Unusual Office Furniture

1. Vespa Workstation

How about this for an office desk…

An Australian blogger decided to customise his 1968 Vespa Sprint and convert it into a fully functional and comfortable office workstation. According to the creator, the Italian scooter was beyond restoration.

“I have tried to maintain the traditional characteristics by converting the back half into a functional workstation, complete with adjustable lap top stand.”

Vespa Workstation

2. Portable Office

Could this be the ultimate in office furniture chic?

Welcome to the Louis Vuitton Portable Office Trunk!

Louis Vuitton Office Trunk

This stylish and classy office comes complete with DVD player, TV, solar power and coffee maker. The coffee maker is actually powered by a small can of petrol.

I recommend you check this can is empty before embarking on any international travel. Explaining the petrol can to customs could result in severe embarrassment, or even worse – arrest!

Not recommended for destinations to the Middle East or USA!

You will probably need a suitcase of equivalent size stuffed full of cash to pay for this!

3. Kruikantoor – Portable Office Furniture

This takes some beating.

Dutch designer Tim Vinke has created this impressive office ‘suite’ which can be wheeled around like a wheelbarrow.

His lightweight office is actually made from EPS foam and covered with a coating of polyurea hotspray.

Amazingly, this office comes complete with 2 office chairs, an office desk, light, electricity connection and office storage. As you can see from the images, it can be put together and wheeled around to almost any location.

Not quite as cool perhaps as the Louis Vuitton Office Trunk but certainly a lot more practical. You’ll be the envy of your friends when you wheel this down to the park to work on a sunny afternoon. Be aware you may get stopped and asked if you sell hotdogs.

Kruikantoor Portable Office Furniture

Office Desk With 2 Chairs And Storage

4. Hip Office

All the health experts agree that you should avoid sitting for prolonged periods at your office desk. This next unusual office accessory is called a Hip Office and has been ergonomically designed to provide a solution for those who wish to get up more often from their office desk.

For fitness fanatics and the more adventurous amongst you, why not try stretching while you work or perhaps even go for a gentle jog around the office.

A bit of friendly advice – just like you shouldn’t use a mobile phone while driving, avoid typing while jogging and remember to look up occasionally. You don’t want to knock over the tea lady.

Hip Office

5. The House On The Table

This final offering is probably my favourite. Created by design studio Design Mong it is literally a house that fits on top of your office desk.

We all need a bit of space and some quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of the office. For many of us the only way we can achieve this during the working day is through multiple extended visits to the office convenience.

Of course by doing this you may end up being the subject of office speculation concerning the frequency of your movements. It’s also possible you may be disciplined for spending too much time away from your office desk.

The solution? This wonderful office den which gives you all the personal office space you could ever need. Imagine how pleasant it would be spending your working day cocooned inside your own personal mini house.

If you get really creative, you could perhaps use it for holding regular private meetings with the office hottie!

The House On The Table

Your Complete Guide To Office Chairs

Did you know that the origin of modern office chairs could possibly be attributed to Charles Darwin?

(Notice my deliberate use of the word ‘origin’!)

It is alleged that he customised a wooden armchair by adding wheels so that he could roll around his study inspecting specimens.

I have already written about the importance of correct posture when sitting on your office chair (click here) and in this post I’m going to expound upon this theme a little further.

It is important when sitting for long periods of time that your office chair is ergonomically designed, in other words it must have the ability to cater for an individual’s  needs.

This is done by having features on your chair that allow you to customise support according to your body shape and type. If your office chair is not entirely right for you, it can lead to increased blood pressure and higher blood sugar levels. It could also be a primary cause of repetitive strain injury.

If you think about it, the muscles in your back are constantly working to keep your body upright while you are sitting. Therefore, it is essential that your back is supported at the correct angles. Otherwise you run the risk of straining certain muscle groups in your back and this can lead to discomfort and fatigue as well as constant and persistent pain. Additionally this could potentially leave you susceptible to further injury and subsequently additional medical complications.

According to Dr Notley, a dual credentialed Chiropractor and Athletic Therapist in Winnipeg:

“The best chair that you can use is one that you can get out of frequently. I say this often, “Our body is meant to move, it is not meant to stay in the same place for long periods”.  Staying in one position too long can have negative effects on the body. Ideally, to offset these negative effects,  we should take mini-breaks every 20 minutes or if that is not possible at least every 50 minutes.  Frequent adjusting of your posture is often a benefit as well.”

