Why These May be the Best Office Furniture Trends Ever

Best Office Furniture Trends Stylex Trim Table

Professional offices are experiencing lasting changes after Covid shutdowns scattered employees who stayed connected through online meetings and other forms of technology. The office functioned outside the walls of the corporate headquarters. Hybrid work arrangements have become normal for many with the corporate office taking on a new role as a hub.  With all these significant work style changes, let’s examine the best office furniture trends, now not just for the main office but also for the home.

Companies in Southern California are adjusting well. In Culver City, Creator IQ allows employees to balance remote work with the main office being a supportive location where there are special times to come in and focus. Offices need to re-think spaces and create a desired destination spot instead of just being a place where people are told to work.

Is there an upside? Yes.

Companies are discovering the best office furniture trends ever. These provide comfort, allow for collaboration, and provide flexibility with hybrid work schedules.

Read on to get ideas to refresh your office, furnish for greater productivity, and give your team an inviting reason to be in the office.

Best Office Furniture Trends: Dynamic Office Spaces

A popular office furniture trend is allowing for inter-office movement.

Photo: Friant System 2 Workstations

Your team may begin at their workstations but decide to move to a more informal area with lounge seating or even the breakroom where they can work on their laptops or take personal calls. Formal conference rooms are giving way to informal group spaces.

Offices can certainly have defined space, but with open layouts and hybrid work arrangements, they’ve become dynamic. Support the changes using the best office furniture.

Best Office Furniture Trends: Collaborative Furniture

Photo: DeskMakers TeamWorx Open Plan Benching

Open office layouts were meant to spur collaboration, but the effort was met with mixed reviews. People need privacy, too.

Photo: OFS Staks Workstations

Cubicles that were seen as dull and gray were redesigned for small group sharing and privacy. One of the best office furniture trends is the ability to have collaboration while at the same time not disturbing others who are working.

Photo: OFS Aptos Open Plan Benching

Bench seating solutions can bring people together for a few hours—while encouraging movement to other areas as needed. Encourage an ebb and flow of work communication.

Resimercial: The Personable Yet Professional Office

Make the office a home away from home. This has been one of the best office furniture trends taking place for the past few years, even before the Covid shutdown occurred.

Resimercial simply combines the look and feel of residential spaces with the durability and professionalism of commercial spaces.

Why is this popular?

Our culture has become more informal and relational while offices are less hierarchical than ever. Employees feel comfortable in a work environment where they can sip coffee while sitting on furniture that have the touches of home, including the fabrics.

Interiors to Brand Your Company

Resimercial isn’t the only design option, though. It’s possible to brand your interior in a way that reflects your company’s overall brand image and design. The promise made to customers on the outside can be made to employees on the inside.

2010 Office has an Inspirations page where you can easily see some of the best office furniture trends in use.

Photo: ODS Lift Height Adjustable Workstations

A minimalist approach is taken with the Scandinavian office while open offices can have a modern industrial look and feel.

Offices in Southern California and nationally make use of local flavors. In Pittsburgh, Google’s office design made a splash when it set up shop more than a decade ago in the 100-year-old Nabisco building. Designers kept some of the original brick, installed industrial-looking catwalks, and had a large picture of the Smithfield Street bridge.

Touchdown: Creating Office Spaces for a Breather

With people coming and going, offices need touchdown spaces. This is another trend where individuals can step aside from noise and distractions to focus or take a break.

Photo: Rouillard Blok Lounge Seating

Small groups of employees who want a meeting away from the formal conference room can use modular lounge furniture to accommodate just a few people, or if need be, make room for a larger group. Make use of moveable whiteboards for charting.

Remote workers stopping in for meetings can use touchdown spaces to work or collaborate while waiting for the official meeting to begin.

Integrated Technology

There’s no escaping our connected worlds and the rapid flow of information. Offices with hybrid schedules and remote workers are making greater use of video conferencing than ever before.

Set aside specific spaces like the OFS Obeya Architectural Structures that are tastefully designed and house necessary technology.

Natural Light and Ergonomic Accessories

Another trend isn’t furniture but it promotes well-being. Maximizing the amount of natural light in a space is proven to be an effective way to boost morale and aid in promoting a healthy sleep cycle for employees.

Use ergonomic lighting accessories to focus the right amount of light at workstations and reduce problems associated with eye strain.

Home Office Furniture Trends

Equipping the home office is another of the best office furnishing trends and has become more important than ever. Some remote workers are full-time while others split time between the corporate office and home office.

Work-from-home furnishings include items that corporate headquarters will have. Sit-to-stand desks and ergonomic chairs can be as useful in a remote office as they are in the home office.

Make sure printers are accessible but not in the way and that the space stays uncluttered with the proper amount of storage.

Stay Up to Date on Best Office Furniture Trends and Office Furnishings

Rely on the team at 2010 Office Furniture to keep you up to date with the best office furniture trends and to plan your office space so you use it well. 2010 Office staff have more than 50 years of combined experience and have served clients who are counted among Southern California’s most recognizable corporations, centers of higher education, and small businesses.

Contact them with your specific project needs and questions.

Read Also: NeoCon 2022 Trends: The Future of Office Furniture
Main Photo: Stylex Trim Table
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: DeskMakers, Friant, ODS, OFS, Rouillard & Stylex

Using Mobile and Nesting Desks for Your Office

Mobile and Nesting Desks Global Terina Table

Tired of getting up from your workstation and carrying your laptop from one place to another? Consider a mobile desk. Need more floor space? Try nesting desks, also referred to as stackable desks.  Expand your productivity and office space and bring a new level of flexibility and efficiency to your office environment with mobile and nesting desks.

Mobile desks meet the ongoing demands for mobility with a minimalist appearance. They come in a variety of styles to fit the office needs of every industry. Nesting desks can be used for multiple functions and both types of surfaces reduce the footprint of tables and traditional desks.

They’re some of the trending items for today’s workplace.

Types of Mobile and Nesting Desks

We know about height-adjustable desks and how they move so the user is comfortable and can set the height to the individual’s proper posture. Mobile desks go a bit further, literally.


Photo: ODS Crossroads Workstations

A durable stand and surface for a laptop make them lightweight and since they’re equipped with casters, they’re easy to roll.

