The office is the face of the entire company, because negotiations with clients, partners, suppliers, sponsors are held here. Therefore, office furniture should provide a complete comfort and safety atmosphere.
Moreover, furniture directly affects the performance of employees. Your college will hardly show good efficiency if he thinks about an aching back all day.
Today we will consider several clear signs that it’s time for your furniture to be improved or changed.
#1. Shady outer look
Perhaps this is the most evident reason to dispose of such furniture. However, many office workers continue to fearfully sit down at their workplaces, hoping that it won’t fall apart today.
On average, office furniture lasts 8-10 years. But if you see humps and depressions on the surface of office chairs, and it’s painful to sit on them, you need to change it right away. A new piece of furniture will cost less than paying sick leave for your employees.
#2. Too simple furniture
We continue to talk about office chairs. Experts say that chairs without armrests, seat padding, backrest adjustments, and castors are a true office disaster.
First of all, there is a lack of lumbar support, pressure on the discs of the lower back, excessive shoulder and muscle strain.
Sitting in the wrong chair for hours can lead to severe postural distortion and damage to the back, neck, and shoulders.
#3. Black gloomy cabinets and tables
The color of furniture affects the mood, performance, and emotional well-being of the employee. Moreover, it inspires customers’ trust, encourages cooperation, and sets up a productive dialogue.
For example, furniture of light shades assuages, erases boundaries, stimulates to achieve excellence, encourages honesty and fairness.
Dark brown tint is associated with nobility, stability, and luxury. Dark furnishings help to focus, increase physical endurance, stress resistance, and self-esteem. Dark interior adjusts to teamwork, promotes constructive negotiations.
Bright shades invigorate, improve activity, fill with energy and strength, help to highlight accents, and smooth out conflicts. But excessive brightness can cause aggression and intolerance, so know the limits.
Try to avoid one color. It’s better to engage 2-3 tones. Check out the ideas gallery on the Office Furniture Warehouse website for balanced combinations.
Choose office furniture in a muted neutral color (for example, gray), making it brighter with contrasting elements and decor.
#4. Angular asymmetric furniture
Furniture manufacturers today offer a huge number of different forms: square, oval, round, rectangular. If you still have angular tables, drop them. According to psychologists, it has a positive effect on employees’ performance.
Rounded corners can already be considered an industry standard, not a fashion trend. They are not only pleasing to the eye but also facilitate the perception of information. Therefore, seeing documents or other objects on such a table, the brain will potentially be drawn to processing them.
Also, throw away all asymmetrical pieces of furniture: for example, huge cluttered shelves hanging over workplaces will cause subconscious feelings of anxiety and reduce the performance of staff.
#5. Motley style
Most people think that the so-called corporate style is a logo of a characteristic color. But today it’s being introduced into office interiors as well.
It’s important to choose a single furniture style – classic, minimalist, hi-tech, etc. Therefore, if one table in your office is single-seated green-red, and next to it stands a chic black glass desk, both employees and clients will get the feeling of being in the flea market.
If you want to avoid this, sell all the motley furniture and buy everything in the same style.
Final words
Most often decreased employee productivity and a toxic office environment can be associated with the furniture that casts a blight on workers’ life.
Consider not only an appealing look but also furniture ergonomics. Focus on the needs of employees, their parameters. Pay attention to fabric and upholstery. It must be durable, water-repellent, and stain-resistant. And never try to save on furniture: remember, you always get what you pay for.
