The furniture is considered the centerpiece of any establishment, like a house, office or business space. In a broad sense, furniture refers to movable objects that support various human activities (seating, eating, sleeping, etc.), hold objects at a convenient height and store items (e.g. shelves and cupboards). In a contemporary workplace setting, the furniture plays an important role in the ambiance of the workplace, giving a safe and relaxing atmosphere and a comfortable feeling to all the occupants of the office. The importance of furniture in an office doesn’t just stop with comfort. The role of furniture in the productivity of workers and the efficient operation of a workplace is more extensive than we might think.
Furniture Helps Make Offices Look Spacious
Furniture can sometimes take up a lot of space, but it can actually make the office look more spacious if arranged properly. Multi-functional furniture is ideal for small offices and for reducing the clutter of small furniture pieces. A chest that can function as a coffee table, a shelf that can function as a tabletop or desk that can serve as a mini filing cabinet can eliminate the need to add other pieces that can reduce space and freedom of movement.
Placing larger pieces of furniture against the walls also maximizes open space. Again, pathways and spaces for movement are important so if ever you want to scale your furniture to fit the size of your office space, freeing up these spaces are key to feeling a large office space. Also, an unblocked window and an unhindered view of the office give off a feeling of spaciousness. Transparent and open furniture are great for office spaces with transparent glass walls that overlook the cityscape. They give off an airy and open feeling.
They Help Promote Employee Collaboration
The most common setup we see in the workplace setting is walled cubicles and individual workstations. Having a set of furniture that has room for more seats and a bigger table in conference rooms and redesigning the workplace to make it open and comfortable can lead to more interaction between employees and their superiors. It promotes a sense of level ground for everyone, where every employee, staff and company head is visible and more approachable than the individual cubicle or workstation setting. Furniture sets that do not block the field of view and encourage freedom of movement and interaction, lead to a better collaboration of employees. These sets help redefine the concept of teamwork by tearing down the old and traditional workplace concept of individualized cubicles and workstations. When employees have a feeling of freedom and independence, they work more effectively and form better social connections and a tightly knit group of employees.
Employers and company leaders are seeing the value of employee collaboration to make revolutionary business ideas and marketing strategies. The way to achieve it is by promoting an atmosphere of collaboration and unhindered interaction in the workplace. Setting up open work desks can be made more attractive and appealing to employees by incorporating bright and lively colors. An informal and casual type of work setting leads to better employee function.
They Help Promote Employee Wellness
Another benefit of having multi-function furniture pieces is using for other uses that can help promote employee well-being. You can set up a multi-compartment shelf with different spaces for leisure items throw pillows, neck pillows, plush toys or books. You can also set up drawers that have marble tops to put your coffee maker, healthy beverage dispensers or even a popcorn machine. Make sure the drawers are of sufficient height and the top is comfortable to reach if you want to take a short break and drink a cup of joe or juice for relaxation. Having a sufficient height for a drawer is easy access, without having to bend over to open a compartment. You can store plates, utensils, glasses and other useful items the employees may need in case there are celebrations or office parties. Also, some areas of the drawers can be used for storing oats, energy bars, and other healthy food items. Even better, you can include a large bottle of vitamin C and over-the-counter medicines for a specific spot in your drawer to make it an accessible adjunct to the first aid kit in your workplace. If space allows it, you can place these furniture pieces near the corridor walls or just at the corner of your office space. You can have many options for adding such types of furniture. The key point here is promoting regular periods of rest and relaxation for employees through short breaks and giving them an area where they can access items that can help promote good health and wellness.
They Help Promote Improved Workplace Interactions
We are referring to interactions that are not just limited to employees, but everyone going in and out of the workplace and the office. Again, this can be made possible by using furniture that promotes an open and casual workplace setting such as breakout benches other social furniture items. Interacting more employees other than your seatmates can pave the way to increase your workplace social network and also improving your social health. More and more businesses and companies are recognizing the need for changing and redesigning the workplace environment to improve employee experience and relationships and also breaking down the hierarchical structure.
The furniture setting and structure play an important role in realizing this new direction being considered by business organizations. Desks and chairs are made more open and given a contemporary look to keep up with the relaxed employee workplace. This gives the office space of department heads and other higher-level officers a more relaxed and welcoming look. Furniture also plays an important function when it comes to the pantry or lunch area. A large open table that is elongated with lesser space and more chairs make it more possible for mingling and friendly chats over lunch. It also gives them the impression of being available whenever they need to occupy it. Also, making a uniform set ad arrangement of furniture within the pantry or lunch area gives them employees a feeling of uniformity.