Nesting desks are easy to stack and reduce the space that tables and traditional desks often take up. Plus, some function as whiteboards where you can scrawl ideas, flip the top to show what you’re working on, and use the table again as a flat surface.


Photo: AMQ Concur Training Tables

When you’re done, “nest” them together so they’re out of the way. Transporting is easy since they come with a cart like the durable Via Seating Splash Stackable Table.

What else can you do with mobile and nesting desks?

A lot more.

Uses for Mobile and Nesting Desks

Mobile desks are excellent to use for health professionals and other offices where data needs sharing around a conversation. Instructors can also use them, wheeling a laptop or other screens around a conference or training room.

Nesting desks can be used near workstations where a few colleagues gather to collaborate. They can also be used in lounge or breakout areas in addition to training rooms. If floor space is being optimized in your office, then use nesting desks as needed.

You may have a few desks with the tops stacked vertically and neatly against a wall. During a huddle, you may only need one desk. However, if others come into the area where you’re doing a training session, then the additional desks are available as needed.

Nesting desks with writeable surfaces are excellent for professionals like those in engineering firms or robotics companies where spur-of-the-moment ideas are best expressed with quickly drawn diagrams.

What if you plan to move locations soon and you’re already relocating your equipment?

You wouldn’t want a room filled with tables.

Mobile and nesting desks are useful for startup companies and established companies that are changing facilities since they fit with professional décor and don’t look like temporary solutions.

In a spacious executive office, mobile desks can comfortably accommodate laptops or, if you prefer, a pad of paper and pen to take notes during meetings. Nesting desks can easily be pulled out from against the walls.

The finishes are attractive and fit with various office design schemes.

Breakrooms or lounges are also areas suitable for stackable desks where space is at a premium.

Trending Space-Saving Solutions

Using space wisely is important for offices with hybrid work arrangements where employees may either work remotely or work in the corporate setting. But they’re also important for companies with a large in-house staff.

Bulky-looking file cabinets are another item that can take up floor space. Turn to variations on mobile and nesting desks to solve the issue.


Photo: Global Dufferin Desks

Many desking solutions have file cabinets that easily slide below the work surface and blend in. 2010 Office Furniture carries several models including the Global Princeton Desking Workstation. Every component is modular and freestanding. Configuring it to the size and shape you need is easy.


Photo: Global Princeton Design Workstations

Use attractive bookcases as another storage option. They work well as space dividers in open offices or look nice up against permanent walls. The OFS Hitch Shelf and Storage offers a contemporary look while the Deskmakers Catalina Cubbies is more traditional.


Photo: DeskMakers Catalina Cubbies Storage

How about storage and seating?

Try the AMQ Revi Personal Storage unit. It’s a design suitable for both permanent workstations and touchdown spaces where flexibility is needed. A magnetic removable seat cushion creates additional seating space as well.  They are easily transportable and  adaptable to spaces, much like mobile and nesting desks.


Photo: AMQ Revi Pedestals Storage

For audiovisual needs, look to the Rouillard Coast Media Table, a part of the “secluded” Coast Media selection. Features include a sound-absorbing upholstered wall enclosure with a peninsula table that’s attached and takes up a minimum amount of space.


Photo: Rouillard Coast Media Table

Furnishing Solutions with Mobile and Nesting Desks

Consult with the team at 2010 Office Furniture to handle your space planning needs so you can select the right mobile and nesting desks that will serve your team the best.

2010 Office has a half-century of experience working with globally recognized corporations, universities, and small businesses throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.

Contact them with your office needs and questions.

Read Also: 6 Types of Spaces Every Office Needs
Main Photo: Global Terina Tables
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: AMQ, DeskMakers, Global, ODS & Rouillard

7 Ergonomic Seating Solutions to Elevate Your Office Seating

Ergonomic Seating SitOnIt Wit Side Chair

Your team spends precious time sitting in cars or ride-share vans while commuting on Southern California’s crowded freeways, then up to several hours sitting in the office each day.  How do you reduce the stress of sitting? Read on and discover ergonomic seating furniture solutions that promote overall well-being and productivity.

Sitting stresses people physically when they’re not properly supported. A quality ergonomic office chair supports the lower back and reduces chronic back and leg pain when it’s adjusted to the right height. Ergonomic seating solutions fit a variety of needs from workstations to guest chairs and conference rooms for training sessions.


Photo: 9to5 Seating @nce Chairs

It’s an important lesson in office ergonomics—planning and equipping the office environment to meet the needs of your employees.

Here are seven types of ergonomic seating that are worth referring to time and again.

Workstation Ergonomic Seating

When people are comfortable in their seats then they’re productive at work. And they’re healthier with fewer absentees due to strained backs and joints. Think about how much movement occurs when you’re sitting. Shifting from one side to another. Leaning back to stretch and leaning forward to type on a keyboard or read reports.

Sitting is not a passive activity so chairs need to support a person’s weight and how they move.

Seating possibilities for workstations range from shared bench seating solutions to individual chairs in a cubicle or desk.

The Via Seating Genie Chair is height-adjustable, supports posture, allows for a comfortable range of motion, and it’s built to last for several years.


Photo: Via Seating Genie Chairs

For versatility, the Wit Side Chair from SitonIt Seating features a lightweight frame, built-in pull handle, and is an option as primary seating at desks or shared workstations. It’s also useful as accessory seating in cubicles.

For shared surface areas in an office with a minimalist style, the Encore Nexxt Chair and Stool is an impressive furniture solution to use.


Photo: Encore Nexxt Seating

Executive Desk Ergonomic Seating

Seating should be comfortable enough to support the thinking process and many decisions that go into running a company.

Can sitting straight with good posture actually promote clear thinking?

Slouching reduces lung capacity by up to 30 percent, as described in an article in Inc. Magazine so sitting in a quality ergonomic chair can maximize the supply of oxygen to the brain.

Support the head and neck movement with the dynamic Humanscale Freedom Headrest Chair. Designed with foundational physics, the chair easily reclines for maximum comfort.

Executive desk seating options come in traditional styles like the 9 to 5 Seating Mila Chair that supports the user’s weight and natural body motions.

Capture a more exclusive look and feel with Via Seating’s Vero Chair. Angling cushions give a pleasant appearance and have luxe ergonomic seating support.