Tips For Avoiding Back Problems

1. Place your computer screen at eye level

Your screen should be directly in front of you. Place the monitor about an arms length away with the top of the screen roughly at eye level.

Having your computer monitor at the wrong level can place a strain on your eyes leading to dryness and an increased sensitivity to light.

Tip: From time to time, give your eyes a rest and close them. You could also try rolling your eyes around for a minute or so (don’t let your colleagues see or they might think you are having some kind of fit!). Look up at the ceiling and down at the floor. Move your eyes from side to side.

2.  Keep your neck straight and your shoulders relaxed.

Tip: Some office chairs come with a neck support.

If you are prone to neck ache, it would be worth investing in a chair like the one shown in the image.

Office Chair With Neck Support

3. Support Your Back Properly

Did you know that leaning forward in your chair for prolonged periods can put 3-4 times more strain on your back?

You can avoid back pain simply by adjusting your office chair so that your lower back is properly supported. Your office chair should be easily adjustable so that you can change the height, back position and tilt.

Ensure that your knees are level with your hips and your feet are flat on the floor. If necessary, you might need to obtain some kind of footrest. Additionally, you should avoid crossing your legs as this decreases circulation and can cause hip problems.

Tip: It is advisable to get up and walk around every 20-30 minutes. A great excuse to go and put the kettle on!

4. Supporting Your Lower Back

Ideally, your office chair should have adjustable lumbar support to ensure that you do not develop lower back problems.

Tip: You can place a cushion in your lower back area if your chair is not ergonomic and doesn’t have lumbar support.

5. Correct Chair Height Adjustment

Ideally, you should be able to use your computer keyboard with your wrists and forearms straight and level with the floor. Keep your elbows by the side of your body, so that your arms form an L-shape at the elbow joint.

Tip: By following this recommendation you can reduce the risk of a repetitive strain injury.

Additional Health Considerations

1. Using Your Keyboard

You should leave a 10-15cm gap between the desk and keyboard so that you can rest your wrists when not typing. Make sure that keyboard is directly in front of you. Also, it is important not to bend your wrists – keep them as straight as you can. Keep your elbows tucked in to your side and vertical with your shoulders.

Tip: Try using a wrist rest if you struggle keeping your wrists straight. They are usually filled with gel and are a great comfort aid if you are likely to embark upon prolonged periods of typing.

2. Using Your Mouse

Keep the mouse close to you while working on your computer and again keep your wrist as straight as possible.

Tip:  In a similar way to the previous tip, you can also get mouse mats with built in gel wrist supports. They can help to make computer work involving your mouse considerably more comfortable.

3. Avoid Screen Glare

To prevent unnecessary screen reflection you should position your monitor so that lighting does not affect your view. You can of course use blinds etc. to prevent sunlight affecting your view of the screen and use the brightness and contrast settings until they are set to a level you are comfortable with.

Tip: Place a mirror in front of your monitor to identify potential light sources that may be causing problem screen reflection and glare

4. Prevent Neck Ache When Using The Phone

Consider using a headset rather than a handset. This is because if you spend prolonged periods with the phone wedged between your ear and shoulder you may begin to suffer neck ache.

5. Avoid Overstretching

Keep objects that you use regularly within easy reach so that you reduce the risk of straining muscles from over stretching.

6. Bifocals

If you are a bifocal wearer and you are constantly moving your head up and down from the monitor to the keyboard, it’s possible you may begin to experience discomfort.

Tip: Consult your optician for alternative solutions

On a final note, there is a useful video on the NHS website which explains how bad posture can lead to health problems including back pain.

For our full range of Ergonomic Office Chairs please CLICK HERE

Hope this helps…

At BT Office Furniture we constantly strive to improve our products and services.

We’ve created this short promotional video to help spread the word about our business.

Let us know what you think and if you have any ideas for how we can enhance or improve it. One comment I recently received was that the music sounded slightly pornographic! This of course reflects directly on the commentators taste in late night entertainment!

The video was created using Flixtime which allows you to create a FREE video up to 1 minute in length.

