Trends in Office Furniture. The last couple of years have seen some major changes in office furniture trends. While these appear to have been driven by the COVID19 pandemic, they look like they are here to stay for the long term which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With that in mind, here is a quick guide to the current trends in office furniture.
Updated layouts
Traditional cubicles are still popular but they’re being mixed in with alternatives such as desk pods and alternating desks. Likewise, the traditional fixed meeting room is being mixed in with alternatives such as break-out areas and pop-up meeting spaces.This change serves two purposes. Firstly, it helps to balance community with (social) distance. Secondly, it helps make the best use of the space by providing different environments for different purposes.
More storage
Many offices technically have a clean desk policy. In the past, however, this has often been largely ignored. The main reason for this is that clearing desks means having somewhere to put whatever is on the desk. Companies often wanted to minimize the amount of floor space they gave up to storage because seating was more important.One of the benefits of the hybrid working model is that it provides a way to square this circle. If fewer people come into the office at any one time then fewer seats will be needed. That leaves more space for storage, hence clean-desk policies can be enforced. What’s more, if employees are hot-desking they are not going to be able to hoard stuff at “their” desk.
More emphasis on wellness
This is a trend that was growing before the pandemic but is expected to become even bigger. Employers are increasingly moving away from the “utilitarian office” and trying to create a welcoming “home-from-home” atmosphere. One clear example of this is the demand for more comfortable and cozy office furniture. Another example is the demand for health friendly furniture like standing desks or adjustable desks, ergonomic chairs and even desks with treadmills. This trend towards a healthier office benefits the employee and the business.