Photo: Via Seating Vero Chairs

The OFS Madrid Executive Chair fits well in executive suites and conference rooms. The chair can be customized with a wood finish or aluminum for the arms and control functions.

Receptionist Ergonomic Seating

A receptionist who’s answering phones, greeting visitors, and completing a variety of tasks throughout the day is often in constant motion. Sitting really means swiveling in the chair and constantly shifting weight. Keep your receptionist comfortable and healthy with quality furniture solutions that are ergonomically designed and manufactured.

The Focus Chair by SitonIt Seating and the Friant Amenity Chair are styles of ergonomic chairs that are supportive and durable.


Photo: SitOnIt Seating Focus Chairs

Guest Seating Lobby

The reception area is the first impression that visitors have of your office—and so do employees when they arrive for work. Whether it’s an office for a professional firm or a creative company specializing in some type of marketing or entertainment, create a comfortable space for those who may have to wait.

Choose guest chairs that complement the look and feel of your office design and theme.

A comfortable option for health professionals and waiting rooms is the SitOnIt Seating Anytime Chair that can be customized for use in training rooms and break rooms.

Go a bit retro with the iDesk Crazy Horse Chair that showcases both style and fashion.


Photo: SitOnIt Seating Anytime Chairs

Lounge Seating for Individuals

Offices need touchdown spaces, places where employees can catch a breather and take a personal phone call or step away from their workstation and work in a living room style setting. It’s the type of furniture that’s becoming a fixture in current office design trends.

Lounge seating is also important for employees on a hybrid work arrangement. If they come into the office, then offer comfortable ergonomic seating where they can also be productive before or after the meeting session.

The Friant Anza Chair offers a timeless look of quality and is cushioned for the best in relaxing comfort. Or go with a calming feeling with the Krug Avatar Lounge Chair.

Lounge Seating for Groups

Lounges can also be rooms where small groups can meet comfortably in a setting that has a casual feel. Modular lounge furniture can serve individuals or groups. The Krug Zola Modular Lounge Seating allows for numerous configurations.

Step away from routines and the traditional conference room space to more home-like settings. Use accessories like moveable white boards and sleek tables to create the right environment.

Conference Room / Training Room

Conference room and training room ergonomic seating is a popular furniture need. If you’re bringing associates in to a central training facility or your working with local staff then use the chairs that help people remain attentive.

The Allermuir Axyl Chair, Stool and Bench is available as a stacking chair, a stool for use in breakrooms or in shared workspaces, and as a bench that fits in a variety of office settings.

The ERG International Carlton Chair and Stool fits many office environments, including lobbies and break rooms.

Finding the Right Ergonomic Seating

Turn to 2010 Office Furniture as your trusted solution in office space planning and sourcing the right ergonomic seating and furniture you need in your office environment. Rely on the 2010 Office team’s 50 years of working with clients who are among the leading corporations, universities, and small businesses in Southern California.

Contact them with your project needs.

Read Also: Make Office Ergonomics Your Next Smart Move
Main Photo: SitOnIt Seating Wit Side Chairs
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: 9to5 Seating, Encore & SitOnIt Seating & Via Seating

Equipping the Flexible Office for Maximum Productivity and Professional Experience

Flexible Office 9to5 Seating Aria Chairs

With COVID, flexible office work arrangements are more popular than ever. Digital technology has kept employees so connected for the past couple of decades that many need reminders to unplug during vacations and long weekends.

Going through the COVID-19 shutdown made remote working mandatory and now companies are reimagining how doing tasks in remote locations can remain compatible with working in a corporate office.

Making the office a destination spot is a strategy to create a positive office experience that will draw workers back is a trending strategy. But what are you bringing them back to?

Let’s look at flexible office spaces and their use as a competitive advantage.

Flexible Office for Deliberate Flexibility

Corporate offices today are adjusting their defined work areas. It’s not just a matter of placing the names of departments on different doors like accounting, marketing, or production. Instead, they’re doing what CBRE in their 30,000 square foot El Segundo office is doing: designing spaces as lounges, single-person work pods, and equipping outdoor areas with wi-fi, comfortable seating, and shade umbrellas.

In 2018, community design firm Stantec unveiled a re-design of its 60,000-square foot space in Irvine. It’s a diverse company of scientists, architects, and project managers. They have “Four non-traditional collaborative spaces take the shape of breakout rooms, lounges, and hubs.”

A training room has space for 50 people and a retractable wall that can separate the room into two if needed.

Personal interaction is planned and designed into the floor plan with a collaboration café that’s “purposefully located where office circulation paths meet to foster quick planning sessions and conversations.”

A central lounge with reclaimed barn wood paneling, a coffee bar, computer stations, television screens, and contemporary lounge furnishings, serves as the flexible office’s central meeting place and social focal point.


Photo: ERG International Tivoli Lounge

Flexible Office Productivity

Planning office spaces for flexibility that leads to greater productivity is important because different people have different ways in which they work best. Just like learning. Some people learn better with a hands-on approach while others may be more visual or more auditory.

Some work best from home and 2010 Office Furniture understands this so we equip the remote workers, too, with work-from-home flexible office suites and accessories.

Creating a flexible office space that allows your team to feel comfortable respects their individual needs while bringing them together in a unified mission of meeting corporate goals.


Photo: SitOnIt Seating Glove Chairs

Flexible office spaces let employees work in areas that suit them best.

Physical Flexibility

There’s another type of office flexibility that’s important for a person’s overall wellness. Sitting for long periods of time strains the elbows, wrists, knees, and lower back. If the height of a monitor or desk isn’t right then posture is off and sitting for long stretches is a gradual strain on the entire body.

Promote physical flexibility with quality ergonomic chairs and height-adjustable desks.


Photo: DeskMakers Hover Workstations

Common Needs

A headline from an agency recruiting remote workers in Los Angeles proclaimed on its website, Productivity doesn’t need an office.

That’s not 100% accurate.


Photo: DARRAN Chameleon Workspace

Everyone has different needs for a flexible office. Some people work best at one specific workstation with occasional meetings or chats in lounge areas.


Photo: OFS Tangent Lounge

Others prefer remote work over full-time in-office work.

