Office Design: The Top 3 Items Every Office Must Have

Office design is a tricky thing, and it's not always easy to know where to start. That's why this article is all about office must haves! Today, we'll be rounding off the top three things every office environment needs to succeed. Just start with these items and work your way up from there. Before you know it, your office, cubicle, or conference area will be rockin' modern style, and you can rest assured knowing it's prepared for anything!

Everyday Office

- Modular Desk

- Ergonomic Office Chair

- Plenty of Storage

Whether it's at home or in an office building, the everyday office is almost always the easiest to decorate. However, it's important to remember that storage space, desks with modular design, and chairs with ergonomic benefits are absolute must haves for those that spend all day in this space. Obviously, ergonomic chairs prevent health risks like back pain and joint problems. Modular desks, on the other hand, keep everything within arms reach of the user. Thanks to diverse brand names, modular desks and ergonomic chairs come in all shapes, sizes, and colors to meet decor needs. Just make sure your space has plenty of drawers, cabinets, and shelving for storage, and your place is ready to roll!


Cubicle

- Ergonomic Chair
- Proper Lighting
- Ergonomic Computer Accessories

In most cases, cubicle instruments are provided by the company, not the user. However, not all users are created equal, and some individuals may have unique health concerns or work habits not supported by company-provided furniture. That's why we recommend users choose their own seating, lighting  arrangements and accessories when working in a cubicle. Choosing healthy mid back chairs with ergonomic features lets users adjust their chairs for themselves. In addition, customizable office accessories, like desk lamps, retractable keyboard trays and articulating computer monitor arms, allow users to meet their own needs. These ergonomic devices are not only convenient, but they also promote healthier work habits. When used properly, slouching, eye strain, and decreased blood circulation will be a thing of the past!

Conference Room

- Modular Table
- Good Conference Chairs
- Presentation Aids 

As the place where business owners play host to executives from other companies, there's a lot that rides on conference room curb appeal. Designs should not only be professional, but reflect company ideals and attitudes as well. For those on a budget, a good modular conference table is always a necessity. Tables that reconfigure and offer power capabilities equip the conference room to double as a work area, meeting room, or project center for employees when corporate guests aren't around. Stylish leather meeting chairs and presentation aids like whiteboards and projectors allow for easy idea sharing in an environment that maximizes workplace comfort.

Reception Area

- Reception Tables
- Comfortable, Appropriate Seating
- Reception Desks

Reception areas are a company's first impression on guests (and you know what they say about first impressions)! In this sense, it's important to cater to guests with comfortable chairs appropriate for your business needs. Thankfully, there are tons of reception seating options out there. Luxury, mesh, fabric, and convenient beam seating all have great waiting room potential. Never forget that guests need a place to put things too - you can never have a reception area without coffee and end tables. A noticeable reception desk by the entrance lets visitors know your company wants to help. And if you have time left over, entertainment in the form of magazines, wall art, or a television set are necessary to occupy guests until they're called.

Break Room

- Table Sets
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- (Coffee Machine)

Finally, we get to the break room. Unfortunately, the favorite room in the office is often the most looked over in terms of style. However, as the place where most everyone sits down for a bite to eat, even this room has some basic requirements. Obviously break room table sets are a must. Where else would you hear about all the office gossip if not in the break room, right? Additionally, a refrigerator and microwave for the bag-lunchers are a must have too. Shop by bargains, and you may still have enough cash left over for some plastic utensils and the most non-optional of all office supplies - the coffee machine.

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5 Tips for Creating the Ideal Home Office

Whether you're working for a business, through the internet, or just for yourself, there's one thing that all home offices have - distractions. Kids, pets, messes, and squeaky office chairs can be detrimental to a person that works at home, in an environment that's meant to be comfortable and familiar. When an place isn't the best it can be, neither is the person that lives in it. What we spend time around influences who we are. For those that spend eight hours a day in a home office they aren't satisfied with, negative influences can lead to an unhappy outlook and an unhappy home. But never fear! Here are some great interior design tips to help create the perfect home office that's right for you.

