Office Lobby Showcase: Modern Welcoming Areas

Interior design is often fraught with challenges, but perhaps the biggest challenge of them all is deciding on an idea! In office design especially, success revolves around many things: whether or not the space is stylish, the look reflects the business, comfort, and in the case of welcome areas, whether or not the space is entertaining. It's a gauntlet, we know, but hopefully this showcase of great modern office welcome areas will give you some inspiration!

Professional and Casual

Seating: This trendy office reception furniture set is from the Citi Collection by Global Total Office, so naturally, it's only the best. The chair's featured here are offered in the shopper's choice of four beautiful  mock leather finishes. In a reception area, the chairs do their job well, keeping guests comfortable until their name is called

Accent Furniture: Perhaps the biggest asset to this collection is that gorgeous coffee table. In the 7875-7876 Citi Furniture collection, the stylish modern coffee table is offered separately, as the Citi 7889 table. In this photo, it has been topped with a cool vase to accent the glass top. Magazines, books, and pamphlets can be easily stored in the outcrops underneath the tabletop for guest entertainment.

Walls and Design: With the textured walls in this welcome area being the perfect shade to compliment the cream colored chairs, and the open wall-length window being all the art a visitor could need, the overall design of this space is spot-on. It's a geometric, minimalist design that conveys sophistication with just a hint of casual warmth.

Modern Style

Seating: The seating in this next office welcome area obviously has a focused purpose. With minimalist seating surrounding the television, and guest chairs lined up in front of each reception station, this office gives the strong impression that visitors will be catered to at all times. The squarish office guest chairs pair nicely with the geometric tiles all over the room. The black is a nice contrast to the bright chrome.

Accent Furniture: This room is loaded with accents, but very little of it is actually furniture. Aside from cool welcome area end tables, the space mostly relies on it's walls to accent the space. A television provides the entertainment, so the space isn't left a mess of magazines, and the plants provide a splash of color that won't clash with the wood to keep the eye interested.

Walls and Design: For this interior, the walls do most of the heavy lifting. Rather than choosing colorful patterned lounge chairs, the designers chose to make this space a study in wood, glass, and chrome. The shining textures convey the modern, the wood furniture brings the class.

Smart Design

Seating: The seating is the best feature of this space for many reasons, the chief one being space. By choosing unique lounge seating for reception areas, like a cool reception chair from OFM's UNO collection, designers ensured that their seating was flexible. Rather than grouping these chairs in one huge cluster, designers saved tons of space by lining them up against the walls. The office can still seat a ton of guests, and look good doing it!

Accent Furniture: The trendy 421-Brown-Copper reception chairs not only save space here. Their coloring also makes them the perfect compliment to the dark wood reception desk and end tables too. Cool lamps, plants, and colorful art pick up the slack, making the space fell warm and lived in, more like a home than a faceless office. It's the perfect look for a small, local space.

Walls and Design: Because of the dark furniture (obviously the eye candy in the room) the walls had to be much lighter. The creamy orange paint brightens up the space significantly without being boring or distracting from the rest of the room. The color adds a certain sense of spicy warmth reminiscent of the fall - always excellent when you want to make clients feel like part of the family!

Futuristic

Seating: The seating in this space definitely conveys the futuristic sense. Rather than relying on conventional chairs, the designers here obviously went for the funnest thing they could find. Slightly more traditional chairs curve along the wall for individuals that like regularity even things out, while the bright orange stripe of seating steals the rest of the show! (Convenient round tables are also a plus!)

Accent Furniture: When you look at it for a little while, it's pretty obvious that this space has no accent furniture at all, but it's one of those few spaces that doesn't need it. The intense creative walls, clever lighting, and built in tables more than enough eye candy for most.

Walls and Design: The futuristic look is always a fun one to go with, especially since everyone's idea of what the future will look like is different. It's clear this designer's sense of the future is that it will be progressive (crazy wall designs and colors) while always keeping in touch with the past (natural accents). The walls and furniture both seem to have the right blend of mundane and outlandish so neither dominates the room. If futuristic is the look you want to go for, let your vision shine through. It will help ensure that your space is unique and memorable! Be careful though, because it's easy to go overboard.

Cultured Class

Seating: The geometric chairs in this office space are one of it's most defining features. Here the designers went with the memorable qualities of a futuristic office lounge chair, similar to the ZB-SMART-BROWN-GG Hercules Chair by Flash Furniture. However, they evened things out by choosing a brown leather upholstery - a very natural color that conveys a certain sense of old-school class.