However, there are common needs that everyone has despite personal preferences:

  • Social interactions
  • Natural lighting
  • Pleasing environment

Even the most ardent remote worker is best served with in-person meetings and not just all-virtual gatherings, all the time. We like interacting with others or we begin to feel alone, even if we’re digitally connected.

We have an abundant amount of sunshine in Southern California, so make sure your team has plenty of light filtering in. Sunshine boosts morale in the office and helps people maintain a circadian rhythm so they sleep well at night.

Colors matter, too. You don’t need bold, splashy colors in every room, but you also don’t want dull and drab. Plenty of cubicle solutions use attractive fabrics and come in easy-to-configure arrangements so you can plan for both privacy and personal conversations.

The 2010 Office Inspiration page gives options that show you how today’s flexible office can make the best use of color and space to reflect your brand and show your employees that you have their needs in mind.

Plan and design a space for minimalists or create a resimercial space that reflects both personal lives and professional pursuits.


Photo: Allermuir Mozaik Lounge Seating

The good news is you don’t have to sacrifice quality when designing a flexible office space. An array of durable options exists to help you get the most from your workspaces so your team is as productive as possible.

Find Flexible Office Solutions that Work Best

Turn to 2010 Office as your solution for space planning and office furnishings that help you create the modern flexible office. The team has more than 50 years of experience working with clients who rank among Southern California’s most distinguished corporations, universities, and small businesses.

Contact them with your potential needs.

Read Also: Your Guide to Office Feng Shui for the Best Office Environment
Main Photo: 9to5 Seating Aria Chairs
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: 9to5 Seating, Allermuir, DARRAN, DeskMakers, ERG International, OFS & SitOnIt Seating 

Leveraging the Benefits of Informal Workspaces in Office Planning and Design

Informal Workspaces Edge Collaboration Spaces

Informal workspaces are a strategic use of your existing office space.  They are much more than having a ping-pong table available for team-building exercises.

It’s an important step in ergonomics.  Furniture equipment should meet the needs of the worker instead of making the worker use the equipment at personal expense.

Planning and designing informal office workspaces will:

  • Accommodate remote workers and accommodate staff who work full-time in the office
  • Encourage collaboration among a diverse workforce
  • Promote transparency
  • Utilize spaces that would otherwise sit empty for hours on end

Why should you refresh your work environment and plan to use informal spaces?

With informal workspaces, you can make your office a welcome destination by using space that “will reflect the organization’s purpose, vision and culture … and inspire a workforce,” as Blake Searles, senior managing director for Jones Lang LaSalle in Los Angeles, said.  Jean was addressing attendees during a panel discussion of Navigating Workplace Needs, hosted by the LA Business Journal in 2021.

How Informal Workspaces Emerged

Google and tech startups in the early 2000s did more than change how we access information. They changed the standards of a professional office setting. Programmers and other tech creatives, who were often recent college grads, showed up in jeans and T-shirts.

The idea fit into the California lifestyle of beaches and mountains, and led the way for informal workspaces.

Informal offices turned into beanbag chairs with programmers glued to their laptops.  They played foosball or ping pong during break times or problem-solving discussions.

Tables like these are fun—and can help reduce workplace tension which is why 2010 Office Furniture carries the Scale 1:1 Nomad Conference Table. You can gather a team around it for planning, use the surface as a whiteboard, or have a robust ping-pong match during breaks.


Photo: Scale 1:1 Nomad Conference Table

Many white-collar companies never adopted the hip tech approach, and many stayed with the traditional, closed-wall settings of individual executive offices. That is, until open office plans with freshly designed cubicles and bench seating became the go-to trend, a nod and step toward informal workspaces.


Photo: DARRAN Honey Workstation

The need for privacy and personal space remained and thanks to the widespread use of laptops and cell phones, companies began setting aside dedicated areas like lounges for employees who wanted time away from being elbow-to-elbow with others.


Photo: ERG International Hetfield Table

Ideas for Office Informal Workspaces

See how a variety of office settings are arranged on the 2010 Office Inspiration page.

Here are a few ideas for creating an atmosphere that’s unique to your company’s brand and workflow—allowing for both structured and informal workspaces:

Each of the many office plans meets specific needs and builds on trends of earlier years like open office floor plans. Critics said one of the downsides was that concentration was impaired. 2010 Office Furniture provides Open Plan solutions with many open plan desking options that also allows for personal space.


Photo: Friant Dash Workstation

When COVID-19 led to mandatory remote working then employees found they could be in an informal setting of their homes or coffee shops yet remain productive. Virtual meetings kept staff tuned into the corporate office.

Getting employees back into an office that truly supports their work was a concern.

The colorful Upbeat Office, or the minimalist office in the Scandinavian style, and the use of nature in the Green Office show how the work environment can be pleasing and even preferred over remote locations.

But nothing truly replaces face-to-face interactions.

So it’s out with walled individual office space, all-day tasks done only at the cubicle or workstation, and in with informal workspaces. A key benefit is that more office space is used throughout the day.


Photo: Stylex Free Address Tables

How Informal Workspaces Maximize Office Usage

When workers were expected to stay at their desks several hours a day, portions of offices, like breakrooms and conference rooms, sat empty for hours at a time. Spur of the moment or planned meetings were held at desks, which could be intimidating in certain work relationships. And other times, important meetings might be postponed while employees waited for a conference room to be available.

There’s less need to step into a designated conference room. Common areas can be used for small group meetings away from workstations. And minimal tables for monitors and online meetings can be set up so they remain unobtrusive.

Informal Workspaces Source International Scape Seating
Photo: Source International Scape Lounge Seating

Stepping out for a working lunch can be a nice change of scenery, or a meeting at a coffee shop can meet the same need. But a breakroom where lunch and coffee are available can serve a similar purpose in the mornings, during lunch, or in the afternoons.

Encouraging mobility makes the office more functional and dynamic than only having specific desks where all the work is expected to be handled.  This is why informal workspaces accessible to everyone works, and make good use of otherwise unoccupied office spaces.

Informal Spaces are Professional Spaces

Informal spaces can certainly serve collaborative efforts and meet the needs of individual employees. Planning your space is essential so your team has room for those important spur-of-the-moment ideas that lead to greater productivity and professional satisfaction.


