Home Office Creation – The 5 Essentials

1. The Desk

Before you get anything else what so ever you will first need to think about a desk.  It doesn’t have to be a really expensive desk or the largest by any stretch of the imagination, but a desk that is going to: a) fit your room, and b) fit your budget.

It is common for people who are creating their first home office to believe they need the biggest most expensive desk they can possibly find, in order to impress clients.  But if you think about it you are not going to want clients in your home anyway, or if you do it won’t be regularly; therefore the desk becomes less of an issue.

Depending on the size of your home office a second desk could be a good idea, somewhere in which you can make phone calls, emails and get away from the stress of your working desk with all your documents on. The most popular desk for this sort of idea would be a small round table, usually associated with a café.

2. Chairs

Your chair can in essence be vital to how much work you get done in a day.  You need to be comfortable in the chair, yet supported after all you are probably going to spend up to ten hours a day in it if your job involves lots of computer work.

Too many people have the ideas that as long as a chair has a set of wheels and a tiny bit of back support they will be fine. What they do not realise is that specialist companies spend millions of pound, and hundreds of hours researching and investing in a good office chair.

Office ergonomics are becoming more and more of an issue in larger companies, but it doesn’t mean it’s not an issue in a home office, so do a bit of research into popular makes and models, and if you can, go and physically sit on the chair in a showroom to make sure it’s the one for you!

3. Stationary

This is a topic that people over look so often as we spend so long sending out emails, we forget about letters, invoices or quotes are often printed out as well. Things like a branded heading in letters, invoices and also business cards makes a company look established and gives the impression they are here for the long run.

4. Storage and Filing

A good filing and storage system is the unsung hero in the place of work.  When working from home you are more or less the office manager, this means you need to be prepared to do your own dirty work.

Look for a smaller filling system because the traditional ones are often too bulky for a home office and take up too much room.  Compact drawer systems can often hold vast amounts of paper, so it is important to test the drawer runners are going to be strong enough to hold the weight – which means don’t always choose the cheapest one you see!

5. Communications

Your business needs to be easily contactable so ensure you have a strong and reliable internet connection as well as a phone line.  Still in this era a telephone is the most common form of contact. Yet smaller business are lead to believe that having a mobile number ensures they are available 24/7.

There is nothing wrong with a good old fashioned landline; they make your business look established and more formal than a mobile number.  A very popular form of contact in a lot of industries now is via email – so make sure you can offer a simple and memorable email address that represents your business – in fact, buy the internet domain name if possible to enhance the branding further.

This article was provided by Ryan Hirst who writes helpful guides and tips for Eurofit Direct on their blog

Office Furniture Feng Shui

The ancient Chinese art or science of Feng Shui dates back more than 3000 years.

Literally meaning ‘Wind’ ‘Water’, it is alleged that the positioning of furniture, ornaments, trinkets and paintings can directly affect the flow of energy in any given space.

Whether or not you actually believe that Feng Shui works, there can be no doubt that some of the principles have sound logical and practical elements that can affect your home and office environment.

Do you have a favourite public house or restaurant that you like to frequent? If the answer to this question is Yes then you will probably have a preferred place that you like to sit. The same is no doubt true within your own home. The reason for this is that some seating positions just seem more favourable than others and are perceived to be more comfortable and auspicious.

This of course could simply be attributed to something as simple and obvious as a good view, provided by a window seat for instance. However on the flip side of this, if you sit with your back facing the room and cannot see what’s going on behind you, it is not likely to be your first choice of seating.

For this reason I’ve compiled this quick guide to help you position your office furniture according to Feng Shui. This list is by no means exhaustive, but is merely designed to provide an insight into the more obvious benefits of Feng Shui.

Office Desk and Office Chair Placement

- Your office desk should be positioned so that you have a clear line of sight of your office door. This will help to protect you from betrayals. It also improves your general feeling of security because you will able to monitor those who enter or leave your office.

- Here are two of the more obvious benefits of Feng Shui but firstly, make sure that your office chair fully supports your back. Secondly, ensure you sit with the wall behind you. If you sit facing the wall you are more likely to encounter difficulties in obtaining promotion and other career path obstacles.

- If you don’t have overall control of your office environment or it is simply not possible to move your office desk, you can negate the problems associated with facing a wall by hanging a painting or picture of a beautiful landscape. This helps to create feelings of abundance and represents opportunity.

- You should avoid sitting with your back to a window because doing so symbolizes a lack of support. From a modern perspective this is another obvious one. Although it is highly unlikely that the ancient Chinese had computer screens, sitting with a window directly behind you could potentially cause screen glare!

