Maximize Your Lobby Potential With An Effective Furniture Layout!

All too often businesses feel they are in need of more space to seat lobby guests and improve decor. However, this is commonly the cause of a poor furniture and seating layout. While your typical lounge furniture setups including a sofa, love seat, and settee look great, they are far from effective for those businesses looking to accommodate large numbers of guests while staying up to date with the latest design trends! In today's post we'll highlight popular seating layouts, product suggestions, and configuration ideas to help any business maximize seating potential and style!

Perimeter Seating Layout

The perimeter seating layout provides an open feel by utilizing the lobby border. This popular layout can be achieved by using gang style guest seating, beam chairs, and even individual lounge chairs for added comfort. Simply measure the perimeter of your space to determine the number of chairs that will fit effectively and proceed accordingly. If your space is not in the form of a basic rectangle, you may need to consider using modular seating like the UNO series from OFM to flow with the curvature of your space. Add stylish accent tables to the center of your seating configuration for enhanced corporate appeal.

Horizontal Seating Rows

This popular lobby seating style is great way to maximize the number of guests that can sit comfortably within a space. The horizontal rows can be configured using bench style seating in a back to back approach. If space is limited, you may not have the ability to add tables between each row. That being said, using a beam seating configuration with integrated tables will show your design ingenuity and visitor appreciation to perfection. Brands like OFM and Global Total Office offer a wide range of versatile product solutions for businesses looking to take the horizontal seating approach.

Vertical Seating Rows

Depending on the entry points of your lobby, the horizontal guest seating approach may not be visually appealing to your or your guests. If this is the case, using a vertical row system may be a better fit for your specific needs. The same general layout theory applies with using beam style seating in a back to back system. The vertical row seating layout is typically seen in travel terminal and healthcare environments as it provides a pleasing look from multiple angles.

Bistro Style Layout

This trending lobby furniture layout style consists of round or square top tables surrounded by stand alone guest chairs. The bistro look offers a pleasing visual presence and works great in hotel lobby applications. A bistro layout provides families a way to sit privately without disturbing other guests along with the table space needed to eat, converse, and operate those smart devices we are all guilty of using regularly! To create a bistro style layout, measure your space effectively to determine your areas square footage. Work with a designer or industry professional to determine the maximum number of tables and chairs will fit comfortably. Add a few basic accent and voila! You have a trend setting space that's sure to impress your valued visitors.

Cafe Style Layout

Similar to the bistro layout highlighted above, the cafe configuration utilizes tables and chairs spaced effectively to create a cutting edge guest waiting environment. The cafe system uses bar height tables or pub tables to create a swanky vibe that works well in modern lobby applications. Brands like Mayline, Global Total Office, and OFM offer super cool tables and bar stools that make the cafe layout work to perfection. If you're going for high end appeal, the cafe layout is a great way to achieve your aesthetic goals. Interior design teams and industry professionals alike are regularly recommending this popular lobby makeover theme.

Modular Layout

If you're outfitting a large lobby area, going modular with your design is just plain smart! The use of modular lounge chairs, mobile guest chairs, and flip top tables will provide your business with the ability to reconfigure quickly and easily when needed. This layout style provides a wide range of benefits that will allow your business to easily experiment with what type of layout works best. If you like the idea and ability to quickly change your lobby presence, a modular layout may be right for your business. The industries top brands are in a steady race to create versatile furniture solutions that move and adjust quickly to accommodate guests when needed. Incorporating a modular layout into your lobby provides unmatched versatility!

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Add Modern Style to Your Waiting Room with OFM Furniture

Those looking to create a modern waiting room will love OFM furnishings. This innovative brand regularly raises the bar with their creative products. From stylish beam seating to out of this world reception tables, the aesthetic value achieved with OFM furniture for office welcoming areas is simply unmatched. In today's article we'll highlight several of best selling new products OFM has to offer. Enjoy!