There are no exclusive spaces or tables, so bosses and employees get to share the same table and sit across each other. Having this regular setup promotes a closer and healthier interaction between employees and their leaders and superiors. Other office staff are also made visible and valued with an open setup using social furniture items. Maintenance and utility workers can get to interact with employees more without having to wait for the end of the shift to do their work. With a common and open lunch space, they are also given the impression of a welcoming environment where they can also eat along with employees and bosses. This redesigning may take careful planning and also a consideration of the company budget.
They Help Develop Appreciation of Workplace Diversity
Every workplace is composed of different departments and employees are performing different functions depending on the departments where they are assigned. While it’s good that there is a sense of specialization and division of labor and expertise in the workplace. It should not hinder the healthy and effective interaction of employees and the seamless flow of processes. With a new furniture setting that can allow different employees to approach different departments or the representatives of these departments, employees get to realize the value of the different departments and appreciate the roles played by their co-employees. An open and comfortable work setting also cultivates a culture of respect among employees. By allowing everyone to see and interact with each other on a regular basis will lead each employee to develop an awareness of their individual differences, similarities and appreciating how their diversity has allowed them to work toward achieving the goal of their company.
They Help Improve Employee Productivity
With all the positive effects of installing revolutionary furniture designs, one of the most desired outcomes of such change is the increased productivity of employees. When employees are provided with ergonomically designed chairs and work tables, employees are more comfortable when working. There would be fewer complaints of muscle pains and body aches. Also, good posture helps improve blood circulation, which provides more oxygen to the brain and body organs. When that happens, it makes you more mentally alert and sharp, more active and you develop more capacity for heavier and increased workload. Employees work better and feel situated and happier in their work environment when the furniture pieces are attractive and comfortable. Like a well-oiled machine, healthy employees generate quality output and also commit to working regularly, reducing absenteeism rate. All this is possible with the installment of employee-friendly and revolutionary furniture that break away from the traditional norm of workplaces. How does this benefit the employers and business owners? Better productivity converts into higher production rate and income. Higher income also means higher revenues. This can help make better expansion prospects and more possibilities for innovation in the business process.
They Can Leave a Good Impression
It is still true that first impressions last. The furniture pieces that you put inside your office or workspace can say a lot about the company’s background and identity. Keeping the storage furniture stylish and the usable ones comfortable and ergonomic can make the employees feel welcomed and well taken care of. Chairs that have comfortable back support and allow freedom of movement can make employees perform their tasks better and unconfined. Also, clients that visit your office or workspace will have a lot to observe and having elegant furniture pieces can entice their interest to know more about the company. Mixing classic and contemporary furniture gives an impression of versatility and resilience to the tests of time. The pieces that make up the office space also help define the interior decoration style of your office, which adds to the impression of stylishness.
They Give Company Brand Credibility in The Market
Giving your office that classy and luxurious atmosphere can create a positive buzz about your company’s brand or store in the market. This is the next step to creating a good impression to clients. When clients, stakeholders, investors or simply guests and visitors get to visit your office space and experience the casual atmosphere of your company’s workplace, they are most definitely going to share their experience with other companies, other clients and other market influencers. Word of mouth is a powerful mode of advertising, and making a positive is going to bring a lot of positive developments and possibilities for your company. Again, this is due to that simple move of acquiring stylish furniture pieces. It can, therefore, be considered a good investment to provide quality, modern and revolutionary furniture types for your office and workplace. Again, the acquisition of furniture is not as easy at it seems. You need to consider what best suits your business needs. You can’t just jump to the choice of acquiring furniture that’s advertised around you. Listen to the voices of your employees, ask for their insights and give consideration to their requests and suggestions.
Furniture Can Give Your Company an Image Boost
Expanding on the social aspect of the benefits of furniture in an office, they can give your company a good and favorable image. The mix of exquisitely designed classic furniture and ergonomically designed modern furniture will give your company a sophisticated and versatile image. A spacious office complemented by space-saving multi-function furniture can give your office an accommodating air. Being a welcoming business owner or executive against the backdrop of stylish furniture pieces creates the image of a friendly and hospitable individual, boosting the image of owners and top executives who are considered as figureheads of their respective companies. Those seemingly ordinary visits may actually be key to making your company more known through the positive harmony between furniture pieces and the office occupants and furniture uses. A good image of the company and their representatives will attract more customers, and goodwill and influence of the company also increase.
What are the implications of having a great set of furniture in the office and workplace? There are actually many compelling reasons – the best among them is to improve the productivity of the employees. The benefits of good furniture choices and setting can give holistic benefits for the company. They not only benefit the occupants of the workplace, the workplace and the company as an entire entity can also benefit from the enhanced image brought about by improvements in furniture choices.
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