- Placing an image or figure of a rooster on your office desk will help to protect you from malicious gossip, backstabbing and other office politics.

- Put a smooth, round object such as a glass crystal or orb on your office desk to negate negative energy and ensure a productive and harmonious working environment.

- Avoid sitting directly opposite a work colleague. Doing so can create a damaging build-up of negative Chi energy and can potentially lead to confrontations and conflicts. If you have no other option other than to sit facing another person in your office, consider mounting an office screen. Don’t forget to hang your picture of a landscape on the office screen! (See point above re. facing a wall).

Office Storage

Clutter is considered to encourage the flow of negative energy in Feng Shui and should be avoided.

- The obvious way to eliminate clutter in your office is to use office storage to help keep your office organised.

- It’s especially important to keep your office desk organised and tidy. This helps you to improve your focus . Once again, this makes a lot of sense from a practical point of view because removing clutter ensures that you are more efficient and productive. It’s also great for increasing your personal sense of wellbeing and positivity.

- Strong colours play an important part in Feng Shui and red is considered to be particularly favourable as an aid to prosperity and wealth generation. Try to incorporate some red office storage as part of your office furniture re-organisation.

- A gap of about 8-inches should be left between your office cupboards, office bookshelves and other office storage. Again this is supposed to encourage a positive flow of energy in the workplace.

Office Meeting Seating Arrangements

- Here’s a great Feng Shui tip if you are conducting an office meeting. Ensure that the office chairs or sofas are arranged into a triangular shape which faces your own office chair or office desk. This subliminally strengthens your position in the room as a centre of power and allows you to more easily take control of the meeting or discussion. It also makes your colleages feel comfortable and at ease.

- An additional benefit of forming this triangle is that it ensures the other meeting participants are all angled slightly towards each other. This creates an ‘all-inclusive’ environment which stimulates the flow of positive energy in the room and aids creativity and brainstorming activities.

If you have any additional tips or Feng Shui advice, please feel free to comment and let us know.

A Brief History Of The Office & Office Furniture – Part 2

Office Desk Evolution

Before the invention of the printing press, all books and literature had to be copied by hand. It is widely thought that the Chinese invented paper possibly as early as 100BC.

The constituents of this early paper was quickly improved upon and people were probably using it for writing within a few years.

12th Century Chinese Editing Desk

Therefore we can safely assume that some form of writing desk would probably have evolved at the same time. So the desk or bureau has been with us for at least 2000 years.

Before the moveable type printing press appeared in the 15th Century, text was hand printed with blocks or written by hand. This led to the evolution of desks with special slots and spaces for writing instruments and tools.

Circa 1450

The first recorded mention of writing deskes in England was around 1450. These early desks were little more than portable boxes with a sloping, hinged lid used for writing.

Circa 1660

Bureaus began to be imported from Europe and were widely used by the upper classes and aristocracy, mainly for writing letters. Bureaus also had sloping, hinged lids which could be pulled down for writing on and for storage inside.

Circa Late 17th Century

After the bureau came the Bureau Cylinder and Roll-Top Bureau, both from France. The Cylinder Desk had a curved wooden lid that rotated inside the desk when open.

The Roll Top had a lid made from slats of wood glued to cloth which allowed the lid to also be pushed inside the desk to reveal the writing space and storage inside.

Circa 1700

Around about 1700, the first proper desks appeared with knee space that we are familiar with today.

These were called Knee Hole Writing Tables and allowed the user to be able to write at the desk without compromising comfort, storage or freedom of movement.

Circa 1850

The Victorians advanced the design of the office desk still further with their pedestal desks which generally had large flat, stretched leather writing surfaces with plenty of drawer storage space and legroom.

Circa 1900

By 1900, in the US alone there were around 100,000 people working in offices in clerical and administrative roles.

With the rise of the white collar worker, innovations in ergonomic office furniture design and space planning was essential. This led to many advances in the workspace including steel mass produced desks, filing cabinets and creative office layouts.

Ultimately, this all leads us to the present day where ergonomics, cable management and flexible, modular office furniture are paramount in modern day working environments.

To read more click the following link:
A Brief History Of The Office & Office Furniture – Part 1

Office Furniture – Modern & Contemporary Office Furniture Suppliers – BT Office Furniture UK

A Brief History Of The Office & Office Furniture – Part 1

Office Storage

Although there is no conclusive proof that offices were used by early humans, we do know that neolithic people were building storage shelves.

This picture taken from Skara Brae 5, Orkney, Scotland clearly shows this.

