All things Office Furniture

Have you ever thought about how important it is to sit in the right position?
The majority of people subconsciously sit in the most comfortable position they can. It is fine to do this occasionally, but not a good practice for many hours of work. If you don’t take regular exercise and your work is desk bound, you might end up with back problems. Office workers often complain about stiff back, sour neck and lower back pain. Some companies will offer free gym membership or yoga lessons, in house back training exercises, and even massage services.  The office equipment is also important: sitting on the right type of office chair should not be overlooked. Nowadays, office chairs are specifically designed to suit specific needs and tasks.  Some of the most ergonomic chairs are fully adjustable to the human body, which include adjustable arms, knee tilt and back height.  Some of the leather office chairs are incredibly comfortable for many hours of work.  The foam of the seat can be moulded in a very ergonomic shape that fits perfectly the curves of the human body. Some will argue that Mesh fabric also stretches to your body shape giving well-distributed support.

Once you are equipped with the right chair, you should follow basic guidelines regarding your position. One of these is to sit in an upright position with your elbows at a 90-degree angle, while typing. Additionally, your monitor should be levelled with your eyes, or slightly lower, and at a comfortable distance, neither too far, neither too close. It is also important to move your legs on a regular basis to avoid feeling numb. If you don’t want to get up, flexing your feet and tiptoeing will also be beneficial.  Simple exercises like these will help avoiding thrombosis, as it will help pumping the blood up to the heart (a well-known advice on long distance flights). Standing up from time to time, stretching or taking a brisk walk will also help.  Ideally you should also take a 10-minute-pause from looking at the screen – at least every two hours. Use this time wisely to do your filing, post the mail or tidy up your desk.  All in one it is necessary to have the right furniture to sit on and work at, combined with a healthy living, you should enjoy many hours of work while becoming more productive.

I have been working in an office for a couple of months now.

I used to wear contact lenses in my former job as a sales rep, but since I work in an office and stare at the screen all day my eyes become dry and the lenses start bothering me. Despite regular pauses, looking away to rest my eyes, I become tired more easily and my eyes start itching. I think it is because of the office air conditioning and the problem becomes worse when I work at my height adjustable desk standing up. This is why I had to give up my contacts for glasses during office hours.

I bought a new funky red frame to match my office chair and uniform at the call centre, which hasn’t come unnoticed by the floor manager and my fashion obsessed colleagues – I am hopping that wearing the company colours will show my commitment and affect my next pay review. It’s all about perception and image. Fingers crossed.

Things have completely changed from 10 years ago, many people are now
working from home full time and part time. Many home offices are
squeezed into a small bedrooms, or a corner of the living room or
kitchen. The office furniture that was used then was
often bony old kitchen chairs, and tables, which is simply not adequate
these days to accommodate computers printers filing etc etc.
Now that more people are working from home they tend to work longer
hours as they save time on the commute down the stairs. A comfortable
work environment is now essential such as an ergonomic chair such as the
Ergohuman Chair or the Enjoy Chair.
These chairs are excellent value and very comfortable giving you a
better posture. The desk is also so important and these days a Computer
Workstation is useful to facilitate all of your home office essentials
such as computers, printers, scanners, media storage and filing. The
Computer Hideaway does all that the workstation does but closes up into
a cupboard when you are done for the day.

Ergohuman Chair

Enjoy Chair

In branding and marketing colours are carefully chosen according to the psychological effects they may have on people. There is no doubt that the colours surrounding our daily life have a direct influence on our mood and behaviour.  Some years ago when I was at University I was renting a room in a superb Victorian flat along Battersea Park. The room was very spacious but the owner had painted the walls in a dark deep red, which was unusual but did not put me off from moving in.  However this year I became depressed and I am ashamed to say, lethargic, I think the colour had a negative influence on me.  On the contrary my flatmate who had the yellow room was always happy and energised, the girl renting the blue room was relaxed and cool headed and the guy renting the dark green room was never there!

