Every company needs an office space that is conducive and comfortable for employees to work at. When it comes to redesigning office spaces, it’s good to do so periodically to ensure your team remains happy, and your company culture protected.
Whether you’re starting out a new office interior design from scratch, or upgrading several furniture items, the right design can make a big difference in increasing productivity and overall team satisfaction. Read on to know more about the office design mistakes to avoid.
Mistake #1: Not making comfort & safety a critical priority
Nobody wants to work on office furniture that is old, faulty and lacks ergonomic design. When designing an office space, prioritising the ergonomics of the workplace can increase productivity, maintain optimal health and improve the mood and energy of your employees. To help everyone to work better, take a look at Comfort Furniture’s back-saving range of ergonomic office chairs. You and your team will enjoy the proper lumbar support, neck support and backrest our office chairs can provide which allow total calibration to fit all your body’s needs.
Other than office chairs, we also have ergonomically designed work desks to aid in work efficiency and comfort. For instance, our Tito height adjustable tables are perfect for individuals who want to work either sitting or standing. Your legs would definitely need a good stretch after sitting for hours.
Mistake #2: Going with the wrong furniture upholstery
Choosing the right furniture upholstery is also part of creating a good office interior design. You’ll want to go for office chairs, sofas and other types of seating that are comfortable, durable and overall have good value for money.
Leather upholstery is typically found in executive chairs that are meant for private office rooms as they showcase premium and distinguished beauty. They are also undeniably more costly and need extra maintenance care. Mesh-based office chairs, on the other hand, are popular because of their ability to maintain a comfortable body temperature to prevent that “sweaty-back” scenario.
Fabric-based upholstery is inexpensive but be wary of potential staining from coffee spills as well as colour-fading due to sun exposure. It’s best to place this type of upholstered furniture away from the sun and pantry area.
Speaking of stains, you will want to be aware of what cleaning method you’ll need to use when cleaning the office furniture upholstery. 3M Scotchgard™ Fabric Protectors can keep your furniture protected and long-lasting, should you still prefer the soft, cosy texture that only fabric upholstery can provide.
Mistake #3: Sticking with only fixed furniture
If your office space only consists of fixed furniture like mounted cabinets and mounted banquette seats, chances are there’s also difficulty in organising meetings and workshops. Consider mobile office furniture such as easy-to-move training tables and chairs. Find the ones that are foldable and stackable too to save space.
In other words, think of having a modular desk system which is minimalistic in design and simple to configure to fit your desired space. The tables can be placed side-by-side, face-to-face or both.
Mistake #4: Cluttered office space
Lockers, office cabinets and mobile pedestals are great additions to creating a neat and tidy office environment. While everybody is hard at work, clutter can easily form and minimise your desk space without warning, which results in loss of concentration, productivity and misplaced important documents, not to mention wasting precious time to find office supplies as well as increasing the chances of accidental injuries and fire risks.
For those who are working on fixed desks, the Sara Mobile Caddy and mobile pedestals like our Dan Mobile Pedestal and Cassidy Mobile Pedestal are what you need to conveniently move beside your table or semi-tuck one of them under the table.
Lockers, on the other hand, are more suited for staff who are hot-desking. That way, they can have peace of mind knowing that their personal items and documents are safely kept away. As for filing shared work documents and keeping away common office supplies, employers should invest in office cabinets while labelling them for better organisation. Overall, a typical office will have these three storage needs and you can solve each of them at Comfort Furniture!
Mistake #5: Not having enough privacy
According to a study by global serviced office provider Instant Offices1, office workers in Singapore worked 44.6 hours per week on average. With most of us working long hours in the office, the office environment can significantly impact our mood and well-being.
The open office layout is still favoured by employers, as it creates more office space, eases communication and promotes collaboration. Unfortunately, there are several disadvantages to the layout which can result in an increased rate of both anxiety and depression among employees. Thus, it’s good to consider office privacy pods to stay free from distractions and have a period of privacy to refocus on work. Comfort Furniture’s phones and meeting pods offer innovative, sound-reduction acoustic phone booths and privacy pods. Moreover, they can elevate the office wall design as our privacy pods can be customised according to your colour and design preferences!
Mistake #6: Not thinking ahead of your office space
Investing in good office furniture is definitely worth considering to create a safe, conducive work environment long-term.
It’s common for employers to save on budget by foregoing essential office furniture. What they may not realise is the significant negative impact of an inadequately furnished work environment.
Comfort Furniture’s acoustic phone booths and privacy pods address long-term concerns such as staff upsizing or downsizing without having to break any walls. These portable pods also make moving to a new office space easier, while helping business owners to reduce their sunk costs by avoiding office fixture changes. Browse our Lull Pods with castor wheels which can be activated when needed. Privacy pods are without a doubt long-term furniture items worth investing in.