The OFM Net Series Beam Seating collection was a must to kick of today's post. This line of guest seating is constructed of durable steel that works for both indoor and outdoor applications. Design teams and consumers alike love the 7 unique color options available on Net series beam chairs. With 6 awesome models available, The Net series includes models capable of seating up to 5 users at a time. Top sellers like the NB-4G Net series beam chair even include stylish side tables that are sure to make your welcoming area pop.

Adding a professional welcoming desk to your business waiting room is an excellent way to leave a lasting impression on valued guests. OFM fully understands this core mentality and for that reason created the popular Marque line of reception desks with curved front designs. These versatile stations are the definition of user friendly as they actually require no tools for assembly, and leave plenty of room for future growth with their modular design qualities. Available in single, double, triple, quad, and five unit models, OFM Marque reception station solutions are offered to fit lobbies of any size. Choose from three quick shipping color options and models with or without plexiglass transaction screens.

Looking to make your office reception area furniture stand out from the competition? No problem! Unique seating solutions like this Yellow Recoil Lounge Chair by OFM are sure to help you do just that. It's important to mention that this versatile chair offers far more than just modern appeal. The Recoil seating collection is also incredibly comfortable. The 400 lb. weight capacity ensure durability while the heavy duty spring back design allows visitors to rock gently during their weight. Rest assured, any of the 5 Recoil chair options including yellow, two tone, purple, green, and red will definitely earn your space a host of daily compliments.

Simple, versatile, and cool are the 3 best words to describe the new OFM Smart Series Stack Chair collection. When businesses need to maximize seating without breaking the bank, products like these are a must. The light weight design, durable plastic seating surfaces, and rear handle make for easy reconfiguring and cleaning. The durable chrome frame supports users comfortably up to 300 lbs. Priced at only $110.61 each, Smart Series chairs are also an excellent value. Both black and white color options are available that are sure to create neutral canvases ready to match your choice of accent furniture.

OFM is well known for their innovative tables. With creative solutions for every area from the waiting room to the boardroom, OFM has really outdone themselves in 2014. Products like their new Profile Series Modern Cocktail Table are a great way to enhance contemporary appeal in office waiting areas without breaking the makeover budget. These unique tables are unlike any other and sure to make your space stand out from the competition. A cool metal leg design complimented by your choice of 3 laminate surface finish options ensure the ability to match your own corporate style. These OFM tables for waiting room and reception areas can be complimented by a wide variety of accenting solutions like wedge, end, and lamp tables to match.

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7 Easy Steps to Creating A Professional Lobby

Any interior designer will tell you that the decorating business is tough. It's a job filled with measuring, maintenance, colors, considerations, all sorts of furniture, and it's rarely ever a one man show. Paying attention to all of these things at once and trying to haggle with dealers and deliverers can be a handful, which is why, if you want to decorate your office lobby yourself, you're probably going to need some help. But don't worry. With this handy guide, all the tricks of the pros will be at your disposal. We've done our research on this one, so don't be afraid to dive in to that decorating project with confidence. Here are the seven easy steps to creating the perfect professional lobby!

Step 1: Measure Your Space

One of the biggest mistakes newbies make when having a go at interior design is bad measuring. This is perhaps the most important step to making sure your lobby looks the best that it can. Inaccurate measuring can leave you with oversized or undersized furniture, installation hassles, and tons of buyer's remorse. When a lobby looks like it's too big or too small for the furniture, guests will notice because this is the space you have set aside for them. Don't worry though. Even the pros mess this one up from time to time. That's why it's best when decorating to make sure you measure correctly. This is a bit of an undertaking, so don't be afraid to ask a friend or two for help. Just break out the measuring tape, the pencils and the graph paper to map your space out with a quality scale-sketch of your lobby space. Be sure to take note of permanent features that are already a part of the room, like doors, windows, and power outlets so you can furnish your space up smart. When you're done, give your drawing a quick double check to make sure your measurements are all correct. As they say in woodworking, measure twice, cut once, and everything will fit like a puzzle!