Equally, influence by colour can be used in the workplace. Companies with old and tired furnishing tend to look quite dull, compared to some of the new modern office designs , boasting bright ergonomic chairs , modern desks and colourful office partitions .  The positive use of colour is well-known in young internet companies as well as design and PR agencies – this goes beyond benefiting the company’s image, it truly promotes a creative environment.  Google’s offices are well known for their coloured gym balls and funky office furniture, and even one of the first on site crèche. The psychology of colour is perhaps best measured in call centres where a buzzing/fast-paced environment is best stimulated with energizing colours rather than calming ones – expert advice from an experienced office fit-out consultant will do the trick to revamp a site. As for me, as soon as I have finished the plastering, I am off to the paint shop to buy some bright yellow paint for my home office! Watch this space!

If I’ve heard my wife say the above statement once, I’ve heard her say it a billion times. In fact, I’ve made similar statements in my “course” of the day - like in the kitchen. I love to cook and know that if you aren’t using quality pans, appliances, and utensils, your work is harder and your results aren’t as pleasing.

We both agree that the truth of the statement is even more vital to work than to play.

When it comes to Office Furniture (and Home Office Furniture ), equipment , accessories , and Supplies , your brain knows (and responds) when you’re serious enough about what you’re doing to demand that your furniture and tools be just as serious about what they’re doing!

In the history of our home business, I’ve worked on the living room couch, at the dining room table, on the deck, at the patio table, even in the bath tub. However, when I’m stationed at a top quality desk like the Home Office Computer Desk CS170 from Just Office Furniture (pictured below) and sitting in a chair my body finds most agreeable , like the Sheffield High Back Fabric Multi-funtion Office Chair with Headrest (pictured below), the creativity flows SO MUCH more freely. It’s as though my brain cells say, “She’s serious about this, let’s give her all we’ve got…”

Since I need….no, let’s make that Since I REALLY need my brain cells to make a call to action more often, I’ve started doing all of my writing and brainstorming at my workcenter.

One of my favorite parts of my workday is when I come across fresh suppliers, online stores, and manufacturers. It’s like finding a new store in the mall you’d never seen before - everythings new and promising. I especially love when my new find is relevant to one of our blogs - then I get to tell others about it. Just Office Furniture Business Solutions is one you’ll want to check out. Not only do they have beautiful office furniture and accessories, the delivery is included in the price on most products so you don’t get stung at the checkout.

…. Shop some more!

Not sure how to pronounce it? You’re not alone. Some may argue that Feng Shui is just non sense and ancient superstition, other will have a natural respect and mild curiosity without going to the extend of putting any Feng Shui rules into practice – the common excuse being “I don’t know enough about it”. There seems to be a great deal of mystery surrounding Feng Shui, when many of the basic rules are only common sense.  It is primarily based on being in control of the situation whether at home or at work.  Position your bed or chair so that you feel secure and cannot be taken by surprise by someone bursting into the room.  Avoid positioning furniture in straight lines along the walls. Be organic, nature is all curves, not angles, think ergonomic.

  The same rules apply to the office environment .  An office worker will not give his best performance with his back turned to the door, or a stream of collegues passing by or coming up on him from behind.  He would feel hastled and nervous and would have to constantly watch his back. Any of us would naturally feel uneasy in such a position. Additionally being trapped in a cubicle with no view will not make the employees happy.  Without adding chimes, mirrors and money plants everywhere, great benefits can still be added to the workplace by applying some of the main Feng Shui rules. Ideally it is best to first draw up a plan of your office , superimpose the Pa Kwa map and see where each area falls. Areas such as rest, wealth, friendship, health and pleasure need to be used wisely - the wealth area being ideal for the shop’s till while the friendship area could be used by the sales-team to enhance relationships with clients. Understandably, this may not always be possible as office space is often at a premium. However small changes will improve the workforce happiness and should have an immediate and long-term impact on sales, creativity and staff retention.

In Japan, it is not uncommon for employees to refuse working in bad Feng Shui positions; these rules are indeed taken very seriously.  Pillars have to be moved and office partitioning has to be rearranged to create a positive working environment for all employees. To maximise the space in my home office I actually confess that I have my back to the door.  But all is not lost, as Feng Shui offers a range of remedies.  In this case I just have to hang a mirror on the wall to alert me of an intruder! I see this as a temporary solution and I am quite keen to apply most of the Feng Shui rules as soon as I buy a new office desk and matching filing cabinets.