Trends for Office Furniture in 2012

February 1st, 2012

Today’s guest post comes from across the pond. Alex Morris works for Office Kitten in Manchester where he writes, researches, and blogs about the business world. In this post, Alex peers into his crystal ball and gives us a glimpse at upcoming trends he expects to see gaining ground in the US. Read along and see if you think his predictions are “spot on”.

2012 will offer a myriad of changes in office furniture design. Expect to see businesses incorporating new trends, embracing environmentalism, and utilising the latest styles. If you want your office to stay trendy (or if you are just interested in taking advantage of what this year brings), pay attention to these trends and fit your office accordingly. It can make your workers happy, and it’s always energizing to change things around.

Green Furniture

In 2011, green furniture was really on a roll. In 2012, the adoption rate is expected to explode and garner even more mainstream awareness. This means less toxic finishes, lower carbon footprints and fewer resources used. However, this does not mean that the furniture will be uncomfortable or hideous. Green technology has learned from the modern age. Sustainable manufacturers make great looking items that are comfortable.

Small Profile Furniture

Going along with the green revolution’s standpoint of using fewer resources, office furniture is expected to have a smaller profile. Out with those clunky office chairs and desks and in with smaller, more modern looking ones! This will make you office space look much bigger, and it will feel rife with new possibilities.

Accommodating Gadgets

Even in the office, smart phones and similar gadgets are important to have. For the longest time, office furniture has not been accommodating to these devices; but 2012 is going to change that. The furniture is going to be made to fit these devices, and there may be docks to charge them as well.

Multipurpose Office Furniture

Much like green furniture, this isn’t new, but the adoption rate is expected to increase. Office space is often scarce. Using a multipurpose piece allows you to maximize that space. Why use a desk and a table, when the two can be combined?

Vintage Furniture

This once again feeds into the green revolution, but not in the way you think. Obviously most vintage furniture was treated with very toxic finishes that off-gassed a terrible aroma. Unlike modern furniture treated with similar finishes, vintage furniture is finally done off-gassing. This means you don’t have to experience the toxic smells or effects. Not only that, but there is no need to use more resources .

International Inspirations

America is the melting pot of the world, and that is going to show in 2012’s office furniture. There are expected to be many designs that are inspired by Asian and European design trends, mixed with American sentiments.

Round Edges

In the past, most office furniture had sharp edges. It looked very business-oriented and very strict – seeming to forget that people, not machines were working in the office. In 2012, many office furniture pieces are going to have fun and loose round edges that look and feel better.

Natural Colours

Years past have seen many vivid colours in office furniture, but 2012 is going to be about lighter, more natural colours. You should expect to primarily see wood tones, as these are less likely to contain unnecessary chemicals than vivid dyes and finishes. They also breathe life into the office, so enjoy them.

Custom Pieces

Offices tend to commission custom pieces every now and then to fit specific needs. This practice is expected to increase in 2012, both in home and corporate offices. This enables you to really make the office yours without having to worry if a standard design fits your office or not. While this trend is a little on the expensive side, it is expected to pay off.

Lighter Pieces

Since office furniture is expected to get smaller (and because fewer resources are used to make green office furniture), 2012 is also going to be a year with lighter pieces. This not only works better for the environment, but it allows you to move pieces around to give the office a new feeling. Use this to your advantage. Every few months, move some things around. It will keep you from getting bored of your office, and gives you a chance to find the perfect setup to promote productivity and workflow.

As 2012 progresses, you are going to see these office furniture trends explode into the mainstream market. Consider getting these pieces now, before you are left behind!

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The Latest News about Office Furniture and IAQ

January 28th, 2012

There are many factors that can contribute to poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in the workplace. Some of the most commonly recognized chemical contaminants are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are released slowly into the air from materials in the office space. This week, Forbes published an article about a new study on a category of VOCs called polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs). These substances are known to cause health problems in animals and are suspected of having harmful effects on humans as well. The amount of exposure that might cause damage hasn’t been discovered. What scientists do know is that PFC exposure is cumulative since it takes years to metabolize the compounds and flush them from the body.

The Study

The actual study quoted in Forbes and other articles about toxins in the workplace was very small. The air quality in just 31 offices was tested over a period of one week and all were in a single city (Boston). In addition, only one worker from each office had their blood serum tested for the compounds being monitored. This leaves a lot of room for statistical variation. However, there were some initial findings that may lead to further study on a large scale.

1. Some chemical contaminants were found in lower concentrations than others due to various products being pulled from the market over the last couple of decades. There’s definitely a trend toward reducing VOCs, although many still remain to cause concern.

2. There was a correlation between newly renovated offices and higher levels of PFC-related chemicals in the blood serum samples. This isn’t surprising since most off-gassing of VOCs occurs in new building materials and office furniture. Harmful gases are frequently a byproduct that is released from coatings, stain repellents, adhesives, and paints.

