The Quest for Best Ergonomic Chairs 2023

Best Ergonomic Chairs 2023 SitOnIt Wit Chair

Looking for the best ergonomic chairs in 2023 makes sense. You’re equipping your office to meet the physical needs of your employees so they’re more productive and have better overall well-being.

It’s the opposite of telling them to sit on whatever chair is available, no matter how rigid and uncomfortable it is.

Why Ergonomics is Important

Ergonomics is a study of how people relate to their surrounding environment while they’re working. It doesn’t just deal with how we sit but uses a holistic approach.

For office workers, this can mean how well the chair supports your body and allows you to sit at an angle that is gentle on the lower back and knees. When you’re typing on your computer your elbows and wrists should be in a comfortable position, as well as your eyes so that your head doesn’t tilt too far forward.


Photo: Friant Tango Chairs

Ergonomics gives us a standard to adhere to. As you go on your quest for the best ergonomic chairs you can do so confidently, knowing that the investment is in the best interests of your team and the company.

Fewer aches and pains mean a greater focus on the tasks at hand and reduced absenteeism.

How Ergonomic Chairs Benefit Users

Just how do quality ergonomic chairs help users?

The chairs assist in keeping proper posture by adjusting to the user’s preferred height. That’s important because poor posture where a person is bent over will reduce lung capacity by as much as 30 percent.

And what does that mean?

It means less oxygen is flowing to the brain which decreases mental alertness throughout the day.


Photo: 9 to 5 Seating Neo Chairs

So go on your quest to procure the best ergonomic chairs for 2023 because it’s an investment in your workers—and they are working to support the company’s goals and profitability.

Remember that sitting is not a passive activity. We’re moving when we’re sitting, even if the movements are subtle. We’re reaching for phones, keyboards, paper, and fun things like snacks.


Photo: Humanscale Liberty Task Chair

Quality ergonomic chairs like the Humanscale Liberty Task Chair, which has a mechanism-free reclining system, support a person’s natural movement. So instead of facing resistance, your ergonomic chair works with you.

What to Look For in an Ergonomic Chair

Many chairs adjust to a comfortable height where you can comfortably keep your feet flat on the floor and have your computer screen at eye level.

Lumbar support is absolutely necessary. The lumbar spine curves inward and sitting for prolonged periods will stress the structure and lead to slouching, which flattens the natural curve of the body. A quality ergonomic chair will have a lumbar adjustment so each user gets a proper fit.


Photo: Rouillard Lead Chair

The Rouillard Lead Chair is a good example of an ergonomic chair with excellent lumbar support.

The chair’s backrest should also be able to support the spine’s curve. If the back and seat are separate then the height and angle should be adjustable. If the backrest and seat are one unit the backrest should be adjustable in forward and back angles.

The materials should be comfortable, and it helps if they’re breathable as well. Some users prefer a cloth or mesh material.

Armrests should be easy to adjust so that the chair is customized to the user.

Who Needs Ergonomic Chairs?


Photo: AMQ Tizu Work Chairs

Employees who spend several hours a day in the office at their desks will certainly benefit from the best ergonomic chairs. It makes sense. Those on a hybrid work schedule or outside sales staff will have less of a need.

Executives, mid-level managers, and receptionists who are multi-tasking can definitely benefit. So keep those positions in mind when you’re buying chairs like the iDesk Eon Chair, built with tilt and slider adjustments.

The chairs can be used around conference tables, too. They can help people stay attentive during prolonged meetings.

Best Ergonomic Chairs Friant Ignite Chair
Photo: Friant Ignite Chair

Get the Right Equipment for the Right Tasks

Using the right equipment for the right tasks pays in productivity and the well-being of employees. Chairs may seem like a commodity and not as important as our electronic devices. But bad backs, sore knees, and hurting wrists have adverse effects that take the mind off the task at hand.


Photo: 9 to 5 Seating Core Chairs

Select the best ergonomic chairs for a healthy workplace and a productive year in 2023.