This compares to its main competitor Animoto which I believe only allow 30 seconds of free video.

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In addition to assisting you with finding the most suitable wholesale suppliers for all types of products, they also offer exclusive discounts from many wholesalers and dropshippers, hand-picked special offers with over 500% markups, a regularly updated downloads section with latest trading guides, tips and strategies, and a dedicated research team who will find verified suppliers as per your requirements.

If you’re looking for wholesale office furniture including office desks, office chairs, office storage and office screens then look no further!

Wholesale Suppliers Directory

How Important Is Your
Office Furniture
For Your Business?

Your office or working environment can have a huge impact on your business both for your employees and for clients.

Certainly if your company requires you to entertain and meet clients on a regular basis then you will want to make sure that your office furniture is high quality and contemporary.

Your office furniture will be the first thing that your clients see and naturally you will want to try and create the right atmosphere that is both conducive to business as well as relaxing. First impressions can be immensely important when forging business relationships and alliances.

When planning your office space, there are a number of factors that you will need to consider. For instance office desk space, office power and data solutions, equipment positioning as well as social aspects such as privacy (office screens can be very effective)…both for your employees and for your clients.

Another consideration when choosing office furniture is its visual appeal and comfort. When you consider the amount of time that you, your employees and your clients will probably be spending in the office; it is important to combine style and comfort with ergonomically designed furniture.

By carefully selecting the right office furniture you will be creating an environment which is both comfortable for your employees and relaxing for your clients.

Try to consider the space you have available and the number of staff in your employ. Where possible, try to create a relaxed atmosphere that is spacious and comfortable. Even if space is limited, with a little careful thought you should be able to achieve this desired effect. Your clients will notice this when they first walk in and it should help to put them at ease.

If you are having difficulty choosing the right office furniture, our helpful team are always on hand to help you design the perfect office space for your business.

Without a doubt, one of the best ways to impress your clients is to spend a little bit extra on any office chairs that your prospective business partners are likely to use. Firstly it makes them feel special and secondly, business transactions are far more likely to be successful if carried out in luxurious comfort. An additional benefit is that this also ensures your staff do not suffer any unnecessary discomfort due to long periods spent sitting at their office desks (CLICK HERE to read a previous blog post with more information on the importance of correct posture and a decent office chair).

BTOffice.com has a huge selection of furniture from a range of manufacturers and our friendly staff will save you a lot of research time and money. We also offer a full installation service and can deliver throughout Great Britain.

If you work in the office furniture industry and are asked to cite a famous or notable designer there is a strong chance that the name Arne Jacobsen will be put forward. As a designer , if you are credited with a design that becomes ‘iconic’ you can be justifiably proud. Some would say that FOUR iconic designs is simply greedy!! When you find out that Jacobsen never called himself a ‘designer’ and that furniture design was very much secondary to his main career as an architect, this becomes all the more remarkable.

Born in Copenhagen in 1902, Arne Emil Jacobsen grew up wanting to be a painter. His Father, considering this a most insecure profession, persuaded the young Arne that architecture was a more sensible career choice. Jacobsen attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1924-27 and in 1925, while a student there, won a Silver Medal at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoralifs et Industriels Modernes for a chair design.

His career as an architect flourished from 1932 until his unexpected death in 1971. Notable commissions during a career in which he was described as a main protagonist of the International Modern Style, were the buildings and grounds for St Catherine’s College, Oxford and the SAS Royal Hotel described at the worlds’ first ‘designer hotel’. It was this hotel commission that that allowed Jacobsen to put into practice his theory of ‘total design’. Jacobsen not only designed the hotel building, he also designed the grounds, all the internal spaces and internal fitments, the furniture and decorations: even the ashtrays for sale in the souvenir shops and the livery of the buses bringing guests from the airport!!

In 1934, Jacobsen teamed up with the well-known, high quality Danish furniture manufacturer Fritz Hansen. This collaboration would continue throughout Jacobsen’s career and would be key to his success as a furniture designer.