Step 2: Identify Your Needs

Now that the hardest part is out of the way, it's time to consider your needs. When decorating a lobby, try to think like a guest. What will they expect? What will they want? How can you as a designer go above and beyond to meet those needs? Think about your guests' responsibilities. In a hotel, medical office, vet clinic, car shop, or service industry lobby, visitors might need a place to fill out information. Comfortable chairs and affordable desks for lobby reception are a must, but that isn't all that's expected. If you want your guests to be happy and content for longer waiting times, providing them with magazines and pamphlets about your company is a good idea. You may even decide your guests deserve refreshments while they wait, but they'll have to have some place to set all those items. That makes coffee tables and stylish end tables for lobby use a must have too. If you decide you want a slideshow for visitors to watch or something even more entertaining than some mags and a few pamphlets, lobby televisions are all the rage now, especially in medical facilities like pediatrics offices and dentistries. Making sure you have everything you need and that you have room enough for all of it is crucial to good interior decorating. It's best to start with the essentials and build your way up from there.

Step 3: Choose a Style

Okay! Here comes the fun part: the "decorating" in interior decorating! This is where you get to pick a color scheme, choose wall artwork, and decide on the style of furniture you want. Most people might think that lobbies are pretty self explanatory, but we can assure you that is not so. There are tons of great themes you may want your lobby to express. It's up to you to decide between urban charm, modern professionalism, kooky fun, or the classic wood furniture look. As far as colors go, try to decide if you want to go with the company colors or something else. Just make sure when decorating that one color isn't too overpowering. One trick designers often use is to pick their dominant color and then add a bit of the colors next to or opposite that color on the color wheel. If you need help, try starting with a piece of accent furniture you'd really like in your lobby, something like a lamp, a rug, or a painting. Pay attention to the colors that are in that piece and then choose your furniture shapes and colors based on that. Finally, when you have an idea of what you want, come up with a furniture layout using your measurement paper. Be sure you know how big the sofas, tables, and  modern lounge chairs for lobby use you want to buy is also, so you know it will fit into the space. If you have lots of room, a big, cushy couch is fine, but if your lobby is tight on space, something like lobby beam seating solutions might be more efficient. The goal is to have a lobby that looks as fashionable as possible, but also reflects your business.

Step 4: Shop For Value

Next on the agenda is the shopping. Hopefully, if you already have your furniture picked out, you're aware of the price. Still, that's no reason not to look for discounts! Most furniture dealers get their product from manufacturers, and they vie with each other to sell at the best prices. Sofas and leather lobby chairs for guests can get expensive. However, if the desired furniture is online, try using tools like shopping engines and price comparisons if the site offers them to see if you can get a deal. Subscribe to newsletters for sales and updates on other cool furniture your lobby could benefit from. Call dealers and see which one is willing to give you the best price. Chances are, the might be willing to go lower than what their asking for over the phone in order to get the sale. Try Google searching for coupons, discounts, clearance, and sales. If you snoop around a bit, there's a good chance you'll get the same furniture or a stylish alternative at a fraction of the cost!

Step 5: Receiving and Installation

Aright, now you're in the final stretch! Receiving and installation can be a big pain, but not if there are a bunch of hands around to help. The first thing you need to know about this process is when the furniture will arrive. If business is already up and running, and this lobby decoration is just an office makeover, knowing when the furniture will come is crucial. An environment where doors are left open because burly furniture installers are carrying sofas in and out isn't fun for anyone, especially clientele. After you purchase the furniture, make sure you get a tracking number to monitor the furniture's progress. Also be sure to go ahead and call the dealer or the transport company to see if the deliverers will actually install the furniture as well. That way, you know when sell the old furniture, create a staging area, prep the lobby, and set up a temporary space for patrons in the meantime where they still have all the necessities they need to stay as comfortable as possible, and you also know if you need to round up some coworkers to help you install everything if the delivery service won't.