What to Do

Forbes doesn’t offer any really helpful advice on how to limit exposure since individual employees have little control over the level of VOCs in the workplace. Instead, it’s up to business owners to ensure that office spaces are constructed and furnished with an eye toward preserving good IAQ. Using materials and products that meet GREENGUARD Certification Standards for Low-Emitting Products is one way to do this. Contacting an experienced LEED consultant to help you select the right office furniture can also be very helpful since IAQ is one major factor taken into consideration for LEED certification.

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BIFMA Recognized for Setting the Standard

January 27th, 2012

There are organizations that get rewarded for meeting high standards, and there are others that are awarded for creating those standards in the first place. The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) was selected as the recipient of the 2011 ASID Innovation Award for the level™ sustainability certification program. This is a very timely award in an area where innovation was desperately needed. As more and more companies seek to make greener office furniture choices, they need a simple way to categorize and select furnishings based on standardized criteria.

If you’ve looked into eco-friendly office furniture lately, you know it can be as confusing as trying to buy eco-friendly food. Do you choose organic (whatever that means these days) over locally grown produce? How much electricity and water is considered sustainable when farmers are using greenhouses to grow your favorite foods out of season? How do you factor in the working conditions of agricultural workers?

In the same way, there are many different facets of office furniture that play a role in determining sustainability. The BIFMA level™ third-party verification program gives manufacturers a way to assess and then communicate to customers how their products impact the environment. Some of the criteria covered include:

  • Materials
  • Production processes
  • Energy usage
  • Pollution
  • Social responsibility

So far, the program is just getting started. However, it could one day be to the office furniture industry what the EnergyStar program is to the home appliance industry.

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Is this the Bowflex of Office Chairs?

January 26th, 2012

The Fit@Work chair is the latest tool for encouraging desk workers to get a workout. Obviously, it’s not a substitute for a treadmill desk which can provide cardio training, but it does offer the sitter the opportunity to work their core and upper body. The base expands to provide more stability so you can lean back and put your feet up on an extended footrest while you perform crunches. You can also get the core stabilization workout provided by a ball chair when you loosen the column that holds the stool shaped seat firmly in place. Finally, the arms pull out to facilitate rowing exercises. This chair has been met with a mix of bemusement and excitement in the office furniture ergonomics community. Hopefully, we’ll start seeing some firsthand reviews soon so we can learn whether this is a gimmick or the next step toward getting ripped while you work.

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Haworth’s Tips for Ergonomic Seating

January 21st, 2012

Haworth has developed a very useful online library with research and recommendations for all types of office furniture. The Ergonomic Seating Guide is a particularly interesting document. It looks at the ergonomics of office seating in a lot of detail – including less common features like asymmetrical lumbar support and pelvic support. Of particular interest to employers purchasing large numbers of office chairs at one time is the summary of minimum standard features. These include:

  • Adjustable lumbar support
  • Height adjustable, padded armrests
  • Synchronous recline (that moves the seat pan and seat back at the same time)
  • Recline tension adjustment and locking
  • Seat depth and height adjustment (2” and 5” respectively)

For conference rooms, Haworth suggests chairs that don’t have so much adjustment – more of a “one-size-fits-most” approach. This ensures that most users will be reasonably comfortable for at least a short time. To read all of Haworth’s recommendations, see the full handbook here.

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Could Reusing Office Furniture Cost More Than Buying New?

January 20th, 2012

That’s the argument some Canadian bureaucrats made when deciding that a new office should be outfitted with a new suite of office furniture instead of using existing furniture from the old office. The alleged cost of storing the old office furniture during the renovation and then prepping it for use in the new environment was estimated at about $130 more per workstation than the cost of buying new. This calculation was used as justification for getting rid of the previous workstations (even though they were top of the line models) and buying new ones.

All Is Not as It Seems

However, these numbers aren’t holding up that well under closer scrutiny. It’s possible that much of the costs associated with reusing the older furniture could be eliminated if the agency had a better plan in place for managing the reuse of resources. It’s true that tracking and managing office furniture in a large-scale reuse program is not without administrative costs. But it’s the kind of thing you get better at the more you do it. Over the long term, there’s no doubt that the Canadian government could create a successful program to reuse and recycle its office furniture efficiently. In one way, they are trying to do this already by sending the older furniture to other offices that have an immediate need for the equipment.

What Steps Can You Take To Reduce Reuse Costs?

Are you planning an office move or renovation? Are you concerned that reusing your existing office furniture might cost too much? Here are a few ways you could help minimize expenses:

Hire a professional office furniture company to break down your high quality workstations. This helps you in 3 ways. First, it ensures you have a complete inventory of all the components you have on hand. Second, it ensures that nothing gets broken in the transportation process. Third, it means you can store the office furniture in a much smaller space, limiting storage rental costs.

If your existing office furniture really won’t mesh with your new office space, consider making a deal. You could sell your used office furniture to a refurbishing company (like ours) and buy a different set of workstations that meets your current needs better. Who knows, you might even find a suite of name brand refurbished workstations that are just as good as (if not better than) what you had before – for a fraction of the cost. That way, you are sending your old office furniture to a new home and going greener by reusing someone else’s furniture.