Trust Experience

The team at 2010 Office Furniture has more than 50 years of combined experience providing space planning solutions and furnishings for clients that are among the most recognizable corporations, universities, and small businesses in Southern California.

Contact 2010 Office Furniture with your project needs and questions.

Read Also: 7 Ergonomic Seating Solutions to Elevate Your Office Seating
Main Photo: SitOnIt Seating Wit Chair
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: 9 to 5 Seating, AMQ, Friant, Humanscale, Rouillard & SitOnIt Seating

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

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

Now’s the Time for Inspired Office Designs Ideas Post Covid

Office Designs Ideas Post Covid OFS Rowen Lounge

(IMPORTANT NOTICE: The recommendations on this article on how to help protect workers are NOT from health experts, and have not been medically tested nor proven as an effective cure or prevention for COVID-19 or any other diseases.)

The 2020 covid pandemic have drastically changed the ways we work and live.  If there’s ever a time to look at office design ideas post covid, it’s now.

We now know how much work can get accomplished remotely. Employees can easily flourish in their home offices, and numerous surveys show how the majority of office workers feel just fine not coming into the corporate office.

So is the workplace finished?

Hardly.

Take a clue from big corporations. In September 2020, Amazon Music signed a lease agreement for a 40,000 square foot space in Brooklyn. That’s in addition to leases in Seattle and other tech companies signing leases in other cities. They must be expecting workers to show up again in real life.

Companies have an opportunity to break away from the same old approach using typical desks and chairs, or simply setting up workstations without much thought to the surroundings.

The corporate office can’t just be about functioning and completing tasks, because many functions can be done in home offices.

“It’s not a time to design a workplace of the future that looks a lot like the past, only more spaced out,” writes David Schwarz on Workdesign.com. “[Create] interactive, multi-sensory experiences that put collaboration and culture at the center.”

A positive office setting will bring people together to share an experience.

Creating the New Office Experience

How do you envision new office design ideas post covid? It’s more than just bodies occupying desks and ergonomic chairs.

Think through colors and furnishings that reflect your brand and foster an atmosphere of creativity and problem solving.


Photo: HON Concinnity Desk

The 2010 Office Furniture Office Inspirations Gallery reveals settings that combine home décor with the work environment; minimal and abstract design; industrial and open office design. Offices support company goals, but the trend is bringing people together and is really an extension of ergonomics—making sure the environment is equipped to help people do their best.


Photo: Rouillard Lead X Chair

But there’s another key to an office that’s designed effectively: flexibility.

Why is that important?

It’s one of the traits that keeps top talent engaged so that they feel a part of the company’s culture and want to stay put.

Look back to the Gensler 2016 Workplace Survey that links innovation to office design:

“The most innovative companies provide their organizations with a diversity of well-designed spaces in which to collaborate and to focus, as well as empowering employees with the ability to work when and where it best suits their work needs.”

Designing a Community

What kind of spaces are needed in today’s office?  These are key when planning and gathering office design ideas post covid:

  • Individual spaces to focus
  • Conference rooms to brainstorm
  • Social spaces to interact with co-workers over coffee and lunch

Does the office have to be all things to all employees?

Evaluate your expectations for your workers. Do you grumble if they don’t come into the office? You can decide if you want to hold them accountable or trust them to do their best and deliver so that corporate benchmarks are met and exceeded.

Top talent doesn’t stay put in one place.

The Gensler Survey that was conducted five years ago reports that “innovators report spending only 74% of the work week at the office.”

They were twice as likely as non-innovators to use “cafeterias, coffee shops, and outdoor spaces.”

Don’t design a workplace to keep people in one place, but aim to link people together in supportive relationships.  This is very important and at the heart of office design ideas post covid.

Aligning with Nature in the City

Los Angeles is a sprawling urban center and yet it has amazing natural elements—the beaches and cool breezes from the South Bay and Playa Vista, north to Malibu. Then there’s the ever-present Mount Wilson, visible throughout the year from downtown Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, and other cities to the south.