Accent Furnitture: The accent furniture in this space is minimalist. Aside from a few classy coffee tables, a cultural patterned area rug, and the logo behind the desk, most of the eye candy comes from the large sculpture attached to the wall. Glass tables help accent the open windows, which in turn keeps the room from feeling closed off.

Walls and Design: With glass furniture and a unique modern sculpture, this office could almost be classed as high tech, but it's the neutral colors, the stylish rug, and the wood paneled walls that keep it from getting there. In the end, the space is the perfect blend of past and future, with a splash of culture thrown in by the rug. You could just as easily envision a woman in a suit or a sari behind the desk!

Office Ergonomics: Then and Now

Many of us often think of ergonomic innovation as a relatively new thing, but what you may not realize is that the history of ergonomics goes back much farther than any of us may ever realize. Given the huge spike in the popularity of ergonomic furniture recently, we thought we'd share how ergonomic innovation got it's start. In today's article, follow us from the past to the present as we explore the enlightening history of ergonomic design!

A History of History

Most ergonomic history websites will probably tell you that the start of ergonomic innovation began around 1940. This is not true. In fact, ergonomic innovation goes back much farther, to the days when humans first began to make tools more efficient. Ergonomics is the science and study of making the working environment easier, more comfortable, and more efficient. The only thing different from us and our ancestors is our work environment, and the fact that we've now invented a word for this technological innovation. When it comes to principle, there's really very little difference between an office chair with ergonomic contour, like the 4019AG Mayline Comfort Chair, and a contoured horse's saddle. Both mold to the body, add comfort, provide support, and make a long work day much easier!

The Earliest Days 

It's pretty remarkable, considering how old ergonomic innovation really is, that it didn't get a name until a few hundred years ago. It wasn't until 1857 that a Polish scholar by the name of Wojciech Jastrzębowski (don't worry, we have no idea how to pronounce this either) wrote his first book. "An Outline of Ergonomics, or the Science of Work" was the first book ever to give a name for ergonomic study. By taking the Greek words "ergon" (work) and "nomos" (natural laws), Jastrzębowski coined the term "ergonomics" and started the modern age on the track to ergonomic innovation. His earliest research the way the human body works to get things done are the first blueprints by which modern ergonomic office furniture was invented and developed!

Scientific Innovation 

Despite the fact that it finally had a name, ergonomic study really didn't hit it's stride until the 1940s. At around the same time as the World War II era, ergonomic study took on a new face in America, where it was less about the study of working conditions and more about the research of ways to prevent potential accidents in the working arena. Situations like accidental airplane crashes were often attributed to monitors that were difficult to read, so scientists began designing ways to make equipment more understandable and easier to work for the average Joe. From there,  ergonomic development went beyond the battlefields and into the homes of everyday folks. Name brands of office furniture found great need for this science, starting high end modern office furniture on the path to popularity!

Today

Nowadays, ergonomics is everywhere, and we couldn't be more grateful! Specialized ergonomic chairs for pain relief turn dreadful work days into occupations we love once again. As the world has moved from the crops to the companies, ergonomic studies have developed right along with us. Now, as more and more people rely on desks and computers to bring home the bacon, ergonomic study educates us on the best ways to stay healthy. Whether it's by using a height adjustable stand up desk or an affordable chair with lumbar support like the 11668B Offices To Go chair, office workers can rest assured that there is always an ergonomic gadget out there to keep them feeling great!

What's New: Dark Cherry Executive Desks by Offices To Go

Anyone looking for a professional contemporary look in their office ought to consider dark wood furniture as the way to get it! In the office design world, dark furniture is in. Especially when it's combined with glass and metal accents, the look creates a modern industrial feel that's very impressive. One of the most popular finishes is dark cherry wood, so here we'll provide you with some popular dark cherry desks to turn heads in your workplace!

Loaded with desk space and storage, it's really no wonder why we've chosen the SL-F-ADC Peninsula Desk from Offices To Go as the first on our list. As a pretty U shaped desk design, this dark wood workstation fits perfectly in most executive offices for home and business use. Featuring a stylish price to match it's stylish finish, the Peninsula Desk brings beauty and affordability together, turning any work area into a budget friendly interior!

This next model from offices to go is the perfect option for an office with lots of visitors. Not only does this large executive furniture set for sale feature a desk and plenty of storage space, but it also comes with a matching meeting table where executives can speak with their clients. The dark wood finish is uniform throughout the set, so nothing looks out of place in the office. And best of all, Offices To Go offer the whole SL-H-ADC executive set for a very affordable price competitively. 