Step 6: Be Ready for Debris

This is a given. A surefire way to tell if the dealers you ordered from were working out of their basement is if the furniture arrives and isn't covered by boxes or plastics. Thankfully, this almost never occurs, but you do want to be prepared for the debris the installation process brings about. Guests don't like to look at trash any more than a business owner does, so getting it cleaned up right away is important. Have the brooms and vacuums ready to go once the installers leave, or if you have to unpack and install yourself, go ahead and keep all the unpacked furniture in the corner until your clean up the boxes and plastic coverings. This way, the floors are already cleaned up when you and your cohorts lay the furniture out.

Step 7: Enjoy Your Space!

Ah, finally! This one's pretty self explanatory. The hard work is over, and now you've got a brand new, stylish lobby to show for all your efforts. Take a moment to sit back and enjoy it!

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Contemporary Decorating Ideas for Your Office

Office makeover projects can be challenging to say the least. That being said, we thought we would highlight 5 popular decorating ideas that showcase the hot contemporary trends sweeping the nation. From product suggestions to hot upholstery options, today's post has it all. Enjoy!

Beam Seating is In

As office design and makeover budgets are often tight, using modular beam seating for your project is a great way to save money while staying on the cutting edge. This style of chair consists of a durable steel beam with chairs and tables lined across for guests. Manufacturers like Global Total Office and OFM have increased their beam lines to meet the demands of consumers throughout the country. Products like the OFM NB-5G Net Series Beam Chair can even work for outdoor applications. The steel construction makes for a long lasting products that's sure to look great for years to come. This contemporary decorating trend makes for easy to spec areas that are built to accommodate any number of guests comfortably.

Accent Furniture Matters

When decorating your office lobby, lounge, or reception area you can't forget the little details. Products like end tables, coffee tables, wall art, lighting, and area rugs all add to the appeal of your space. When the designing and budgeting starts these essential items can't be left out! Those looking to add contemporary style to their space will love items like the Citi 7889 Glass Coffee Table by Global as it's unique design and storage make it an excellent value for any space. Shopping at local home stores and online will save you a bundle on detail items like vases, wall art, and sconces. Often, affordable sets can be purchased to make for an easier integration process that offers a more cohesive appeal. In the long run, accent furniture matters and should be a top priority for any makeover project!

Ergonomic Products Improve Efficiency

It's no secret that ergonomic products play a huge role in the workplace. Items like adjustable monitor arms create increased desk space while providing a wide range of motion capabilities to meet your individual work style. Items like the ESI EDGE2 dual screen monitor arm also add a contemporary element to any workstation. The look and use of two monitors is not only helpful, but boosts your wow factor in a major way! In addition to monitor mounts, products like CPU holders, task lighting, and keyboard trays all add major benefits to both decor and office productivity aspects. All those looking to create or re design their workplace should put ergonomic benefits at the top of the list!

Modular Furniture Leaves Room for Growth

Did you know that the hottest modular office furniture lines like the Verde, Amber, Zira, and Princeton collections from brands like Cherryman Industries and Global Total Office all include a wide range of components that allow you to grow your desk set with the needs of your business. These modern design qualities make for an excellent value that should not be overlooked when designing your workspace. Going modular is the way of the future. The best part, most of today's modular lines (including those mentioned above) all offer contemporary style that's sure to earn your space a host of compliments without costing you a bundle. Configurations like the Cherryman AM-407N Amber Desk Set showcase the appeal of this decorating trend to perfection!

Power Up Your Conference Room

Those taking on a conference room, boardroom, or meeting area makeover project will definitely want to take note of this idea! Using the latest modern boardroom tables for sale from brands like Mayline is just plain smart! Cutting edge boardroom solutions like the TAC24TB TransAction Table will improve your meeting efficiency and productivity with a quickness. Standard with 3 integrated power ports this table can be outfitted with any number of custom modules to fit your meeting needs. In addition to conference room tables, items like lighted lecterns, flat panel TV's, and several other office gadgets will add contemporary style while improving your meeting quality.

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Cool Products for Designing the Perfect Waiting Room

Is your waiting room working as hard as you are to make your guests as comfortable as possible? If not, here are some popular, stylish furniture options to add to your room to make it shine! From traditional lounge seating solutions to the industries most innovative new products, these waiting room products are sure to enhance any visitor's space.