Bring in the sunshine that bathes the region and make the office green to boost morale.

An example of a unique office setting is Second Home, a co-working company based in London with a two-acre campus in Hollywood. The website makes a bold claim—they’re “LA’s healthiest work space.”

There’s plenty of greenery inside and outside in a space that was formerly a parking lot. Fresh air is pumped into offices. They make use of the comfortable climate with working areas that are “60% outdoors, 40% indoors, and 100% clean.”

Second Home maximizes the use of sunshine with light wells that were cut into the two-story main building to bring daylight to the bottom floor. Breezeways were created to circulate fresh air.

The lead designer on the office space, Diego Cano-Lasso, told the Los Angeles Times that “How architecture relates with the environment is crucial to our well-being.”

Second Home is an office experience that’s not easily copied, or can’t be copied, in a home office.

What if you’re in an office tower in a city like Irvine, near the John Wayne Airport, and it isn’t possible to create a lush outdoor garden and none of the windows are designed to open?

Plan a Green Office with plenty of plants, natural light, and organic fabrics. It’s highlighted on 2010 Office Furniture’s Office Inspirations.


Photo: OFS Grow Up & Roo Planter

Design indoor-outdoor spaces for trainings or other uses.

The sheriff’s department in Contra Costa County has a conference room that seats up to 175 people. If that space fills up then “the back wall can be opened up entirely to a shaded patio via a glass garage door, to accommodate another 100 people,” as described in Metropolis Magazine on Post-Covid outdoor workspaces.This creates flexible multi-use work areas.


Photo: Nevins Bio Canvas Divider

Imagination and Resources

Covid created challenges that forced companies to reimagine how they’d get work done. Now the future is here, and it’s the best time to reimagine your office space.  With 2010 Office Furniture’s space planning expertise and wide array of office furniture products, it’s easier more than ever to create a workspace that reflects the times as well as your brand.

We Can Help You With Office Designs Ideas Post Covid

Our team at 2010 Office Furniture has worked with some of the most recognizable brands around Los Angeles and Orange County, plus leading nonprofits and small businesses that are expanding. Through it, we’ve gained more than 50 years combined experience and knowledge on the furnishings that build brands and help keep employees engaged in their work.

Contact us for a consultation on your next projec.  We can help you with suitable office design ideas post covid.

Read Also: Work From Home Office Furniture
Main Photo: OFS Rowen and Wyre Lounge
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: HON, Nevins, OFS & Rouillard

(IMPORTANT NOTICE: The recommendations on this article on how to help protect workers are NOT from health experts, and have not been medically tested nor proven as an effective cure or prevention for COVID-19 or any other diseases.)

Designing a Healthy Office

Designing a Healthy Office

Designing a healthy office is important in fostering an environment where morale is high and people are productive. Employees are motivated to work as a team and focused on their tasks, instead of how to handle their aches and pains.

But what is a healthy office setting and how do you achieve a place where people are comfortable and productive?

Let’s start with the basics, like how you sit and do your work.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics in designing a healthy office refer to the equipment designed to help people accomplish their tasks in a way that creates minimal stress on the body. Today’s height-adjustable desks and ergonomic chairs allow users to sit with proper posture so their eyes are focused on the screen at the right level while at the same time the joints in their bodies endure as little stress as possible.


Photo: OFS Impulse G2 Private Office

The strain on the wrists, elbows, knees and lower back is greatly reduced.

Ergonomic chairs come in an array of colors and shapes. But you should always look for quality lumbar support that adjusts easily to body weight and movement.

Since office workers sit for hours per day, a quality chair promotes physical health. But so does getting up at regular intervals.

Ergonomics applies to other areas, too, like talking on a cell phone.

Promote the use of speaker phone or the use of headphones to avoid cradling the phone on the neck and shoulders for prolonged periods. Tilting the head too much toward a computer screen or to one side of a shoulder gradually causes misalignment.