Photo: Scale 1:1 Nomad Conference Table

In today’s world, boundaries are blurred between personal lives and professional careers.  Informal spaces help employees relate to each other and meet the need for social interactions.

Rely on Expertise and Experience

Contact the team at 2010 Office Furniture for help to create your informal workspaces.  Get trusted advice from their combined half-century.  They’ve provided solutions for distinguished clients throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.

Read Also: Design and Plan Your Office for Collaboration and Inspiration
Main Photo: OFS Edge Collaboration Spaces
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: DARRAN, ERG International, Friant, Scale 1:1, OFS, Source and Stylex

The Benefits of Touchdown Spaces in Office Space Planning and Design

Touchdown Spaces Global+ River Lounge

Your employees are more than workers—they’re consumers of the office experience you provide.  And for them in today’s professional climate, touchdown spaces have never been more important than now.  Let’s break it down.

Here are two factors impacting your office:

  • Hybrid work arrangements
  • Personalities who seem to have conflicting needs

Many companies in Southern California allow for a hybrid model of remote work where employees plan to work in the office a few days per week.

A range of different personalities expects the office to meet their needs like focused privacy and open meeting areas. Differing expectations can co-exist without competing against each other.

How do you make your office space a positive destination?

Plan flexible areas called touchdown spaces and use furnishings that support diverse needs and desires.


Photo: Global Drift Table

What are Touchdown Spaces?

Touchdown spaces are informal spaces where you can settle alone with a laptop, pad of paper, or smartphone. Or, where you can collaborate in a small group setting.

Plan a touchdown space that comes with fast internet access where your team can quickly answer emails, have a virtual meeting, or check in face-to-face before moving elsewhere to complete tasks.

The goal is to help your employees handle their tasks in a supportive and comfortable environment.

Benefits of Touchdown Spaces

Companies that depend on knowledgeable workers can benefit greatly from touchdown spaces.

Collaboration is needed to troubleshoot issues related to production and client management, while individual focus is essential for uninterrupted stretches to deliver actionable items. Touchdown spaces maximize the use of office space and give employees the opportunity to be as productive as possible.

In a hybrid work environment, defined space is as necessary as ever. In pre-Covid days prior to 2020, companies often assigned one desk or workstation per employee. You were assigned a seat and that was the end of the matter.

Special accommodations were made for employees who wanted flexibility and shared tasks. Employee A came in 15 to 20 hours a week to a specific workstation and shared it with Employee B who worked on the same task.

Now, people are coming and going on different days of the week, but they still expect defined spaces.

Touchdown spaces are community areas where you know you can either take a private phone call or meet with co-workers in an uninterrupted huddle.

Touchdown Spaces Encore Chirp Lounge Seating

Photo: Encore Chirp Lounge Seating

Practices and Furnishings that Support Space Needs

An article in the LA Business Journal states that the end goal for the office is a place to “provide an experience–much like hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers do–that not only helps in recruitment of new hires but also entices employees to gather and collaborate there.”

Here’s a key first step in providing positive touchdown spaces.

Managing the flow of employees who come in and out at different times. Develop an app that allows workers to reserve workstations, specific conference rooms, video conferencing rooms, or even lounge areas.

Take the next step and provide furnishings that work well for a flexible office touchdown space like:


Photo: Snowsound PLI Acoustic Panels

Plan to Furnish Spaces Wisely

In a flexible office setting, you need to direct sound and activity to keep group spaces separated from private spaces.

How does furniture help?

Acoustic furniture absorbs sound waves from distracting conversations, ringing phones, and other noises.

Look at the 2010 Furniture inspirational web page, Modern Conference Room. There’s an example of a small meeting area that doesn’t have a door. A clear architectural wall encloses one side, and the opposite side has a wall for writing and diagramming. An attractive covering encloses the top.


Photo: Trendy Volo Wall

Check the 2010 Office Furniture Inspiration page to get ideas for workstations and meeting areas and how they look in various office settings and designs.


Photo: Allermuir Haven Lounge Seating

Many lounge seating options are designed with privacy in mind, like the Allermuir Haven Lounge Seating where one person could stretch out and concentrate or two people could meet beneath the high backs.


Photo: ERG International Laguna Lounge Seating fr Touchdown Spaces

A similar look is available in the ERG International Laguna Lounge Seating arrangement. It has many customizable options using privacy panels and is highly functional in common areas like cafes and lobbies.

Touchdown Space Example

In the South Bay, commercial real estate brand CBRE opened a 30,000-square-foot office this summer and equipped it with 14 different types of workspaces because people work in different ways on different projects.

The El Segundo location is using a concept called neurodiversity.

They range from what the LA Business Journal describes as “acoustically enclosed, single-person focus pods for individual work to huddle rooms for small teams” to “residential-style living rooms for casual meetings, a library for quiet work, and an outdoor patio equipped with WiFi, seating and shade umbrellas.”

Spaces are equipped with interactive whiteboards and some project rooms have large horseshoe couches and large video screens.  These make for good touchdown spaces.


Photo: National Bio Conference Media Table

Plenty of options exist to design an office of any size that’s flexible and satisfies the users.

Get Pro Help on Touchdown Spaces

Contact 2010 Office Furniture and get input for your space planning and furnishing needs to create touchdown spaces or any office environment that’s right for your company.

The team at 2010 Office has a combined half-century of planning spaces and sourcing furniture for Southern California’s most distinguished companies, universities, and small businesses.

Share your questions and projects to get trustworthy advice.

Read Also: Using Resimercial Office Design as an Employee Retention Strategy
Main Photo: Global River+ Lounge Seating
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Allermuir, Encore, ERG International, Global, National, Snowsound & Trendway

Your Guide to Modern Reception Desks to Impress Your Guests and Clients

Modern Reception Desks Gravity Reception Desk

Convey your company’s brand and create positive first impressions using modern reception desks. Welcome and engage your guests in your surroundings. The furniture you use in your lobby and reception area sets the tone for your office and influences how clients and vendors will think about doing business with you.

Here’s a brief and useful guide to help you plan your reception area and select the modern reception desks that are going to serve you well and make office visitors feel comfortable.

Brand Your Office with Reception Desks

Customers and vendors may have different perceptions about your company, but one thing is certain: people notice the reception desk and the receptionist immediately when they walk into your workplace.