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Pros and Cons of Office Furniture Auctions

January 19th, 2012

Are you considering buying or selling used office furniture at an auction? Here are some pros and cons to think about:

If You Are Selling

On the up side, you could demand a high price if you find just the right buyer at just the right time or if your used furniture is a brand that’s in demand. You can also offload used furniture on a fixed schedule in situation where you need to get it off your hands ASAP to make room for new furnishings. However:

  • You may have little control over the final price you get for the furniture
  • You will probably have to pay a fee to the auctioneer
  • The buyer may not show up in a timely fashion to remove the used furniture (costing you additional storage fees)

If You Are Buying

On the up side, you could get a great price if the seller is desperate and they need to get rid of the furniture quickly. They may even throw in transportation if you negotiate right. However:

  • You probably won’t have a chance to inspect each piece before you buy
  • The seller’s descriptions and photos may not be that accurate (you could end up needing to repair or replace many pieces)
  • You may have to mix and match workstations if the auctioned lot doesn’t have all the items you need
  • There’s no customer service or follow up included

On both sides of the equation, dealing with an office furniture refurbishing company can be easier, faster, and more cost effective than taking your chances with an auction.

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Can an Office Chair Affect Your Heart?

January 14th, 2012

According to Herman Miller’s research, an office chair can have an effect on how hard your heart has to work throughout an average workday. A decreased heart rate is linked to two benefits:

  • Lower risk of cardiovascular disease over a person’s lifetime
  • Better concentration (possibly due to more efficient circulation and oxygenation)

These days, many workers sit for extended periods of time (a lifestyle that significantly increases the risk of heart disease). Herman Miller set out to discover if they could design a chair that might make a dent in this risk and lead to better health and productivity. According to a small test of about 30 users, the Emody chair did show a measurable result compared to a standard office chair.

Participants had slower heart rates when sitting on the Embody. Men showed a greater degree of response than women and heavier users experienced a more dramatic heart rate decrease than smaller users. You can read the full report on how the experiment was conducted, its results, and Herman Miller’s conclusions here. Just remember that even the best, most ergonomic office chairs are not a substitute for regular exercise!

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Steelcase Gets Snubbed by CoreBrand

January 13th, 2012

Sometimes, market predictions just make you scratch your head. That’s the case with survey results by a research firm called CoreBrand that were interpreted as meaning that Steelcase lacks a strong corporate branding image. This opinion was based on the idea that brand recognition and reputation usually contribute to a company’s market capitalization (the stock’s perceived value to shareholders). According to the metrics used by CoreBrand, the average corporation they survey has a brand that contributes 5-7% to its market cap. Steelcase’s brand is apparently not adding any value at all to its stock. While not enough to say the company is doomed, it does make some people question the continued relevance of the brand and whether it is being promoted to the fullest extent.

Brand Recognition Isn’t Everything

The response from experts in the furniture industry has been to laugh this off. Steelcase may not be the most memorable or catchy name brand in office furniture, but this hasn’t kept it from becoming the largest office furniture company in the world. The company is close to 100 years old with a solid track record for: growth, profitability, and (most important) consistently high quality office furniture that meets their customers’ needs. Right now, Steelcase is projecting that they will capture an even larger share of the market in 2012. It doesn’t sound like they have a brand problem when it comes to what matters – selling their product. At Cubicles Office Environments, we certainly don’t have any difficulty moving refurbished Steelcase cubicles. They have a great reputation among our customers for being affordable and well made.

Was the Research Flawed?

Perhaps the focus on the importance of branding is being overblown when it comes to office furniture. Yes, Steelcase is lagging far behind Herman Miller when it comes to social media. All you have to do is compare the blogs of the two corporations to see which one is spending more money on its image and connecting with everyday consumers. But Steelcase still has the connections to put its brands in front of business decision makers when it matters. The “industry leaders” chosen to participate in the market research may simply not have known the brand name of the comfortable, ergonomic chair they were relaxing in while they answered survey questions. Next time CoreBrand does a survey, perhaps they should ask the facility managers and purchasing agents who actually buy office furniture what they think of Steelcase.

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The Wheels on the Chair Go Round and Round

January 12th, 2012

Here’s one aspect of office furniture ergonomics that doesn’t get a lot of attention – the lowly caster. If you think about it, even the finest office task chair would be lost without its wheels! Of course, we all know how frustrating it is when a caster comes off, or wears out, gets something stuck in it, or just plain doesn’t roll that well. You start to push away from your desk and get jolted to a stop by a wheel that won’t turn smoothly.

With larger, heavier pieces of office furniture from tables to mobile workstations, poorly designed casters can mean more than just an inconvenience. They can actually lead to back injury by making big objects hard to move. Or, a stuck wheel can cause furniture to tip over instead of gliding smoothly. Wheels that permit excessive vibration can lead to wrist and arm problems for people who have to transport materials around all day in a rolling cart. An inability to put the brakes on can lead to a runaway piece of furniture.

Fortunately, this area of ergonomics was not neglected at ErgoExpo. Darcor was on hand to show its wares – for every workplace from white collar to warehouse to healthcare settings. They’ve been in the caster industry for 75 years, and they’re still rolling!

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