A Splash of Paint

Believe it or not, colors have deep psychological effects on our brains. For those sensitive to their surroundings, they can influence mood and outlook over long periods of time. If you're stuck in a boring home office with whitewashed walls and no windows and notice you're not quite as happy as you could be, perhaps it's time for a change. A few splashes of color on those walls may make all the difference! Interior and graphic designers are all educated on the ways colors can effect mood. Typically, yellow is a no-no for walls because it can make people anxious, blue calms and relaxes, lavender soothes, and green and orange energize. Different hues can have different effects too, for example, while bright yellow can cause a feeling of uneasiness, a soft cream creates a cheerful feel, so it is a common color for baby's rooms.  Knowing how different colors effect you individually can have a great impact on your attitude, work ethic, and overall feeling throughout the day, if you surround yourself with the right colors. You may even decide to paint patterns! After all, it's your home. Why not make it yours? Taking a weekend to paint your office with a friend may be just the perk you need!

Let There Be Light

Ever wonder why skyscrapers have glass walls? Well, like color, light has a tremendous effect on human psychology. Scientific studies have proven that people work better in environments where there is plenty of natural sunlight to brighten their day. So if your home office doesn't have windows, and you know you like to look at the great outdoors, take a tip from the architects and choose a room with a view! Letting in some natural sunlight is sometimes the best decision an employer can make. It improves work ethic, mood, and energy levels among other things. Working at home allows you the freedom to take control of your surroundings. If your home office doesn't have windows, and artificial lighting for office use is insufficient, move your office to another part of your place that does, and turn the other room into something else fun. Vampires were last year's thing. Let's make 2014 a year of light!

Minimize Distractions

Now we get to the hard part - the dreaded distractions. As much as it's romanticized, working at home creates a breeding ground for distractions. Kids that want to play, pets that want to play, grown ups that want to play, it never seems to end! That's why letting people know when work time is work time is so important for those that work at home. Keeping dry-erase calendars and presentations boards for office are great tools. Use them to let your spouse, roommates, and friends know when your work hours are. That way, they know they're not to bother you during those times. To keep yourself on task, silence your cell phone, TV, and radio. Block social media sites during the day. Have a friend set the passwords on all of it without telling you if you must! Do whatever it takes. If you live with other people and sound is a problem, put some foam padding or fabric squares around your doors and walls to soundproof your space.
Unfortunately, kids and pets aren't accustomed to silence and the needs of others, but you may be able to work this to your advantage. Setting aside some break time during the day to go for a short, fifteen minute walk can break the tedium and improve mood in you, your kid, and your pet. Going to your local park is a welcome break from the workday, and the best part is, kids, pets, and bag lunches are almost always welcome!

The Right Furniture

Now that we've taken care of the walls and the beasts beyond them, it's time to fix the furniture! In the commercial business world, the rickety office desks of old just don't cut it in the modern era. Recent years have seen a huge rise in in the sales of office desks, modular workstations, and high tech cubicles. If you want your business to keep up, it's probably not a bad idea to refurbish your home office space. Of course, choosing the right furniture depends on the size of your room. Take the time to accurately measure the perimeters of your space and the furniture pieces you're thinking to buy. Consider the sort of furniture you'll need. For example, if you read a lot for work, bookcases are probably worth consideration. If you use technology, high tech office desks for computer use may have applications for tablets and other devices as well. You may even choose to go with furniture sets instead of individual desks. Furniture sets like the E55 Office Desk Typical by Mayline, and it's counterparts from the e5 collection make great additions to any home office. This collection offers furniture that's compact, include lots of storage space, is easy to power, and even comes in tons of colors to better match your new painted walls!

Comfortable Chair

Last but not least, we will address one of the most important decisions you can make for your home office. Comfortable office chairs are extremely important in all work environments. If the chairs are not optimal, improper seating positions over time can result in serious health problems, such as back pain, sciatica, joint problems, and poor circulation. That's part of the reason why so many corporate businesses have made the switch to comfortable desk chairs with ergonomic features to minimize health risks. Ergonomics is the study of comfort in the workplace, and no office furniture products show the advancements of this field better than office chairs. Even today's most affordable ergonomic chairs are equipped with the latest tilt tension features and lumbar supporting designs. Chairs with mesh backs, like the WAU-HIGH-BK-CHR Wau High Back Office Chair by Eurotech allow for breathability (and are usually highly affordable). Massaging chairs often offer heating features to soothe muscles, and ergonomic leather office chairs provide luxury executive style. One of the greatest things about working at home, is that you have control over your environment, all it takes is initiative!

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Cool Ways to Furnish Your Home Office

Whether your home is big, small, tall, or purple with pink polka dots, you should never have to settle for less with your home office! If you are thinking about adding one or updating your current home office with the latest in home furniture, don't let the fear of price tags keep your from giving yourself the best for all your hard work. There are plenty of affordable home office furniture items that no one should be without, and if you're confused about what to get, never fear! This article will tell you everything you need to know!