Sofas and Lounge Chairs

If your business is all about the comfort and care of your guests, nothing sings that mentality louder than a waiting room filled with comfortable sofas and lounge chairs for them to sit in. These luxurious chairs are a fantastic solution for a business place that requires their guests to wait for long periods of time. The best part is that they can look great together or by themselves. depending on the size of your waiting room, sofas can fit into larger spaces and smaller lounge chairs can be arranged neatly however you like. In these chairs, guests will feel pampered and relaxed until their name is called. Whether you seat patients, clients, or business executives these plush sofas and chairs are sure to make your guests feel right at home!

Coffee Tables

One critical mistake that many business owners make when decorating their own waiting room is not providing tables. If your waiting room does not provide entertainment options such as magazines and books, your guests may end up bored, and worse - more likely to complain. You want your guests to feel comfortable while they wait and this is why adding a simple coffee table is the perfect solution. Not only can coffee tables support magazines and pamphlets about your business, but they are the perfect centerpiece for any large waiting room, cleverly filling the space while simultaneously providing a service for guests. Alternatively, if you have a small waiting room and feel adding a coffee table might make things claustrophobic, adding a few smaller end tables is a fantastic way to provide the same shelf space! Either way, you cant go wrong!

Beam Seating

If you know your waiting room turns out patients quick as flash, beam seating is a stylish and space efficient option as well! As far was waiting room furniture goes, beam seating is a trend that is sweeping the nation, and for good reason. This type of seating is extremely space efficient. Providing numerous chairs on one plane creates the illusion that the room is much larger, making this a remarkable solution for offices with small waiting rooms. Many beam seating configurations also provide their own end tables so guests can set down their drinks, purses, or magazines. Additionally, these outstanding little seats are available in numerous designs and colors for different decors and can go beautifully in lounges and break rooms as well.

Flatscreen TV Mounts

Many business establishments have come to recognize the benefits of adding televisions to their waiting rooms for their advertisement and entertainment capabilities. The versatility of televisions make them especially smart in places that deal regularly with young children such as pediatrics offices, and have become a huge saving grace for many dentists that have been bitten in the past by unoccupied children and adults. With DVDs, video games, and the options of cable and satellite, its no question that TVs entertain guests. But if you're wondering how to go about incorporating a television into your workplace, flat screen TV mounts are the best way to get the task done! These ergonomic monitor mounts can be affixed to any wall, at any height to save all the space you can. Many of them come equipped with "arms" so that the placement of the television is adjustable. By providing televisions, doctors, dentists, and many others have found a wonderful way to occupy their patients, both young and old.

Waiting Room Sets

If you're not much of a decorator, or if you're just too busy to do it yourself, there is a wonderful solution for you. Manufacturers have recognized that many business owners haven't the time to go bustling around searching for the perfect furniture for their waiting rooms, so they have provided a solution - waiting room sets. Purchasing waiting room seating sets is an ideal option for novice decorators because the furniture will not clash with one another. The chairs, tables, and sofas for sale are designed to compliment each other perfectly. Not only that, waiting room sets are available in a host of styles and colors to match any decor, all you have to do is decide which one you want!

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Popular Office Chair Styles for Home and Business Use

In today's post we will be covering several of the most common types of new office chairs, there function or purpose, and what makes them beneficial to end users. With so many seating options on the market it's important to educate yourself with as much buying power and product knowledge as possible. We hope that you find this post informative!

Style 1: Conference Chairs

It's all in the name! This form of chair is obviously designed for professional office use. Typically conference chairs feature loop arms and are upholstered in a leather of your choice. Common styles include both high back and mid back variations. In most cases, the larger the boardroom the fancier the conference chair. For small spaces a simple task style conference chair with mesh back is typically used. These types range from about $99 to $249 depending on brand. For more upscale conference areas a high back leather chair is often used to convey success. These range from about $299 on up. Again, these estimates completely depend on the brand you choose to go with.