It’s your opportunity to brand your company and reinforce your mission.

Some Southern California companies get quite creative in their reception areas. Several years ago in Santa Monica, the car rating company, Edmunds, held an open house for its new offices and a Corvette was suspended above the receptionist desk.

Clever.

But let’s consider the significance of modern reception desks. Do they act as barriers or are they welcoming?

You can see the creative ways that the hospitality industry uses desks where guests check-in. In Old Town Pasadena, the Courtyard by Marriot has installed individual podiums that hold laptops versus the traditional long counter with clerks standing behind it.

The design creates an open and sleek look and all sensitive customer and corporate information is kept online or in a separate office.

How about you? What qualities do you want your reception desk to convey?

Think it through.

Expertise in your industry and caring about customers are two ideas for possibilities.

Impressions matter. A summary in the Harvard Business Review refers to personal interactions, but it also reminds us that we want guests and clients to have a positive experience when they step foot inside the office.

It’s possible for your environment to exude confidence while placing others at ease.

Modern receptionist desks play a role in creating an atmosphere of confidence while helping visitors feel engaged—and not blocked out.

Styles of Reception Desks

Modern reception desks come in a variety of styles to fit any office.

Balance the look and feel that you’re trying to achieve with what you need to accomplish in your office. If you’re in a professional health or legal firm then you certainly want a sophisticated but friendly look. And you may need to protect sensitive data.

An article in Inc. Magazine offers a wise piece of advice: “Consider a lower desk surface, even if the desk itself is wide and imposing. This hides your receptionist less from incoming customers and gives a sense of openness. Yes, you’re keeping sensitive information secure beyond the desk, but you’re available to help those who seek you out.”

Photo: Friant Willow Reception Desk

Look into the Friant Willow Reception Desk with a couple of dozen different finish options.

Another option that fits well in a variety of contemporary offices is the Global Zira Reception Desk.

Photo: Global Zira Reception Desk

Compare the various reception desks that 2010 Office Furniture showcases with the many office designs on the Inspirations page. Minimalist designs to industrial and resimercial styles show how you can create an atmosphere that’s conducive to employee well-being while at the same time placing your guests and clients at ease.

Photo: Source International Lore Lounge

An effective office design can certainly begin with the reception desk.

Using the Best Reception Desk for Your Office Space

Planning your office space is essential and it’s a service that the team at 2010 Office Furniture offers.

Photo: Cherryman Amber Reception Desk

If your reception area is large then a product like the Cherryman Amber Reception Desk can be just the look and fit you need.

Compact desks with stylish storage options are an alternative to make a space look welcoming without appearing cramped. Look into the HON 10700 Series Reception Desk. It integrates easily with other desks and workstations in the same product line.

Photo: HON 10700 Series Reception Desk

Reception Area Furniture For Comfort

Round out the reception area with comfortable seating options. Use multi-purpose chairs that support various body types or get fun and creative with modular lounge furnishings.

Choose from a variety of tables, too, for maximum comfort.

Trust Experience and Customer Satisfaction

Rely on the team at 2010 Office Furniture to care for your office space planning and furnishings.

Photo: Krug Avatar Lounge Chair

2010 Office has a combined 50 years of experience serving clients who are among Southern California’s most distinguished corporations, nonprofits, and small businesses.

Contact them and get input for your projects and office furnishing needs.

Read Also: Modern Office Evolution: Office Furniture Through the Years
Main Photo: Maverick Gravity Reception Desk
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Cherryman, Friant, Global, HON, Krug, Maverick Desk & Source International

Designing for Comfort and Employee Well-Being with the Resimercial Office Trend

Resimercial Office Trend HON Westhill Lounge

Lines between our personal and professional lives have blurred with instant communication and cloud storage. Kids and colleagues can get in touch as needed. There are boundaries, of course. But the 2020 stay-at-home orders showed that many companies found a way to keep operating with nearly all of their employees at home.  Enter the Resimercial office trend.

Now that the focus is once again on the corporate setting, the Resimercial office trend is more popular than ever.

Create an inviting office where home-style comforts are mixed with commercial durability. The benefits of resimercial design include increased comfort with a boost in productivity.


Photo: Snowsound Perline Acoustic Panel

Why can’t a corporate office have the needed functionality plus personality?

This type of office bridges the settings of home and work—while being flexible enough to incorporate the best of both residential and commercial.

A well-planned resimercial office space following the resimercial office trend will have the furnishings that are needed with intangible elements that can make your office a welcome destination.  The addition of biophilic design (bringing elements of nature indoors) also is a huge benefits as it helps improve overall office wellbeing and positivity.

Resimercial Office Trend: Attitude and Atmosphere

Use as many large windows as possible to get rid of stuffy feelings inside. Southern California has a diverse landscape of beaches and mountains, plenty of sunshine, and some of the best weather in the U.S.

Office settings that incorporate natural elements create a pleasant atmosphere—especially when maximizing natural light and using colors that represent the surrounding environment.

Offices in Pasadena or Monrovia can use as much window space possible to capture the red and purple hues of the afternoon sun on the San Gabriel Mountains.

In Playa Vista or Culver City, an office can make use of ocean scenes and equip an outdoor space to experience the ocean breezes.

Use green on your walls strategically with the Nevins Bio Canvas Frame. Bark, moss, and stone panels are tastefully arranged in this no-maintenance option.

These touches make an office personable while getting rid of a sterile feeling.

Work is demanding, but these familiar connections can reduce stress and show employees that they don’t have to be separated from the soothing elements of the world.

Resimercial Office Trend: Furnishings and Fabrics

Office spaces that are planned effectively have a clear purpose. Visit 2010 Office Furniture’s resimercial office trend page to stir your own creativity.

Don’t wall people off from each other. Use furnishings that allow for a flow of open interaction yet provide private spaces. Placement, look, and feel are factors that the team at 2010 Office Furniture considers when assisting clients in planning their spaces.


Photo: Maverick Apex Desk Workstations

You’ve got many choices ranging from the inventive DARRAN Chameleon Workspace to the Maverick Apex Open Plan Desking and the Global Zira Desking Workstation.


Photo: Darran Chameleon Workspace

Each solution is unique with finishes that look pleasant, has comfortable seating, and can be incorporated into a soft, office design.