Home Office Desk

The first thing all home offices need to function properly are good office desks, but there's a lot of different kinds out there. Before you decide what to get, take some measurements of the space you plan to use so that you have an idea about how big or small your desk needs to be. From there, you can search until you find the perfect thing, although it probably won't take very long. The great thing about shopping for home office desks is that home office furniture manufacturers have made sure to include a lot of variety their selections. Be sure to search either affordable home computer desks and home executive desks for sale depending on the size of the office space you plan to work in. The names are usually a good indicator of desk size, with executive desks being larger and computer desks tending to be smaller. If you've already got a decor in mind, the finishes on stylish wood executive desks can go with just about anything. If you want a sleeker look to your space, the chrome accents cool modern office desks and the clean look of glass office desks are bound to catch a few eyes!

Home Office Chair

No one wants to sit all day slouched over in a shabby old chair. Since you're already giving yourself an upgrade or a new home office, why not just go straight for the new, right? Don't worry, the price tag won't bite on this one. Just shop around a bit and you're bound to find great deals on leather, modern, vinyl, memory foam, massaging, and every chair in between! If you want the ultimate in comfort without having to pay the ultimate price, ergonomic office chairs are an amazing choice that no one ever regrets. These highly adjustable, comfortable office chairs were crafted after years of study on efficiency in the workplace, so they are perfectly suited to solve all your office chair needs, including the ones that prevent back pain. But ergonomic chairs aren't the only comfortable options out there. For a chair with built in temperature control, versatile mesh back chairs have great breathability, and for plush comfort, luxury executive chairs are tough to beat. All in all, whether you want the ritzy or the simple, desk chairs for the home office will always get the job done without breaking your bank.

Home Storage Products

Now, if you're gonna go through the process of adding a home office to your house, you're also going to need a place to store all your home office stuff. Things like pens, papers, magazines, files, folders, and three-hole punches can clutter up a space pretty quick if you can't find a space to put all of them. As moms everywhere know, the best way to deal with a mess is to prevent it, and the best way to prevent that home office tornado-look is to go ahead and get some home office storage products to clean up a room in advance! The best way to shop office storage configurations is to reconsider the size of your space. If you've got a small room, the smartest way to store things is by building up rather than out. Adding some sturdy office shelving or a few vertical file cabinets are great ways to accomplish this. If you've got a large room on the other hand, you'll probably want to choose a storage configuration that will take up some floor space, filling up the room and freeing up your walls for some artwork! If this is the case, toss in some bookcases or a few spacious storage cabinets to dress up the boring spots!

Home Office Accessories

Just like any good outfit, no space should be without a few accessories. In home offices, this is especially important because accessories can often make the difference between a highly efficient office and an unproductive one. The amazing thing about office accessories is that they usually cost very, very little in comparison to other office furniture products, yet there are times when they can seem to do the most. Anyone whose ever spilled a cup of coffee near their computer or hard drive can tell you about the dreadful feeling that rises when it happens, but with CPU holders, you won't have to worry about a splash-crash ever again. These amazing accessories hold computer hard drives up off the ground by mounting to the underside of desks, freeing up leg room and preventing accidents before they even occur. If you find yourself leaning over the desk to type, you could be putting yourself at risk for major health problems that could be solved by simply adding sliding keyboard trays under your desk. These little beauties slide out to meet you in your chair rather than forcing you to hunch over, saving both your desk's surface space and your spine! If you're straining to see a computer screen, popular monitor arms mounted to walls or desks extend the length a computer screen can stretch to reach you while simultaneously freeing up desk space. Additionally, if you've got a lot of other accessories and no place to put them, office utility carts are the perfect thing. Able to act as file trucks, supply tables, and even printer stands, mobile office carts can be wheeled around and easily stowed away as needed!

Home Office for Students

With all the homework kids get nowadays, its no wonder manufacturers are turning out school desks at lightning speed. For kids headed back to grade school, one of the best things a parent can provide them with is a place to work on their studies in peace while they're at home, but you don't have to spend a bundle either. There are tons of small computer desks for kids out there that fit easily into bedroom corners, and they look pretty stylin' too. The best part is that they won't cost a ton of money. Some are even collapsable, and can be stowed away under beds or behind dressers to save space when not in use. These same desks are particularly great for college students stuck in small dorm rooms. Additionally, simple desk chairs make wonderful student seating for your kid's mini home office. Not only do they look cool, but they're usually mobile, and some come complete with "nesting" features so they can fold up as needed too!

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