Designing a Healthy Office with Movement

Movement is key in design a healthy office. Humans are built to be active and if we remain sedentary for hours on end, then our bodies and minds are going to pay a price. After a couple of hours working at a desk, encourage your team to get up and move for about 10 minutes to 15 minutes.

This can be taking a brisk walk down a hallway, getting a drink of water, or taking a laptop and continuing to work at a lounge area.

Height-adjustable desks can be useful to promote movement as well since they make it easy to go from sitting to standing.


Photo: Humanscale eFloat Standing Desk

However, the main reason to get up and move around the office isn’t to burn calories but help the blood circulate. Don’t overlook this aspect of having a healthy workforce.

When blood is flowing well through the body, it also means that it’s circulating in the head, and that reduces foggy brain syndrome. And a clear head increases productivity.

An article in Harvard Health, “More movement, better memory,” notes that the center of learning and memory in our brain is the hippocampus. It’s located in the medial temporal lobe, a region that benefits from exercise.

Participants in the study were an average of 65 years old and enrolled in an aerobics class for 20 weeks. There was no change in the body mass index, but researchers “found that those who exercised showed a greater ability to rearrange and reconfigure nerve connections in their brain. This allowed them to better learn and retain information, and then logically apply that information in a new situation.”

Movement is healthy.

Indoor Air Quality

If you’re concerned about the smoggy air outside, then you’ll want to clean your indoor air. According to estimates published on Allwork.space, we spend about 90% of our time indoors where offices with poor ventilation will have air that is two to five times more toxic than outside.

  • Regularly clean the vents used for your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system
  • Open windows occasionally to boost indoor air flow
  • Rebalance or adjust HVAC systems to increase total airflow to occupied spaces when possible

You can also bring nature inside and use indoor plants. They do their part in cleaning pollutants and freshening the air, and definitely help in designing a healthy office.


Photo: OFS Yelly and Kasura Seating

Light and Color

Designing a healthy office means creating an environment that’s good for both our physical health and mental well-being. There’s even a discipline known as chromotherapy, based on findings that color and colored lights can help treat both our physical and mental health.

Colors have their own traits:

  • Blue signifies the intellect
  • Red impacts courage and strength
  • Yellow is an emotional color that represents creativity
  • Green is for harmony, representing nature and balance
  • Orange creates a sense of comfort because it blends the physicality of red and the emotional trait of yellow

In addition to colors, natural light is a proven mood booster.

Assess how you use colors in your work environment. Where can you maximize the flow of natural light? Are there barriers in the way of windows?

Using cubicles and clear modular walls in place of solid walls or other barriers can brighten the office space.


Photo: OFS Skara and Saven Rocker Seating

Now get some inspiration for how your office can look—make it more modern and bright, or tone it down and give it an industrial look. You can even make it appear homey and warm with a resimercial approach.


Photo: Source International Lore Lounge

Morale

The goal of planning office space and creating an upbeat look is to boost morale and guide your team in working at their best levels. This is good for the company’s bottom line, but it also leads to professional satisfaction for team members and keeps them engaged with your brand.

We’re Here to Help you in Designing a Healthy Office

The team at 2010 Office Furniture has more than 50 years of experience equipping Southern California’s leading corporations, centers of higher education, and small-to-medium sized businesses.

Contact us and share your space planning and office furnishing needs. We’ll be glad to share solutions.

Read Also: Energize Your Office with Movement
Main Photo: Humanscale Ergonomics
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Humanscale, Source International & OFS

Essentials for the Corporate and Home Office Spaces

Essentials for the Corporate and Home Office Spaces

Employees working remotely are no longer an exception.  In the aftermath of Covid-19, companies have learned to accept employees working from both corporate and home office spaces, as well as other remote places.

The corporate office is still necessary. Goals that fulfill the mission of the company begin in a central location and move outward, like spokes from the center of a bicycle wheel.

The main office, home offices, and third spaces like coffee shops and co-working sites all serve a specific purpose and fulfill a need.

What is essential for a company’s primary office and remote locations to function well?

Start with clear goals.