Speaking of an affordable price, did we mention the top selling model reception desk from Offices To Go? That's right! For less than the price of most office chairs, receptionists can welcome guests from behind a stunning dark cherry wood desk. The SL7130RDS-ADC model features modesty panels, ample workspace, and a beautiful transaction counter in the same stylish finish as the rest of the desk. This compact model is ideal for smaller waiting areas, lobbies, and greeting spaces in offices tight on square footage.

Now that you've got the reception desk out of the way, why not seek something out for the executive that's tight on space? The SL-G-ADC model desk set by Offices To Go is the perfect solution. Like the SL-H-ADC Executive Desk Set featured above, this small executive furniture set offers all the versatility and convenience of a three-piece unit, but without the bulk that can limit adaptability or movement in the larger model. The set featured here provides a small desk for work, a credenza shell with pedestals for easy storage, and of course, a meeting table to speak with guests - all for a significantly reduced price.

And finally, we leave you with a simple compact desk that has certainly earned it's keep in the everyday workplace. The SL-A-ADC offers workspace, potential meeting space, and storage features all in one great modular design. As a U Shaped desk without a large storage hutch or credenza, users can put this model just about anywhere in their space as opposed to a desk with a large stylish credenza that looks best up against a wall. Instead, users can simply swivel around in quality mesh back office chairs to access this modular desk with storage, workspace, and a guest on one side of the desk.

Boardroom Basics: The 3 Essentials for Creating Your Space

Creating a stunning boardroom for your business doesn't have to be a struggle. By educating yourself on the 3 key elements needed to start your space, the makeover process will be simple and effective. In today's post, we'll highlight the furniture, seating, and storage you need to get your meeting area furnished to perfection. Enjoy!

1.) The Table

When designing your conference room area, it's always best to start with table. As this piece is the main focal point of your space, it's the first essential you'll need. To choose the perfect conference room table, start by measuring your space accurately. Next, choose a table style that will best highlight your meeting environment. In 2014, modern and contemporary styles top the list. In terms of shape, boat, racetrack, and rectangular tables for boardroom use are the most common. Choose a reputable brand who's products you enjoy and purchase the best table for your specific needs. On average, a new table will cost anywhere from $500 to $1500 depending on the material, size, and manufacturer you select.

2.) The Seating

Once you've selected a  conference table, it's time to focus on guest comfort. When shopping for new chairs for conference room applications, you'll be met with hundreds of options from a variety of brands. Start by setting a budget that won't leave you over extended. Curious about how many chairs you'll need? No problem! On average, you'll want to account for 3 feet of table space per chair. For example, a 10' foot conference table will comfortably sit 3 users on each side without over crowding. When it comes to style, leather models reign supreme. Top upholstery options include white, brown, gray, and black. To match your furniture effectively, it's best to stick with basis colors like these to ensure a happy match. On average, new conference chairs cost between $140 and $300. As you'll be purchasing multiple chairs, be sure to inquire with your dealer of choice regarding bulk discount pricing for additional savings.

3.) The Storage

Accenting your boardroom with storage is a must. A quality wall cabinet or credenza will provide a helpful place to keep materials. You can also use your cabinet top create a food and beverage station for guests. If you've purchased your table from a specific furniture collection, it's best to choose a cabinet from the same line to maintain a cohesive look and finish. Excellent furniture collections that include conference tables and storage cabinets like Verde, Amber, Napoli, and Sorrento are a great place to start your search. Keep in mind that when adding storage, the dimensions of your space will definitely come into play. Be sure to use your previously attained measurement to ensure a proper fit. Once you've added wall cabinets for storage, your basic layout is complete.

*X Factor!

If you want to take your boardroom to the next level, adding versatile meeting area accessories will definitely help. While the essentials listed above are considered must have items, products like white board cabinets, TV's, projector stands, and lecterns can be added to further enhance your area. Choose the accessories you feel will best benefit your visitors while accenting your current office furniture layout will help you take your space over the top when you're ready.

Shop Smart: Adjustable Task Chairs Under $200

Shopping smart is never a crime, but with prices like these, it sure must seem like one to competing furniture brands! If you're in need of a quality task chair that can do the job you need while keeping you relaxed and comfortable, you've come to the right place. Here, we'll showcase some top task chairs from different brands with ergonomic features, all under $200!


