It is important that the reception is a functional part of the office that creates the right impression of the company. Choosing the right reception desk or counter is vital to achieve the desired look and feel of the reception space. However, the reception desk also needs to be functional for greeting your visitors and provide a workspace for one or several members of staff.

This article will guide you through some of the options and considerations available when choosing a reception desk or counter. Perhaps the first decision you need to make is whether a lower desk or high counter is the right choice for your reception.

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- Furniture for the modern classroom

The key considerations for a classroom design include functional and flexible furniture, classroom layout and choice of colours. Education furniture also needs to reflect the requirements of the modern classroom and incorporate electronic equipment. Today a classroom is usually divided into different spaces for various activities and furniture may frequently be moved around to adapt to different learning techniques. As technology and learning methods are constantly changing the modern classroom requires furniture that can adapt to these changes and it is important that your education furniture supplier understands such requirements.

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Why not brighten up your office with pink office furniture, take your pick from office arm chairs, office sofas and tub chairs, screening, stackable chairs, and pink computer chairs? As this colour is becoming more popular it should be rather easy to find pink office furniture suitable for everyone’s style and budget.

‘In the pink’ is a phrase that means ‘In good health’, and perhaps it’s true for people that surround themselves with this colour. Pink shades are said to have a calming effect on us and could therefore help us achieve a stimulating and creative work atmosphere in the office.

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With almost 90% of UK enterprises having less than 10 employees, it should be easy to find office furniture solutions tailor made for the small office. Even so, with limitations on space and budget it is important that you get it right and end up with an office that provides all you need for working areas and office storage solutions.

Furnishing a small office is all about finding smart solutions and keeping it simple. One idea is to choose a furniture range that offers computer desks and office storage cabinets in the same style and material. With a modular computer desk you can add on desk storage and side tables to create a workstation that suits your specific needs.

Office storage should be positioned against or on a wall to maximise available floor space. Choose storage (filing cabinets and bookcases) that can be fitted with doors to make a tidy impression and keep items free from dust.

When the furniture is delivered it may be wise to move your furniture around to find the best combination for the room.

If you feel that you need some expert advice then many furniture retailers now offer an affordable design service. It could be money well spent as their experience can help making that valuable space work harder for you and your co-workers. They would also come up with design features that reflect your company’s style and character.

Other ways to save space could include using open bookshelves as room dividers, fitting storage cupboards to the wall (a bit like kitchen cabinets) and as for technology, invest in wireless networking, smart cable management and electronic paper storage.

Seat height
The main criteria for office chairs is that they should be easily adjustable. A pneumatic adjustment lever or button is the most standard way of operating the gas cylinder to adjust the height of the seat through a distance of approx 480mm - 630mm which should accommodate most users. With the office chair passing through these heights this should allow for the user to have their feet flat on the floor, thighs horizontal and their arms level with the desktop.

Seat width & depth
The width for an office chair varies but is usually around 520mm. The depth should be sufficient to allow the users back to be in contact with the backrest, whilst leaving approx 50mm - 100mm gap between the back of the knees and the front edge of the seat. The front of the seat should also have a pronounced curve which is sometimes called a waterfall edge to relieve pressure from behind the knees. Some office chairs can also be specified with a seat depth adjustment to allow for users with longer legs.

Lumbar support
The lower part of our spine has an inward curve that should be supported when sitting for long periods of time. Most office chairs have some form of basic lumbar support for this region of the back, even if it is just shaped foam beneath the upholstery. Some chairs have a pump-up lumbar bag inserted behind the upholstery which is easily adjustable. Mesh back chairs tend to have a lumbar bar (A shaped piece of rubber or plastic) that can be adjusted in height and depth. Sitting for long periods of time without any kind of lumbar support leads to slouching and bad posture.

Backrest
The backrest of the office chair should ideally be separate to the seat to allow the back to be adjusted independently. This gives the user a fully adjustable chair where the back height can be changed to position the lumbar support in the correct area and the angle to be changed in relation to the seat. The back width can vary depending on design but is generally a similar width to the seat.

If the office chair has the back attached to the seat then the chair should have a tilting mechanism that can be locked when the ideal position has been reached. This style of mechanism should also be accompanied by a tension control to adjust the speed that the back tilts with.

Structure/upholstery/foam/mesh
The seat and back of an office chair can be upholstered in a number of different ways, each having benefits over the other. Some users will prefer a fabric upholstered foam seat & back, others a nylon mesh seat & back or a combination between the two.

The fabric upholstered foam is the more traditional approach and allows the user to choose from a vast multitude of fabric colours and styles. The mesh is extremely flexible, moulds to the users shape and allows the users body heat to disperse out through the material. The mesh chairs are usually available in a choice of colours. Some more contemporary chairs have moulded plastic backs that offer a more rigid support.

Arm rests
Ideally the arm rests on an office chair should be adjustable, not only in height but in width and depth also. These adjustments will allow the users arms to rest lightly at a comfortable height. The arms should be adjusted so that the users elbows can rest on them whilst typing or using a mouse.

Swivel
All office chairs that are to be used for any period of time should be on a swivel mechanism to allow the user to rotate and reach different areas of their workspace without straining.

Whilst each environment and office space will be different, there are certain guidelines from The European Directive on Working with Computers and Safety Legislation which calls for an office working environment to be ergonomically modified to best serve each individual’s specific needs.

Office furniture in the UK is tested and certified to either British or European standards which satisfies the requirement for the furniture to be safe and stable and not expose the user to possible risk of injury.
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Although computers are getting more advanced, especially when it comes to wireless technology and connectivity, it will be some time yet until we have a completely wireless office. Therefore most, if not every office desk is going to require at least some basic cable management.

There are several ways in which an existing office desk can be upgraded/altered to accommodate new equipment and cables, it just depends on how far you want to take it and how much you want to spend.

Starting at the top!
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