Style 2: Desk Chairs

In most cases desk chairs are the most affordable style of chair made. They typically feature a fabric or breathable mesh back design like the chair pictured above. Modern desk chairs can offer quite a few quality ergonomic features like adjustable arms, built in lumbar supports, and various tension adjustments. The average price for a new desk chair is around $99 but more upscale models are certainly available.

Style 3: Executive Chairs

Executive office chairs are the definition of success and class in the workplace. A high end executive chair will feature a high back design, Italian leather upholstery, various top notch ergo features, and much more. The chair shown for example is one of the most upscale executive chairs on the market. The Concorde Presidential Chair sports a price tag of $2179. For a chair with this many features, and this high a comfort level, it's worth every penny! However, that's a bit unrealistic for the average consumer! That being said, the common conception is that executive chairs have to be extremely expensive. This is definitely not the case. Excellent executive chairs from respected manufacturers including Global Total Office can be purchased for as little as $399 in a variety of leather options. Depending on the statement you are trying to make, and the level of comfort you demand, there is definitely an executive chair on the market for you!

Style 4: Guest Chairs

There are endless styles of guest chairs on the market today. So much so that it can be overwhelming! This category of chairs probably deserves a post of it's own but deserves a mention here none the less. Common guest chair styles include the following...

Side Chairs: Typically used in executive offices to compliment the decor. These types of guest chairs usually feature a wood finish and can be in either mobile or fixed leg variations.

Beam Seating: Beam seating is becoming more and more popular. As the modern office furniture boom continues, the market for products like beam seating will grow as well. This style of guest chair is often completely customizable. Beam seating offers the ability to add or remove seats and tables from a beam in order to maximize a spaces potential. This for of office seating is most commonly found in reception areas.

Lounge Chairs: Most of us are familiar with this style of chair. Lounge chairs are found in homes, waiting rooms, lobbies, and many other places. While fabric lounge chairs are popular, leather versions dominate the market. This type of chair will always be popular, as in most cases it allows for shoppers to pair a selection with other matching furniture from the same collection.

Style 5: Big & Tall Chairs

Big and tall office chairs are typically made to support up to 500 lbs. For most people to consider a chair "big and tall" it needs to support at minimum 300 lbs. Shoppers in the market for this style of chair will find a huge selection of awesome seating designed to provide optimum levels of comfort. Big & Tall seating often offers excellent ergonomic features and chair adjustability not found on other office chair styles.

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OFM Office Furniture Solutions

OFM, Inc. has long provided business office furniture solutions at affordable prices. This industry leading manufacturer has recently released several great new product lines that deserve some attention! Today we will cover a few of OFM's new product lines we feel you will love!

1.) Marque Reception Desks

This line of easy to assemble reception desks has taken the industry by storm. With the ability to increase the size of your station and even assemble without the use of tools it's no wonder why. Marque reception desks are available in three popular finishes that will enhance or create a stunning office decor. This line of professional reception desks is available in a standard laminate model and a more contemporary version with plexi glass front. Units start at $994.99 and go up from there. The 55290 Marque Reception Desk is the standard model and is great for smaller spaces and perfect for those looking to grow their businesses in the future.

2.) OFM UNO Lounge Chairs

Keeping with the times, OFM decided to create a modern line of popular reception seating that is taking the industry by storm. UNO lounge chairs are extremely popular for lounge, waiting room, lobby, and even home work spaces. Styles like the UNO 420 lounge chair are purchased in sets of two, support up to 250 lbs, and are available in some really great color combinations. If your business is in need of modernization, UNO is definitely worth a look!

3.) OFM Net Series Beam Seating

Beam seating seems to keep getting more and more popular. The Net series by OFM has probably taken over the top spot when it comes to affordability, modern style, and overall quality. Net series beam seating is available in 7 colors. It is constructed of steel mesh which makes it an excellent choice for both indoor and outdoor applications. As an added bonus this line of reception seating is also GREENGUARD Certified! The basic model is the OFM NB-3 Net Series Configuration which seats 3. Styles with tables and up to 5 seats are also available. Pricing starts at $590.99.

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