Where & how to invest your money in office furniture

Where to invest and save money on your office refurbishment

When starting on an office refurbishment, it can feel like the costs can soon mount up. There is much to consider including office furniture, technology, flooring, acoustic improvements, electrical, and construction. So, where do you invest your money? And should you prioritize the quality or cost of the install? 

Let’s start with the design and planning stage. 

Office Consultation

To make the most out of any office refurbishment, analysing your existing office space and how it does, and doesn’t work for you is important. Do you need more meeting rooms, collaborative spaces, are the departments that collaborate even near each other? Do you have your Customer Service teams next to Analysts that need space and quiet to focus? All this research makes sure that all them £’s you shelled out for, actually pays off.

You can hire Office Consultants to come in and analyse this for you, and for a big company, with multiple sites, it is probably worth it. For small-medium size companies, you can do this to some extent yourself, with department heads analysing their needs and send a questionnaire out to staff to ask what they think. However, any good office refurbishment company with an interior design department would ask you these important questions before designing your office space, and some may come in and do it for you too! 

Office fit-out companies who manufacture their own products too may have their own services. This could include a storage survey analyst who can make sure you have the right type of office storage, saving floor space for other uses. In many ways, these types of experts are much better, they often know their products inside out and have many years of experience of client feedback and logistics of using the product to point you in the right direction. 

Office Interior Design

Interior design makes a huge impact on your staff’s wellbeing and happiness, with a huge 97% of people believe it shows how much they are valued as an employee. Not only does it affect how confident and happy we are to bring in prospective clients, but 65% of us would also consciously improve our performance if they were comfortable. It’s worth considering interior design when fitting out the office as it’s more than just popping desks in a room. Small design touches or subtle branding can help boost productivity and loyalty, we all know a happy employee makes a productive employee. 

OK, but how much does it cost? There are lots of office interior design agencies and office wellness consultants out there that will create truly inspiring designs, however, the price tag will range from a few thousand to several 10’s of thousands. While these can be beneficial, it’s not always necessary. Lots of construction companies, M&E, and office furniture companies will have their own design teams. Generally speaking, some of these companies only charge if you wanted a workplace design scheme only. If an interior design scheme is requested as part of the furniture fit-out, the design work usually comes incorporated into the full package. 

Project Management

Managing your install is often underestimated, but often one of the most important part. You could undertake this yourself, managing all the different aspects and companies you’re hiring, and don’t get us wrong, to some extent, you will always have to as the client. However, an office fit-out company will often provide project management for you, either as an additional cost or often as a free service. They would communicate with any M&E and construction work, along with their own suppliers. With some companies such as ourselves, Flexiform, our project management teams co-ordinate between our own design teams, delivery teams, manufacturing facilities, plus external contractors and our own supplies whether it be a flooring company, acoustics, office furniture or more. Opting for this all-in-one approach can make the installation less challenging for you as a client, with less management to do, and a central contact point for raising any issues. They can even help manage your office going forward, organising fitters to fix any issues that arise. 

Flooring & Walls

Installing a new flooring system can often be expensive, but it’s likely to be around for many years as the company grows and the needs change. A simple grey carpet is a choice many opt for, and while it’s universal and non-offensive, it can often bring down the design. On the flip side, creating a funky flooring design with an on-trend colour pallet can go out of date quickly, not giving you the flexibility to adapt. Consider a balance of the two, investing in a stylish and long-lasting floor that incorporates your branding colours, but does not restrict future growth with a design only suited to your current office design. Remember a small number of rugs can be a cost-effective way to transform a space in the short term that you know is going to change. 

Office Furniture

There are many factors to consider when selecting your office furniture including ergonomics and comfort, product quality, warranties, the cost, design and trends, reusability, and project lifespan. 

One of the most important factors to consider is ergonomics and comfort, yes the office chair may look beautiful but if it’s not comfortable to sit in and doesn’t meet your needs then it’s not for you! The most logical place to invest in ergonomic furniture is the workspace where your staff spends the most time. If your office requires bench desks then consider opting for ones with height adjustability, whether it be a crank handle to adjust the height by 80mm or so, a height settable desk, or an electric height adjustable desk to encourage movement and sitting/ standing throughout the day. Investments in high-quality task chairs are also important, and can massively boost your staff’s wellbeing and comfort. Look for operator chairs with adjustable lumbar support, seat slide and adjustable arms. 

When investing in office desks, it’s also important to look for ones that are flexible and extendable. This will allow you to adjust the desk as more staff members come on board without affecting your overall office design. As a general tip too, desks that feature comprehensive cable management will keep the office looking tidy, teamed up with a monitor arm (whether for laptops or desktops), this will complete the ergonomic desk set-up while keeping a tidy and neat appearance. 

When picking out your core office furniture (office storage and desks), these may feel like the bread and butter products, the boring bits. But like the carpet, they are the ones that stay with you for years to come. As designs come and go, it’s worth noting that metal office furniture such as your cupboards, are hard-wearing, easily wipable, subject to fewer chips than wood and can be easily resprayed to give it a brand new lease of life. 

On average, most clients choose to spend their money on design-led pieces of furniture in the most seen areas, for example, reception areas, meeting rooms, boardrooms, and often routes to these places. It makes sense to offer the wow factor for prospective clients and really drive home the branding of your business. These tend to be where the most on-trend furniture is too! These statement pieces hugely vary in price depending upon who manufacturers it, however, the comfort, design style, and upholstery skills can really help, giving you that attention to detail. If you want that wow factor, it’s worth investing in good quality pieces. 

As a general tip, Invest in furniture that has a long product warranty, made from a quality manufacturer, and features a continuity guarantee, so your furniture lasts a long time and you can get replacement parts in the future. You may also want to source in the UK so you don’t have to pay large delivery fees or wait long times for additional items as you need them in the future when new people start. 

Acoustics

Sound deadening office furniture and acoustic panels can help absorb distracting noise and help your staff focus. Any high sided upholstered furniture will automatically contribute to lowering sound levels, however investing in acoustic advice, especially if its an issue with your previous office design, can make a huge difference. Usually, if you purchase acoustic furniture through your office refurbishment company, they will work with an acoustic expert to come up with a solution at no extra cost.   

Finishing Touches

Your finishing touches, statement pieces, and wow factors can really elevate the interior design and keep the office looking tidy. It’s worth keeping a little bit of budget to the side for rugs, coat stands, plants, and more! 

Together, most savings will come from selecting the right company for you that features the services that you are looking for and understand your needs. Investments in equipment and furniture that is designed to last and adapt with you are the easiest way to make the most out of your money and time. 

If you would like to get more information on where to start with your office fit-out, contact Flexiform on sales@flexiform.co.uk for an initial conversation.