In a home office, you should have a dedicated workspace, but you’re free to move around and work on the sofa or at the kitchen table. Design that same freedom into your office setting.

Make your breakroom personally stylish using items like the Arcadia Betwixt Table.


Photo: Arcadia Betwixt Table

Consider the DARRAN Honey Lounge Seating. It’s a seating solution that incorporates nature, provides ergonomic comfort, and has been proven to help reduce stress, bolster productivity and enhance well-being.


Photo: Darran Honey Lounge

Storage space is important in both the residential and commercial worlds. Step away from gray metal with the OFS Hitch Shelf and Storage, a unique, modular storage system available in a range of wood veneer finishes.

Resimercial design has a range of ergonomic benefits when quality furnishings are used.

Expect durability. Commercial grade furniture is meant for heavy use, several hours a day, while a sofa in your home is meant for much lighter use. You can still have comfort with quality seating and workspaces.

People and Productivity

The Resimercial office trend isn’t just about furnishings. It’s about letting your employees work in comfort while maintaining high levels of productivity.

Promote well-being.

Quality office chairs are a good place to begin.

The OFS Pret Chair is the type of ergonomic seating solution that’s pleasant to look at while supporting an individual’s body weight and shape.


Photo: HON Solve Chair

Lighting matters, too. Forget big and bulky lamps. Sleek is in for corporate settings and home offices. The Workrite Fundamentals 2 Desktop Light focuses light as needed without getting in the way. It’s one of many ergonomic lighting options.

Channeling sound is another way to make the office pleasant and comfortable. Use acoustic panels of all shapes and colors to deflect and absorb potentially distracting conversations and clacking keyboards.


Photo: Nevins Bio Canvas Panels

As you make the office comfortable, employees will find it a desirable setting to work in. It could become their home away from home.

Rely on 2010 Office Furniture for Resimercial Office Trend

The team at 2010 Office Furniture has more than 50 years of combined experience working with clientele that are among Southern California’s most notable corporations, universities, and other not-for-profits, and small businesses in all industries.

Contact them with your office needs and questions.

Read Also: 6 Reasons to Use a Resimercial Design for Your Office
Main Photo: HON Westhill Lounge
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Arcadia, Darran, HON, Maverick, Nevins & Snowsound

Using Resimercial Office Design as an Employee Retention Strategy

Resimercial Office Design OFS Edge Structures

Imagine if your employees left your office feeling refreshed and not burned out after a day or week on the job. Office design that supports overall health and well-being can have a positive impact on people. Resimercial office design holds that possibility.

A resimercial office design can lead to greater employee engagement, loyalty, and productivity.

Here’s why you need to bring quality into your workplace.

What Matters to Employees

Brand your office as a pleasant atmosphere and you’ll boost your chances of retaining top talent. Design a space that’s well-planned, equip it with quality furnishings, and use fabrics and colors that look like they could be in a tidy and productive home office.


Photo: HON Preside Table

Your office environment and remote-work policies are being quietly, or openly, evaluated by your employees.

Well-being, flexibility, and work-life balance are of utmost importance in today’s workforce, according to global consulting firm McKinsey. A recent study the firm conducted shows that employees with and without children want flexibility and that includes remote work up to three days per week.

Yet, people want the best of both worlds because the findings show they don’t want to be isolated by being at home. Your team wants connections in a supportive office environment.

Microsoft discovered this in an international survey, published in the article The Next Great Disruption is Hybrid Work: Are We Ready? Researchers found that over 70 percent of workers want flexible remote work options to continue. Yet, over 65 percent are craving more in-person time with their teams.

Turn to resimercial office design to satisfy the internal desire for the personal touches found at home while meeting professional needs and desires in the workplace. See examples on 2010 Office Furniture’s Resimercial page along with other office design styles on the Inspiration tab.

Photo: OFS Beck Table

Resimercial office design bridges the home-work divide by prioritizing personal comfort leading to professional productivity.

How?

By creating an atmosphere that lets employees work comfortably and become as productive as possible. It’s the concept of ergonomics—fit the surroundings to meet the needs of the workers.

Design for Personal Comfort and Professional Productivity

Let’s take a Big Picture look at resimercial design. It’s not a gimmick or fad. The style has proven popular and it will continue. It doesn’t have one particular look, but lends itself to a variety of colors, styles of furnishings, and fabrics.

A lesson learned comes from the Hana Bank headquarters in Korea. The building was designed during the COVID-19 shutdown and features an atrium and a 12-story “ribbon park” integrating green space and public pathways into the workplace. This combines with other elements like curved surfaces and the use of wood to create an atmosphere with the goal that “people will leave the workplace feeling better than when they arrived.”

Reduce stress in the workplace by offering soothing or soft designs. This achieves two key results:

  • Supports emotional well-being
  • Emphasizes physical comfort

Designs that incorporate elements of nature like natural light, plants, and accessories like indoor fountains are soothing and allow for a sense of order and harmony. Plan a sense of flow from one set of workstations and offices to another while at the same time setting boundaries for private places.

Physical comfort is emphasized so that workers feel welcomed and have a supportive environment to perform to the best of their abilities.


Photo: 9to5 Seating Aria Chairs

Modular systems give you freedom in configuration, like the Global Sidebar Desking Workstation with an aesthetically pleasing woodgrain finish and personal storage capabilities. Use quality ergonomic chairs and proper lighting to ensure a positive experience.


Photo: Global Sidebar Workstations

Breakrooms with a trendy kitchen table can double as informal conference and work tables.

Involve Your People

Show your team color options, styles of workstations, desks, chairs, and lounge furnishings. Modular units make it easy to add or reduce desk area depending on how many will be in the office or working remotely.

Set aside different areas. One for huddles and another as a multimedia space to bring people together with a unit like the OFS Obeya Architectural Structure, giving a ”warm, familiar feeling.”


Photo: OFS Obeya Structures

You might find that people will want to spend more time in the corporate office and less time in their home offices. And, if employees are pleased, then retaining top talent just got easier.

Refresh with Resimercial Office Design

Building an intricate indoor-outdoor 12-story strolling ramp may not be in your budget like it was for Hana Bank. But you can take small steps to refresh your space whether you’re a tech start-up in Orange County or an established corporation in the Los Angeles area.