First on our list is a pretty boss chair from a brand that's no less powerful. The Boss name brand has churned out some pretty amazing chairs over the years, but none like the B670 model. For only $150.99, users get all the benefits of a great task chair with lumbar support and plenty of adjustability. With curved ergonomic back, high density foam, a 300 lb. weight capacity, and a superior lumbar, competitors just can't compete.

Next on our list is the MMX191M model task chair. Coming from a brand with the word "Ergo" in it's name, you can bet your bottom dollar their chairs have some fancy features. The Boost Mesh Task Chair by Ergo Contract Furniture is only $160.99, but it boasts a tilt mechanism, paddle, pneumatic height adjustment, and pivoting arms. Clad in a cool mesh upholstery, this chair is great for home and business use alike.


Despite coming from the popular Cypher series by Eurotech, the FT2700-NVY model Cypher fabric computer chair isn't a hard code to crack. Available in both black and gray for versatility, Cypher chairs are the quintessential task chairs, but at only $180.00, they are way ahead of the competition. With this chair, users can enjoy affordable ergonomic benefits and adjustable features. A waterfall seat, tilt tension control, and a flex back are just icing on the cake.


The 11613B Multifunction Task Chair comes from the choice name brand for industry professionals. Offices To Go has always offered affordable alternatives to fancy high tech chairs without leaving out the fancy or the high tech. The $169.99 multifunction task chair for home and business use featured here is no different. It offers a reliable seating solution with an infinite seat lock for excellent discount comfort.

It's hard to believe our next entry is even offered at the price it is. With smooth air-flow mesh technology, adjustable lumbar, knee tilts, swivel features, and stain resistant fabric, the Airflow 651 Chair by OFM is the perfect office companion. At just $185.99, it's a stylish discount task chair that's sure to turn heads in the workplace. It's also offered in four colors!


If you want a chair with comfort, unique style, an affordable price, and great adjustable features, few options are better than the Cava series by Safco. The 3451 Cava is a low mid back task chair that only costs $193.99, but at this price, it's definitely more of an asset than a cost. Offered in a rainbow of colors, this chair can bring adjustable comfort to just about any office.


And finally, we leave you with the FT5551 task chair by Eurotech to satisfy your office chair needs. Users that plunk down the affordable $144.50 surrender themselves to tilt tension adjustability, center tilt, tilt locks, height adjustment and a waterfall seat. With features like these to promote comfort and reduce stress, the Mystic Multifunction Task Chair by Eurotech will definitely leave you mystified.

How To Choose The Perfect Reception Desk for Your Business

 

First impressions begin to form the minute visitors walk into your business. Creating a welcoming environment highlighted by the perfect reception desk is an absolute must. In today's article we'll share the tips and product suggestions needed to help you choose the right welcoming station for specific business needs.

Size

To choose the perfect reception desk for business use, you must first assess your needs by determining the size station that will work best for you. Start by getting an accurate measurement of your waiting areas dimensions. Be sure to notate power outlets, entry ways, windows, and other important features. Next, determine the best location for your desk to sit. As the reception desk is a main focal point of your office, be sure you place it as so. On average, stations range between 5' and 8' in width.

Employee Accommodations

Once you've obtained accurate measurements, it's time to focus on employee accommodations. Start by choosing the number of workers you want to have stationed in the new desk. Single and multi user reception desk models are widely available from top brands.  Units like the Cherryman AM-404N station will sit multiple receptionists comfortably, while smaller products like the Mira Series MRSBB from Mayline offer a great choice for single user applications.

Style

Popular styles of office reception furniture include modern, traditional, contemporary and industrial. It's important to research each of these to determine which will compliment your particular space and enhance your corporate appeal the most. In 2014, the modern look is in! Collections like the Verde series by Cherryman and Napoli series by Mayline are both excellent options. More traditional reception furniture collections are also widely available. One of the most highly regarded solutions is without a doubt the Mayline Sorrento series.

Budget

Budget is always an important factor to consider when shopping for new furniture of any kind. Once you've assessed your needs and determined a style of reception station that will work best for you, work with your purchasing team to set a reasonable budget that won't leave your business over extended. Some of the industries best selling reception desk models like the Offices To Go SL7130RDS can be had for well under $500.

Lead Time

Most office makeover projects are closely accompanied by a specific deadline for completion. You can't very well choose a reception desk that doesn't fit your time frame. Be sure to research approximate product lead times with your dealer of choice to help you identify models that will fit in your space, budget, and project completion window. Most made to order stations take approximately 3 to 5 weeks to manufacturer while in stock models typically ship within 3 business days.

