The history of the office reception is not a particularly old one but is filled with a lot of forethought. Reception offices originally didn’t garner much attention nor were prioritized until the rise of skyscrapers in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. As many companies expanded and moved into towering steel-framed monoliths, commercial interior design expanded as well to evolved with them. Certain positions like typists, receptionists and administrative personnel became more relevant and brought emphasis and attention as to where and how they should be accomodated.

As technology surged forward, especially during the tail end of the 20^th century, it too revolutionized the workplace and pioneered an extensive range of new office furniture solutions, configurations and layouts. Designers and architects continued to give greater attention to the office reception area, recognizing the significance of the visitor experience. Seating areas for guests and client lounges became increasingly important and were purposely designed to be not only beautifully impressive, but welcoming and comfortable as well. Up until the 1980’s, the open-plan office design was very popular and brought a collaborative and social work environment to the workplace. To mirror that, office reception areas consisted of large, open spaces with a reception desk that welcomed visitors and practical, plastic chairs lined in rows to seat them. Now, several decades later, the office reception has blossomed into a more intuitive, welcoming environment, much more attuned to its role and importance in garnering business success.