The Office Makeover

Remodeling and updating your furnishings makes a fresh impact 

As the year is winding to a close, many clients realize that their office needs a makeover. Perhaps your workspace has been neglected in the flurry of work, or you have determined that it has simply not functioned as well as it could with a re-do. The question is where do you start?

1) Assess your space
 Take a look at your existing furniture with new eyes. How is it fairing? Is it tired? Sometimes simply updating seating and interior components like carpet and paint will do the trick.

While you are at it, check out your work surfaces. Are your desks still serviceable? Are they a current style? Are they an efficient use of space? If not, they may need replacement.

 Grab a note pad or your ipad and make an inventory of what items you may need in the order of importance and then…

2) Determine a budget
What you can spend to make the changes and improvements?

Doing some shopping at a Tulsa Oklahoma office furniture retailer like Crown Office Furniture first will help you to determine costs and get a better idea of what is being offered. There are constant innovations that can save the consumer time and money, so be open minded and see what is out there!

Next, set a budget, and determine which items are your priority. For a client like Red Crown in Mayes County, updating their interior spaces with new seating and occasional tables was the perfect solution to their needs without having to replace all of their existing traditionally styled desks. By adding a patterned fabric to some of the key pieces they purchased, they were able to achieve a pleasing overall design element without replacing everything.

Click here for examples of their remodel and other recent projects…

3) Get Started!

Visiting with a furniture sales representative on the front end to help with overall color scheme, style and workspace requirements. They can assist you and help simplify the process.

If you are doing a complete interior remodel, it is also a good idea to enlist the aid of an interior designer. This partnership will also help to ensure that the overall look of your remodel will come together seamlessly. Zeeco in Broken Arrow utilized this option and pulled together a modern corporate aesthetic as shown here along with other examples.

Once you have assessed your needs, set a budget and done some shopping, you will be well equipped to make your mental revisions a reality.

So, what are you waiting for?

Challenging Year Creates Buyers Market For Office Furniture

The economic downturn of the past year has created a real opportunity for buyers of office furniture. The layoffs and unfortunate business closings have dramatically increased the amount of high quality used office furniture on the market.

At savings of 50% to 80% off new prices, your dollars can go further than ever. This also helps the start-up businesses that are seizing the opportunity of entering the marketplace with fewer competitors. At a time when capital is tight, meaningful savings on office furniture can really help your budget.

Where can I find these great deals?

#1 Check local office furniture dealers for used inventories. Knowing your needs before calling or stopping by a showroom will help you communicate your needs. This will also help the sales person show you the best inventories for your project. By visiting a few places, you will get a "feel" for the market and it will help you understand what things are selling for instead of getting "sticker shock".

#2 Check with local charities...many of the shrinking businesses of the past year that were unable to sell their furniture might have donated it for a tax purposes. Many times charities are not familiar with how to price this furniture and you can find some really good deals if you are willing to do some digging around.

#3 Ask friends! This might sound funny but you might be surprised at how many people know of businesses that are downsizing. Many of these businesses are selling furniture directly to their employees or other business at liquidation prices.

#4 Last but not least, look online...check sites like craigslist, ebay & local online classifieds. Many times you will find great deals on small lots of furniture. This can be a real resource if you only need one or two office furniture setups. If you are looking for multiple matching setups or cubicles, your local office furniture dealer might be a better place to look.

To cube or not to cube?

Should My Office Use Systems Furniture or Freestanding Desks?

My company based here in Tulsa OK has finally found affordable office space. Now we've got to furnish it. Should we just buy desk and chairs or go for cubicles?

At first, it might seem less expensive to just to buy a dozen cheap desks and chairs. (Some start-ups even use doors instead of desks!) In the long run, however, you'd be wise to invest in what is called "modular systems furniture," otherwise known as cubes. Modular furniture costs a little bit more up front, but it will save you in the end.

Because systems furniture is modular, it's space efficient. For example, the overall desk surface of a cubicle is typically the same as a regular desk, but it's laid out in two narrow, usable pieces instead of one wide piece. Modular furniture also saves space by capitalizing on vertical space as well as horizontal space -- it builds up, instead of out, which provides a lot more storage space per desk.

Another advantage of modular furniture is movable cubicle walls. If your company is adding new employees every month, it is quickly going to experience a space crunch. Desks can be pushed together to accommodate new employees, but most employees don't appreciate working in that kind of environment. With modular furniture, you can tighten cubicle walls to squeeze in some extra help without totally sacrificing privacy.

Whether you start with a few mismatched desks or a few cubicles, budget for some decent desk chairs. A computer will work fine propped up on a plywood desk anchored by sawhorses; but your employees may break down and stop functioning if you force them to sit in cheap chairs for hours on end.