Furniture Specification
Selecting the best office furniture can drastically impact the wellbeing and productivity of your employees and students. At Freedom, we understand that your wants and needs are as unique as you are, so each piece of furniture selected is specified to your space. As a proud Herman Miller dealer, we are confident we can give you the best office chair, student desk, or all-around office furniture to fit your budget.
How To Select Office Furniture
The furniture in your office is like the clothes on your back. It tells who you are, your style, your brand. So, your furniture selection, to say the least, is important. Freedom Interiors carefully selects each piece of furniture to fit your office’s needs, wants, and budget. Furniture selection is valuable for a number of reasons, from employee comfortability to productivity; your furniture should work for you.
Why is choosing the right furniture important?
Furniture That Fits:
Each office space is as unique as the business that it houses. Each department, workstation, and collaboration area hold a varying number of people and differing dimensions. Finding furniture that fits that exact space can hold a number of benefits. The use of multi-functional furniture in small offices is ideal. Any time you can find a credenza that doubles as a trash receptacle or tabletop that doubles as storage, you have reduced the pieces of furniture in your space, leaving it looking more spacious.
Collaboration versus Privacy:
Selecting the right furniture begins with knowing what your employees’ needs are. Do your employees hold private conversations throughout the day? Are they working on individual tasks a majority of the time? Or does your company work in teams? Do you frequently meet to brainstorm and discuss? Answering this simple question will direct you to choosing the right pieces.
Open concept offices give a relaxed feel to the space and promotes interaction amongst employees. Large tables with multiple chairs encourage collaboration and movement within a space. Companies that thrive on a teamwork and group efforts often use low partitions for their workstations to still allow for sight throughout the office.
A more traditional office looks like cubicles and enclosed offices. This closed concept is ideal for more individualized work and companies that require privacy in conversations. High partitions remove sightlines and restrict movement amongst the office.
Increased Productivity:
One of the most desirable outcomes of selecting the right furniture is an increase in productivity. After all, isn’t that one of the main and most important pieces to a company’s success? Consider how your employees will feel in their workspace, especially by the end of the day, when choosing furniture. Employees are happier and in turn more productive when furniture pieces are attractive and more comfortable, as they will be able to use them for longer periods of time. Select pieces that help your employees get organized. Clutter causes an increase in stress levels, hinders work and productivity. Find storage solutions to rid your space of clutter. For more ideas on how to do this, check out Freedom’s article: Office Furniture to Declutter and De-stress
What is ergonomics and why is it important?
Not only can furniture provide comfort mentally, but also physically. Ergonomic office furniture is designed to provide comfort through posture support even after the use of multiple people. The physical comfort of your employees ties directly back to productivity. When offices are equipped with ergonomically designed chairs, desks, and workstations, employees have better posture, which improves blood flow. This in turn provides more oxygen to their brains and other organs, making them more mentally alert, active, and overall healthier. Less aches and pains allow for an increase in workload and the ability to work for longer periods of time.
What do you look for in ergonomic office furniture?
Best office chair
Everything from the base to the arm rest play a part in keeping your body aligned and you in good health. Starting with the base. Did you know something as simple as a chair having five casters is better than four? This ensures more stability in the base of the chair, making them less likely to tip over. The seat should be adjustable to fit the needs of each individual. It is best practice to have your thighs parallel to the ground. Having your chair height too high adds unnecessary stress the back of your legs and reduces circulation. And having your chair height too low puts pressure on the portion of your legs that is in contact with the seat. It is also important that the seat pan is adjustable, allowing for movement throughout the day. An adjustable backrest will allow the user to match the shape of their back providing lumbar support. By supporting the lumbar curve, you are relieving pressure on the vertebrae that support the weight of your upper back. These vertebrae at the small of the back are the most frequently injured causing most back pain. A slight recline backwards opens your hips and trunk and relieves pressure that is on the low of the back. Even a piece as simple as the armrest is vital to your health. An armrest too high will cause the user to shrug their shoulders causing neck and shoulder pain, while too low of armrests usually causes one to lean to one side using only one of at the armrests and throwing the back’s alignment off.
While an adjustable chair plays a major role in posture and positions, your desk is another way to keep your body properly aligned. It is important to keep your arms parallel to the ground or slightly angled down to reduce strain. A height-adjustable office desk allows for each individual user the ability to fit their needs based upon their height. There are five main office tasks that employees perform on a daily basis: typing, mousing, writing, reading documents, and viewing your screen. According to Cornell University Ergonomics, it is not possible to accommodate all five as they require different heights for proper alignment. A height-adjustable desk is your best option, as it allows you to move up and down continually, with ease, for each specific task. Even without going into the specific movements of each task, a height-adjustable desk is ideal for any office. Something as simple as standing up to work instead of sitting all day will relieve an immense amount of stain and pressure on the user’s body.
What pieces of furniture are must-haves in my workspace?
When it comes to office furniture, you have a million options. Anything you can think of, and some that have never crossed your mind, are available. But what do you really need? If you are just starting your company, or just looking to move from drab to fab in a total office renovation, here are the basics.
Office Chair: As a proud Herman-Miller dealer, Freedom Interiors can provide you with the best ergonomic office chair in the industry. The Aeron has been named “Best Ergonomic Chair” multiple years running in a number of reviews. The iconic office task chair is comfortable and durable and with a 12-year warranty, you can rest assure that you will get your full use and then some out of this chair.
Office Desk: Height-adjustable desk are no longer a suggestion, but are a must have in today’s workplace. With more knowledge now than ever before on the detrimental effects of sitting for too long, sit-to-stand solutions are required. These solutions foster health, provide a balance between sitting and standing, and encourage movement throughout the workday. Herman Miller provides more than individual desk options in their Renew Link. Renew Link accommodates both sitting and standing postures and gives individual choice to shared work environments.
Office Storage: It is important to declutter your workstation to lower stress levels, but that doesn’t mean you need to place a large, clunky, metal filing cabinet in the corner of the office. If it is visible to you, it is visible to both your employees and your clients, so it should match your brand and be attractive. There are numerous options in office storage, some even doubling as trash receptacles or side tables. Herman Millers Canvas Storage is a multifunctional system for both personal items and work tools. With multiple material options, you can match your brand and needs. There are both hidden storage and open shelving options to suit individual needs.
Task Lighting: An accessory that is easily forgotten—lighting. The Herman Miller Flute Personal Light has a 24-year life span and a very minimal carbon footprint using LED chips. There is no need for bulb replacement or service over the span of its life.
Collaboration seating: Dependent on the needs of your company, collaborative seating may be vital to your workplace environment. Providing a place for your employees to brainstorm and discuss is easily done with Herman Miller’s line of collaborative furniture. They are home to over 18 solutions including small and large group collaboration pieces, whiteboards, and easels.
Privacy seating: Offices that require privacy and a more closed concept are not restricted to bulky cubicles. Partitions, screens, and booths can also provide necessary privacy between employees. Herman Miller provides multiple solutions from height-adjustable panels to soundproof booths to fit your company’s unique needs.
Social areas: Less formal areas in your office provide a casual, comfortable place to work. These areas come with a different furniture requirement; one that looks more like home. Sofas, chaise lounges, and chairs with ottomans encourage relaxation and in turn will foster innovation and collaboration between colleagues.