Re-do the break room and conference rooms in a resimercial office design. Get a feel for color schemes, tables, and chairs. Consider modular lounge seating and see how your office begins to come together.


Photo: Darran Bota Tablet Table

Larger companies can refresh a specific floor before doing an entire building. As you see it unfold, you can get an idea for what will work and enhance your office experience and environment.

Get a Resimercial Office Design that’s Right for You

Choose the designs and plan the spaces that are right for your organization. The team at 2010 Office Furniture has more than 50 years’ experience assisting clients from Southern California’s most distinguished corporations, universities, and nonprofits with space planning and furnishings.

Contact 2010 Office Furniture with your questions and needs.

Read Also: Designing Your Office Space from Top-Down to Bottom-Up
Main Photo: OFS The Edge Architectural Structures
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: 9to5 Seating, Darran, Global, HON & OFS 

Design and Plan Your Office for Collaboration and Inspiration

Design and Plan Your Office for Collaboration and Inspiration AIS Calibrate Table

Elevate your office from the mundane to a setting that generates collaboration and inspires your team to do their best. The thought invested in planning spaces, choosing the right furnishings, and using color schemes that matter keep morale high and your employees working at peak efficiency. 

Tech companies around Los Angeles are known for breaking out of the traditional gray and brown industrial colors to use shades that represent the sun and surf.

Companies that have a break-the-mold business model such as The Honest Company, founded by actress Jessica Alba, maximize light and use sleek-looking architectural walls to frame meeting areas. 

Symbols also create unique experiences. At Red Bull’s headquarters in Santa Monica, a 420-foot skate ramp flows over storage spaces down the center of the office.

Read on for ideas that will perk up your office’s design, make the best use of your existing space, and boost goodwill among your employees.

Getting Started

Look at your goals and budget, then choose the need that best describes your situation:

  • freshening up your office
  • overhauling an existing space
  • planning a brand-new interior 

Consider what you want the end result to achieve, like creating more common spaces for office collaboration or deciding how to get the most from your current floor plan.

Look at your overall use of space, color, and light. Set the tone for the atmosphere or vibe by considering your company’s brand. Are the promises you make to customers carried into your office setting?

Plenty of options exist to give both small businesses and corporations vibrant settings that become valuable places for employees.


Photo: Arcadia Domo Lounge Chairs

You may want a minimalist design with clean lines and plenty of natural interiors, also called the Scandinavian office.


Photo: Stylex NYC Loose Lounge Sofa

A minimalist interior can also come in an industrial flair like the Modern Industrial Office using a brick- and-mortar approach. Or try a modern look with bold colors and eye-catching designs.


Photo: Source International Scape Lounge Sofa

Get Smart with Ergonomics 

Make your environment and equipment work in support of your team and their overall office collaboration – so they are more efficient while staying as healthy as possible both physically and mentally. 

Ergonomics is more than having a height-adjustable desk so a keyboard and laptop monitor are at the right height.


Photo: OFS Aptos Private Office Desk

Accessories are important but investing in furniture, lighting, and colors helps the overall environment by assisting the workers and boosting morale. You promote productivity, profitability, and goodwill among your team members.

Seating

Select chairs that are designed for long-term comfort and well-being so that team members can fully engage in their tasks. A quality ergonomic chair is sensitive to the user’s body weight and shifts effortlessly as the person moves.

Look into the 9 to 5 Seating Agent Chair for durability; the mesh technology in the Humanscale Diffrient World Chair; and the OFS InSync chair that’s customizable. 

Sitting for long periods of time stresses the body so use chairs that support different body shapes.

Desks and Workstations

Desks that aren’t chosen properly can make a room feel crowded and make the user uncomfortable. Decide how much surface space is needed and how the person likes to do their work, such as spreading out and then gathering things when finished with tasks.

Some desks will convey authority or fit in with the surrounding décor regardless of title and position.

Open plan benching and modular workstations accommodate teams performing similar tasks while creating personal boundaries. Use configurations that work the best for your area. 


Photo: Friant System 2 Workstation

Need face-to-face with privacy screens and mobile storage? 

How about clustering people in a group for easy sharing of ideas?

Your options are highly customizable. You can shape your setting in numerous ways and choose from colors that complement your office surroundings.

Movement

Allow for as much movement as possible in the office.  This is important especially to promote office collaboration and office wellness. Encourage stretch breaks every couple of hours. Provide lounge furniture and break areas inside or outside where your employees can sit comfortably to work away from their desks, have a focused discussion, or just take a quiet moment.

Moving keeps blood circulating and eases pressure on the lower back, wrists, and knees.

Design and Plan Your Office for Collaboration and Inspiration Arcadia Domo Bench
Photo: Arcadia Domo Bench Seating

Colors and Light

There is a science to choosing colors that inspire or soothe to create a pleasant background. Just for kicks, here’s a fun experiment from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Cal Tech in Pasadena showing how beads seem to change colors under different shades of cellophane. Different shades affect moods and emotions.

Aristotle believed all color was either black or white and related them to the elements of water, air, earth, and fire as described by the Smithsonian Libraries. His views were held for 2000 years until Isaac Newton studied how light changed when passing through a prism.

Now, let’s hear it for sunshine. Bringing in as much natural light as possible keeps people upbeat and emotionally sound.

Knowing the result you want from your office environment, using the right equipment, and planning for an overall pleasing atmosphere will help your place of work become a desirable destination.  If done correctly, you will see obvious improvement in quality of work, team camaraderie, office collaborations and overall employee wellness. 

Koncept Splitty Lamp for Office Collaboration
Photo: Koncept Lighting Splitty Lamps

Call on 2010 Office Furniture

Planning an office that works for your firm requires a custom approach. Do you need a hybrid model with work-at-home solutions? How will your plan support flow of information and tasks?  Is it conducive to good office collaboration?

The team at 2010 Office Furniture has more than 50 years of combined experience working with clientele that are among Southern California’s most notable corporations, leading universities, and small businesses in all industries. 

Contact them with your office needs and questions.

Read Also: 3 Popular Office Layouts to Meet Your Office Culture
Main Photo: AIS Conference Table
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: AIS, Arcadia, Friant, Koncept, OFS Brands, Stylex and Source International