked on many retail projects in the North West which have required the sites to be remodelled similar to what we’re doing in Bolton. “We are now working closely with them on this project which will make our market even better. The market is one of our main shopping destinations and while work is underway it will still be open for business as usual, and we will make every effort to minimise disruption.” The Bolton Market scheme builds on the quality and strength of its food offer. Improvements that will take place include: refurbishing the roof on the fish market; replacing the roof on the eastern hall, which houses the non-food section; introducing additional indoor food stalls and a seating area in the eastern hall; and repairing the roof over the western hall, which contains the fresh fruit and vegetable traders. The outdoor market will be moved to New Street closer to the planned new transport interchange. The design team for the project is led by architects Davis Wetherill Partnerships who have recently completed the refurbishment of the Grade II listed Accrington Market Hall for Lancashire County Council.

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