Office Essentials: The Goal

Companies are in business because they sell products or provide services that customers either need or want. Simple. Nonprofit organizations offer programs to meet community needs.

When the goals are clear, workers know what’s expected of them.

Office environments exist to provide a number of functions that range from designing and producing the products or tracking the services that are provided.

An office supports the work through a layout that promotes an efficient flow of work with equipment ranging from workstations to modems and printers.

A key element in a successful corporate and home office design is that the environment is planned and designed to support the workers so they can readily complete their tasks.

Reaching the Goal: Mission and Vision

Companies with clear missions and a vision on moving forward have a subtle, but clear advantage over competitors. There’s a framework that guides decisions on everything from improving operations to engaging in new marketing opportunities.

Office morale also impacts business. Although it’s intangible, lack of morale is evident in employee listlessness or a resignation to doing a job. An office design can help boost the overall morale by providing a pleasant atmosphere with pleasing colors and comfortable fabrics.

People today seek community, and companies that offer a flexible community where talent is respected will operate with a higher degree of morale and productivity than those who see their employees as commodities.

Office planning and design lays the foundation for bringing workers together.

Supportive Environments

There’s not one specific type of corporate and home office setting that works best. People can adapt to their surroundings, but you’ll do well to draw from your brand and the image you give to customers. Develop a supportive environment based on design.

Design for Corporate and Home Office Spaces

The Office Inspirations page of the 2010 Office Furniture website offers a look at the style that fits different personalities.

Does a minimalist approach reflect your operations? If so, then check the Modern Industrial office. This works especially for companies that operate without much of a hierarchy.


Photo: Senator Group Pailo Workstation


Photo: SitOnIt Sona Chair

This is a look that Google has used in the office it opened in Pittsburgh, keeping a brick wall and elements that pay heritage to the industrial past of the area.

If your office is in or near an urban village setting like Old Town Pasadena or Westwood, then consider the Upbeat Contemporary office.


Photo: Allermuir Famiglia Chair

Colors and the styles of workstations have a psychological impact, even if it’s subtle. This sets the tone.

Think of it this way:

  • How well does your equipment work?
  • Is it newer or older?
  • Do your chairs and workstations adequately flex to your workers’ shapes or do people have to adjust to the equipment?
  • Is there plenty of natural light flowing through the area or is it relatively dark?
  • Is there a soothing and pleasant color scheme throughout or are the walls an older basic color?

A home office can have minimal standards, too. Quality desking, ergonomic chairs and adequate lighting are the basics.

Establish a positive tone in both the corporate and home office to signal your care and concern for the team.

Use Quality, Ergonomic Equipment for Corporate and Home Office Spaces

Sitting at a desk isn’t a passive activity. Gravity normally exerts pressure on the neck and shoulders, but the muscles are further aggravated by leaning forward for long periods of time.

And pay attention to the chairs that your team needs. Sitting at awkward angles constricts circulation in addition to stressing the body.

Ergonomic chairs will support a person’s shape and natural movements to ease joint strains. Additionally, height adjustable desks keep a laptop and monitor at eye level to limit the amount of leaning forward. Remember the importance of good lighting to reduce the risk of eye strain.


Photo: Deskmakers Ascend Height Adjustable Desk

Essential Office Protections

Extend the atmosphere of well-being by installing simple protective screens. These can be partitions between desks and work stations that also offer privacy, like the Loftwell Split Space Divider or the Enwork Freestanding Screen.

Counter shields and desktop shields also offer protection so your team can work in the corporate office with confidence.


Photo: Loftwall Desk Shield and Split, Allermuir Famiglia

Get Expert Advice on Corporate and Home Office Spaces

Let the team at 2010 Office Furniture know about your office planning and furnishing needs. They have more than 50 years of combined experience helping Southern California’s most distinguished companies.

Contact them with a phone call or email.

Read Also: Repurpose Your Office Space for the Post-Covid Work World
Main Photo: Source International Fjord Multi-Use Chair
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Allermuir, Deskmakers, Loftwall, Senator Group, SitOnIt Seating& Source International