You’ve done it: You’ve set up your business, and you’re ready to move into an office space. Now all that remains is to buy office furniture for your new space and get to work. While it might seem like a quick trip to Ikea or a few Amazon orders should do the job, choosing the right GSA furniture for your company isn’t a trivial matter. Actual recent studies have shown that office furniture has way more of an effect on productivity and worker morale than we previously imagined. From choosing the right colors for your office space to putting up dividers and desks that will let your workers feel and work their best, a lot of thought should go into your choice of furniture. Even if you’re trying to cut corners, finding the best furniture for the job shouldn’t be about buying pieces that can be cheaply acquired in bulk. If you’re trying to create an office environment that inspires confidence, creativity, and worker happiness, here are a few things you should think about when furnishing your new office.
Color and Light Boost Productivity
Newer businesses are opting more and more for open floor plans, alternative furniture styles, and more creative spaces for co-working. There’s a reason for this, and it’s not solely driven by a desire to cut costs. Younger, more up-to-date startups understand that workers thrive in a space that doesn’t feel like a prison, with tons of tiny cubicles and one artificially lit kitchen to serve as the communal space. When it comes to building a workspace that people won’t want to dash out of when the clock strikes 5, taking natural light and color into account will be a huge help. Not only does creating a free, open space allow for more access to serotonin-boosting sunlight throughout the workday, it will save a ton of money each year on the cost of keeping those artificial lights on all day. Designing a work area that’s defined by vibrant pops of color like primary reds and yellows, rather than a space that’s minimized in scale by dull greys and browns, will also go a long way toward boosting morale.
Storage Options Help You Stay Organized
No matter what your style might be, keeping a clean, organized workspace is a universally effective way to get more work done and feel less stressed throughout the day, no matter what comes up. Opting for desks that aren’t just a flat surface for typing will help your workers stay organized and efficient, especially if you choose models that have designated storage areas built right in. Another way to create a clutter-free space is to create more communal spaces where company materials like office supplies, literature, and even board games for company morale, can hang out will help both with design and efficiency. If your workers don’t have to worry about being responsible for each stapler or folder they use due to the existence of a hyper-efficient ‘check-out’ system, their minds will remain free for bigger, more important tasks.
Choosing Comfort Over Style Always Helps
As the boomer generation ages, we’re beginning to see the collective influence of desk jobs on long-term health. With more and more seniors dealing with back problems and joint pain due to over 20 years spent chained to a non-ergonomic desk, it’s becoming clear that the cubicle problem has serious health repercussions for workers who are going to end up spending a large portion of their life sitting hunched over a computer. Even if your workers aren’t feeling the pain yet, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t invest as much as you can in ergonomic chairs and keyboards, standing desks, and anything else that will help your workers stay healthy and free of premature back problems. No one has the time to think about good posture while they’re on the job. Installing ergonomic furniture will help your workers avoid the problems of aging and gravity without even having to think about it.
Create a Bigger Space, Not a Smaller One
As mentioned before, there’s nothing that can limit a space’s potential like cutting it up into a million small, gray cubicles. If you don’t have a ton of space to work in the first place, creating smaller personal areas in the interest of privacy won’t help your workers thrive. Instead, it will foster a sense of isolation and formality that isn’t necessarily conducive to productivity. Instead of creating cubicles, find other ways to create private spaces for workers who need a bit more alone time. If you’ve set up hot desks or standing desks, you can use temporary furniture or structures to create special quiet areas or no-talk zones, as opposed to less formal communal areas. That way, your workers will be able to choose between a communal workspace and a more private zone depending on how they work best.