The Ant – 1952

This chair was originally designed for the canteen of Danish Healthcare company Novo Nordic and was the breakthrough product from the Jacobsen / Fritz Hansen collaboration. The chair almost failed at the prototype stage, however, as Fritz Hansen was not convinced of the chairs’ commercial potential. Jacobsen was and agreed to personally buy any chairs produced that remained unsold. His faith in the design was justified and The Ant, with its three legs and ultra-modern look became the first Arne Jacobsen ‘icon’.

Series 7 – 1955

How do you follow the fact that your first chair gains iconic status? By ensuring that your second one does too!! The Series 7 chair is considered to represent the ultimate use of the laminator’s art: the process of bonding different layers of wood in different directions and then steam bending them into shape. This technique was perfected in the Fritz Hansen factory and Jacobsen pushed the boundaries of their skill to create this iconic shape. If you create icons, be prepared for them to be copied!! The Series 7 is considered to be the worlds’ most copied chair with millions sold every year based on the original design. The most famous example of a copy in popular culture? Look no further than the classic Lewis Moody shot of Christine Keeler.

Is this an Arne Jacobsen Series 7 chair?

No it isn’t!! Jacobsen never built a hand-hold aperture into his chairs but the use of a chair so similar for a photo that took the world by storm simply reinforced Jacobsen’s status.

The Egg and The Swan – 1958

Egg Easy Chair

Swan Easy Chair

The Radisson SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen was the commission that allowed Jacobsen to pursue his idea of ‘total design’. It also resulted in the creation of these two extraordinary chairs that were used in the Lobby and Reception areas of the hotel. Jacobsen’s inherent understanding of what looked and felt right allowed him to create these furniture pieces that were ‘all curves, no solid lines’ to be placed in a building that was resolutely linear.

Radisson SAS Hotel Lobby Copenhagen

Original Reception from 1960

In the late 1950’s the production processes used to create these chairs were technologically extremely innovative. A moulded synthetic shell was covered in a layer of cold cured foam which was then upholstered in either fabric or leather. The original prototypes of these chairs were made in Jacobsen’s garage, perfected by Fritz Harris and have been in continuous production ever since.

Four iconic designs, one great designer.

In this post I want to talk about the importance of correct posture when sitting for long periods of time at your office desk.

A healthy sitting position is one in which your head is balanced on your vertebral column and your neck muscles are relaxed.

You should sit in an open posture with your chest leading and shoulders back. This creates the correct balance between neck, shoulder and upper limb muscles.

Your lumbar spine should be upright and knees below the level of your hips. Increasing the angle between the trunk and thigh encourages the spine into an upright posture which may reduce and even disc pressure.

This is why it is so important to choose the right office chair either for yourself or your office staff. You need one which allows you to independently adjust the lumbar support, seat depth and height as well as arm positioning. After all, the last thing you want is employees who develop back problems and consequently have to take time off work.

If you take a look at the image below, sitting incorrectly leaves your head sitting anterior to your body resulting in tension to your neck muscles.

Additionally, your shoulders are rounded and chest muscles shortened, increasing the risk of developing a work related upper limb disorder.

Also, your lumbar spine is slumped and knees are above the level of your hips. This leads to increased pressure through the lumbar discs and excessive ligament and muscle stretch in your lumbar spine.

Therefore, we recommend the Loreto Task Chair which has all the ergonomic features you need to ensure that you do not experience any discomfort while sitting for prolonged periods.

After the merriment of Christmas passes, the rush of the January sales is soon to follow. To save you from the stress of the high street, BT Office Furniture have made it easier by offering many discounted lines of office furniture throughout the year. more…

Leading office furniture retailer BT Office has added two new stylish and comfortable additions to their already extensive range of office chairs. The Oxygen M and Plan M offer the best in luxury and looks, offering the user relaxation and ease.

The Oxygen M boasts a couble membrane mesh back in a variety of heights, ranging between medium and high. The strong yet supple mesh material supports whilst still remaining comfortable, maintaining the user’s posture and reliving strain on the back. more…

Winkworth professional property services were established in 1835, and now have over 80 independently owned and operated offices in the UK as well as an international presence.

Winkworth has been a long-term loyal BT Office customer for a number of years – purchasing ad-hoc pieces of office furniture as well as complete office furnishing solutions for a number of their new and existing offices.

This time Winkworth approached BT Office for suggestions for their newly acquired office in Highcliffe, Dorset. more…