Get Eco Friendly with Global Total Office Chairs

Want to turn your office into a sanctuary of eco-friendly furniture? Good for you! So do many people, and luckily for all of you, Global Total Office is here. This brand manufactures some of the most modern, sophisticated office furniture anywhere, and they are totally committed to the environment. Here, you can learn a little bit about Global's green initiative, the importance of Greenguard Certified products, and view some of their best eco friendly ergonomic chairs. Enjoy!

Greenguard Certified Products

In the furniture world, a Greenguard Certification is a simple name for a complex, prestigious, and coveted award that assures buyers a product was safely and environmentally produced. To achieve a Greenguard Certification for furniture, items must meet some of the world's most rigorous standards for sustainable manufacture, including ones for low emissions of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air. Because of this commitment to VOCs, a Greenguard Certification not only proves to buyers that products are sustainably produced, but it also lets them know a products is healthy for them, especially since bad Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) can have serious health concerns. Greenguard has two types of certification, regular and "Gold." More than 400 green building codes, policies, ratings, and guidelines are needed for certification, so customers know they are getting only the best for their money.

Global's Green Initiative

You may have learned from a few of our previous articles about Global's fervent dedication to the environment and sustainable manufacture. As a primarily Greenguard Certified brand, Global has met the vast gauntlet of standards required by the prestigious program for environmentally-conscious manufacture. Over the past four years, Global has reduced their total electricity consumption by more than 18%. They have eliminated their use of CFCs and HCFCs to protect the ozone layer, and implemented recycling processes all throughout their facilities to recycle 88% of waste among other things. This brand has truly made a strong commitment to the planet, believing that going green requires an all-out effort, and that a piecemeal approach will not work. For anyone in search of green ergonomic office furniture by Global is always an amazing choice!

Here is a list of some of their most recent commitments to going green. See their website for more info:

* Reduced electricity consumption by 18% in four years
* Eliminated use of CFCs and HCFCs that harm the ozone layer
* Offers textiles woven from recycled polyester
* Recycles more than 100 tons of fabric
* Their non-hazardous paint processes reclaims 99% of overspray
* Their chrome plating facility discharges water clean enough to return to public supply
* Shipping is hugely efficient, using 80% recycled cardboard
* Their patented wood/polymer molding technology keeps 7.5 tons of waste out of landfills every day

Excellent Green Chairs by Global

Global is not just committed to the environment, they are also committed to style! This brand recognizes that to be a hit in the workplace, products must impress, and boy do they ever deliver! Like top quality Global desks and affordable tables, Global's Greenguard Certified chairs possess plenty of head-turning good looks. Customers can choose chairs for guest use, lounges and lobbies, drafting applications, executive or cubicle use. They even have eco friendly sofas to choose from! To give you an idea of what they have, here's just a few of the most popular green chair models by Global Total Office:

Global Vion Chair

Global offers this beauty in a wide variety of models and color choices. The 6321-8-B7A Vion High Back Mesh Chair by Global featured here includes plenty of aesthetic options as well as tilt tension control, pneumatic height adjustment, tilt locks, and a weight sensing synchro tilter. Like all Vion models also possesses the prestigious Greenguard Certification.

Global Arti Chair

Arti series chairs by Global are some of the most popular ergonomic chairs for sale out there today. This 6670-2 model of the Arti series is a great ergonomic chair for back pain afflictions. Available in many colors, 95% of it can be recycled, contributing to it's Greenguard Certification. It is known for the ability to articulate like the human spine, providing the ultimate back support… and of course, the Arti also super cool-looking.


Global Rest Chair

In need of a great seating solution for your training area? Then the 2604C Global Rest Mobile Training Chair sounds like just the thing for you. This chair provides a waterfall seat and contoured cushions for amazing comfort and health benefits. Priced affordably and available in numerous colors, it's the perfect companion for any office.

Global Key Chair

The Global Key Chair is the perfect solution for any office tight on space. With nesting abilities, these trendy little guest chairs can be stowed away conveniently and efficiently when not in use. Complete with arms, and an attractive customizable design, this affordable chair would look great in any guest area.

Global Lux Chair

However, if you'd like something a little fancier for your guest area, nothing says "style" like Global guest chairs, and the Lux Arm Chair by Global says it loud! This LX246AC model looks beautiful in it's pretty grey, but it's also adaptable to match decor with more than ten fabric choices and wood finish options to boot. Talk about good-looking green!