The site is thought to date from around 3100BC and in addition to the storage shelves and dresser, there is other stone furniture such as seating and preparation surfaces. Even stone shelving above the bed areas is evident, perhaps for storing more personal items and possessions.

Of course there is no specific evidence that these shelves were used for storing anything other than pots and pans. However, it does serve to highlight that early humans were more advanced and organised than we might otherwise imagine.

It is certainly true to say that people have been trading with each other since time immemorial. Therefore we can assume that those who acquired possessions from others would need a safe place to store them.

In a sense this can be viewed as ‘business’ and these acquisitions would no doubt have to be organised and stored away ready for the next transaction.

The word salary itself is thought to derive from the latin word salarium, which links employment with soldiers. In other words, early Roman soldiers were paid in salt which was considered a valuable commodity. Again, the soldiers would need a place to store this salt and it could be argued (perhaps tenuously) that this was the origin of the home office.

Organizations & Government Offices

It is a fairly safe assumption that ever since people organised themselves into hierarchical structures, those who held the power base at the top would need to have a space for issuing their commands and dictates. They also needed an office of one kind or another to perform their clerical and administrative duties.

Developed nations would have had some form of office space for hundreds of years. This has evolved rapidly in recent times, especially in the 19th and 20th Centuries with the advent of modern communications and networking.

Office Technology & Communication

The use of offices and office furniture for business, both private and commercial increased exponentially with the invention of the telegraph and telephone.

During the 19th Century in the US for instance, as the rail and road networks rapidly expanded, so did the proliferation of offices. It became normal to conduct business from commercial offices, especially with the advent of electric lighting, the typewriter and calculating machines.

Wherever there were manufacturing facilities, an office would be required to handle the administrative duties.

Of course the single most important invention that has contributed to office evolution is the computer. They allow users to perform complicated administrative tasks more easily and effectively. Computers enable people to network and share files within their own office environment, and also with other users in offices all around the globe.

Office Space Evolution From 1904 – Present Day

Circa 1904

American mechanical engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor is credited as being one of the first people to actually design an office space.

He was obsessed with trying to improve industrial efficiency.

Consequently he came up with the idea of packing his workers onto the floor with the senior staff and management in individual offices on the perimeter.

This is similar to the factory concept and is still common in countries such as China and India.

Circa 1950 – 1960

Eberhard and Wolfgang Schnelle created a new type of office planning called Burolandschaft – which means office landscape.

They based their layouts on the type of open plan offices that developed in the US around 1940.

These offices were a lot less formal than the type that Frederick Taylor created. In fact their office landscapes did away with office screens and often used strategic placement of plant pots and lighting to further enhance the working environment. The idea was to make it easier for people to discuss ideas with each other.

Circa 1964 – 1968

The Action Office was first designed by Robert Propst in 1964 and sold by Herman Miller.

Inspired by the Burolandschaft, it is essentially a cubicle system which is still in use today in some offices. It was the first example of modular office furniture with flexible office desk spaces and dividing screens.

It was eventually superseded by the Action II Office Range which is still in use today and is essentially what we think of as a cubicle system.

Circa 1980

Cubicle Farms (also known as Cube Farms or Sea Of Cubicles) appeared in the 1980s and in retrospect are probably one of the most unpleasant office working environments imaginable.

The Sea Of Cubicles shown in the image almost certainly arose from a desire to maximise working office space, while offering a degree of privacy for employees.  Additionally with the rise of middle management, there was a need to accommodate their office requirements and give them an illusion of importance without supplying individual offices. These were reserved for senior management only.

Circa 1994 – Present Day

Networking and the virtual office appeared with the phenomenal and exponential computing power of CPUs in the early 1990s.

There is a classic story about an Ad agency in the US whose CEO decided it would be a great idea to have an open plan virtual office with no individual desks.

Each morning, there would be a mad scramble as employees grabbed themselves a laptop and ran to claim the best available office chair and desk.

Needless to say, productivity dropped and the company became something of a laughing stock.

Nowadays of course more and more people are able to work remotely from their home office or in fact from pretty much anywhere that has an Internet connection.

For those that still work in a traditional office environment, most computers and peripherals will be networked together.

To make the most use of available space and to keep desk space clutter-free, there are many ranges of office furniture which are modular and can be configured in almost any way imaginable.

To read more click the following link:
A Brief History Of The Office & Office Furniture – Part 2 

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

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, 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).

BT Office Furniture have 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.

In the current business climate many businesses may find themselves in smaller offices than they desire, but with the cost of moving and higher rents companies may be looking for alternative ways to free up valuable floor space. With clever office storage solutions you can gain space and at the same time achieve a clutter free office.

Office Storage Wall

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