How To Go Retro With Your Office Makeover

Most styles come and go, but retro is always in! Whether you like the looks of furniture from the 40s or the 70s, know that by outfitting your office in these characteristic styles, your place will never fall off the cutting edge! Older styles have solidified their place in history by working their way into our hearts and memories. With retro stylings, you'll never have to meet modern trends again! Here are some great tips on how to take your office to the retro level in a modern world. Enjoy!

Tables

One of the first steps that should be taken towards achieving an old school vibe is through tables. Most offices can never get enough use out of all the tables they have. Office tables for business meeting, tables for boardroom use, tables for conferences, and small meeting tables are all crucial for making an office as utilitarian as possible. Clad these tables in retro styling, and you suddenly have a surface that's useful for work and sentimentality! We recommend Endure retro tables from OFM or the Global GC36CF Round Alba Table for a classic table style with customizable specifications. The public loves nostalgia. Fill your office with it, and you'll never get guests to leave!

Desks

The cornerstone of any workspace, desks are an absolute must-have in the office. However, if the rest of your office is vintage, don't ruin the vibe with a conventional modern desk! Adding a cool retro desk to your workspace increases both utility and office aesthetics. Ironically, many of today's modern executive desks for sale feature bold, vintage-inspired stylings. Many desks, like the Verde1 by Cherryman, or the small retro desk collection from Flash Furniture allude to classic styles while offering useful contemporary features!

Area Rugs

Never underestimate the power of area rugs when decorating! If you're stuck in a noisy office with hardwood floors, adding a few of these babies may save you a few notes from angry neighbors about the sound. Not only that, but area rugs are powerful style enhancers. Adding a few with your chosen retro style can provide bursts of color and pattern in a boring office. Furthermore, for anyone worried about about desk legs or office chair wheel casters scratching up the floor, a retro area rug is always a groovy saving grace!

Lighting Fixtures

Going retro with lighting fixtures is often one of the most fun decorating choices a designer can make! Typically, it allows for far more creativity than conventional lighting. For anyone seeking vintage appeal, look for sleek office lighting fixtures or anything that displays lots of glass. Fixtures dressed up as Victorian lamps or hanging glass bulbs are very popular choices that will stand out in any workplace. You may even decide to go for an international appeal with Asian-inspired lanterns or classical candles.  Remember, lighting up your office doesn't mean you should ignore the Dark Ages!

Furniture and Seating

Possessing visitor furniture is a given for any office with a reception area. Whether you ask guests to wait in a lobby, a waiting room, or limbo, keeping comfortable office sofas, chairs and lounge furniture is always appreciated. Additionally, how can you be expected to serve customers without comfortable ergonomic chairs picking up the slack? For our purposes, these are just two more places where retro rocks! When designing your visitor area, don't be afraid to skim the decades for the lounge chair that appeals to you. To those behind the desks, retro office seating by Woodstock is the choice du jour! Vintage fans simply love the Woodstock Hendrix chair for its old school appeal!

The Evolution of Office Chairs

Your chair has a long history. Most never think about it, but like all great inventions, there was a time when the common office chair wasn't so common as it is today. However, the dawn of the industrial age brought about a huge need for new and improved seating; seating mobile and versatile enough to hold up to the demands of the workplace! In today's article, we'll explore the history of trend setting office chairs from the 50s all the way up to now. Enjoy!

1950s

Looking at pictures from the busy 50s, you may recognize a lot of the task chairs in the photos… as drafting chairs. Actually, the chairs of the 1950s workforce looked much like the minimalist metal drafting chairs we are used to today. However, this design was very poor for those spending all day at a desk or typewriter. Most had little back support, if any, and nearly all common office chairs were armless. Little padding served to cushion the users on these vintage metal chairs. This would ultimately deem them impractical for office use, but with simplistic design and durability in tow, these classic office drafting chairs still find a place in studios, and other rigorous work environments!

1960s

Chairs in the 60s were not so much more advanced in design than those of the 50s, but anyone sitting in a chair all day could tell you cushions go a long way! The landmark invention chairs of the 60s brought to the party were the widespread use of cushioned seats. Back support also began to become more substantial in these later models, so users could benefit more fully from backrests. Of course, visual appeal also made it big in the 60s. To this day, office chairs with vintage style still remain super popular!

1970s

The 70s is the age most people start to think of as "retro," and with all the cool vintage chairs out nowadays, we can surely thank the 70s for their style! The office chairs of this groovy era were not only more stylish than those of the past, but they were also more functional. 70s chairs had much more cushion for users and larger backrests for superior comfort. Armrests were finally beginning to make it on the scene, as well as the luxury material everyone is after - leather! The 70s were big on smooth vinyl and brown leather office chairs, and even after four decades, this cool retro style still hasn't faded away. Today, 70s styled retro chairs with modern features are a favorite of interior designers the world over!

1980s

Enter the digital age! The 1980s is largely where the offices of the past finally begin to resemble the offices of today more closely. The rise of the digital era brought about a greater need for more comfortable chairs as more and more employees were spending longer hours seated at their computers. Today's computer users can thank the 1980s for the basic design of their ergonomic computer and task chairs, which have become the most prevalent chairs in virtually every office. These early modern chairs boasted comfortable designs, cushions, backrests, armrests, and even some of the first ergonomic features like tilt and height adjustment! 

1990s - Today!

Finally, we're in the home stretch! A lot has happened to the office world between the 90s and today, but one thing is for sure, innovation has never looked better! The 90s was the start of the office world as we know it today, with computers, phones, and other high tech equipment becoming mainstream. These past few eras have seen the rise (and fall) of cubicles, cellphones, laptops, tablets, and a whole host of other indispensable work technology. But one need has never changed: the need for office chairs. 

The 90s began a race between manufacturers to provide the ideal seat for office workers. Chairs got more comfortable, more ergonomic, and streamlined for use in every environment imaginable. Today, modern chairs for conference use, guests, receptionists, executives, interns and trainees, and computer users all boast sophisticated designs geared for every task. Adjustable ergonomic features enhance workplace versatility and improve office comfort. Thanks to the combined efforts of previous eras, the chairs of today have never looked (or felt) better!