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!

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.

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.

EGE WorkSmart Solutions

EGE specializes in both workplace injury prevention and intervention. Think about how many times an employee has come to you saying their wrist is hurting or their back is hurting from performing everyday office tasks. You don’t know how to respond. If you send them to the doctor, nothing’s going to show up on an x-ray. An MRI isn’t likely to be more revealing at this stage. You can wait for the problem to get worse or try different approaches to fixing the problem without really understanding what’s going on. But it makes more sense to call in a licensed rehabilitation professional to evaluate the employee in his or her actual work setting. This way, you can identify exactly which tasks, motions, furniture, and environmental factors are playing a role in the worker’s pain. It’s certainly cheaper than dealing with a vague WC claim later!

Atlas Ergonomics

This company’s claim to fame is the Stretch It Out! (SIO) program. This program is based on the idea that workers in all jobs should stretch throughout the day to keep limber. The consulting firm doesn’t just make suggestions about a few yoga moves for people to do. Instead, it makes stretching a way of life in the office, industrial plant, and other work sites. You can implement the program yourself or call in on-site support to get things kicked off. Some employees really get into this and start stretching more on their own because they like the way it makes them feel.

Wellnomics

This firm is all about managing wellness with the aid of web based tools. It’s directed toward addressing the particular ergonomic challenges of office workers who are on the computer all day. The software installed on each desktop records statistics such as keyboard and mouse usage. It also provides regular notifications encouraging office workers to take breaks to perform simple exercises. The manager can review this information to ensure that employees are taking these wellness breaks and not overdoing it on the computer.

For example, an individual who uses only laptops, smartphones, and other mobile technology will still have a need for tools that support good posture. It’s just that those tools won’t include things like articulated monitor arms that are designed for workers with an assigned desk and PC. Instead, they may be best served by an office chair that fits many body types with minimal adjustment. In contrast, a “resident” worker who spends more than 6 hours per day at the same desk could benefit from access to a sit-to-stand worktable.

On one hand, that does seem like a lot to spend on just one room. On the other hand, he plans to use the office as a collaborative space rather than a place where he shuts the door and creates his own private sanctuary. So, there are several tables and plenty of chairs in there to host meetings and the like. Of course during a time of budget cuts, any appearance of less than frugal spending gets put under the microscope. The writer who published the exposé over at the Fair Oaks Patch wants readers to weigh in with their opinion on whether this was too much money to spend on the executive’s office.

Without seeing a more in depth break down of exactly what was included in the purchase, we can’t say. However, we do have some advice for other government officials: Buy refurbished office furniture! You get to impress people with furnishings that look new. But you aren’t as likely to get in hot water for lavish spending.

As you might expect, you get what you pay for with this piece of furniture. It’s basically the ramen noodle of the office furniture world. There’s a surface, a cutout for your feet, and two low interior corner braces. The material is moisture resistant. So if you spill a Big Gulp on it, the whole thing won’t collapse. Just be careful about resting your elbows on the desk. It’s not designed to withstand much weight (just a laptop and a few books or supplies).

That’s about it. Like the original model T Ford, you can get this desk in any color you want as long as it is brown. However, you are encouraged to doodle and decorate your desk to add your own style. In that way, it does serve a dual purpose as the world’s largest Post-It note. If you want to really splurge, you can go wild and buy the accompanying 3 tier cardboard bookshelf as well.

Would you put this on your Christmas list for the college student in your life?

What about using it for a startup business (the kind that you start in your garage or your basement)?

If someone gave you this desk, would you think it was a great idea – or a joke?

Let us know in the comments.

Buy

You can simply requisition and purchase office furniture for employees who are working at home in the same way you do for those who work at the office. The furniture rental blogger over at CORT recommends providing a workstation that is identical to the one the employee was using in the office to make the transition easier and maintain productivity. Of course, that only works if the employee has enough space to set aside for a full sized desk in their house. Some might only have room for a tiny corner desk like the one in the photo above.

Lease

If you lease, it’s easier to let the employee have some input on the size and style of office furniture you provide. After all, if they don’t like it you can always exchange it. You could even have the employee lease the furniture directly under their own name. That way, they can choose whatever they want (based on the monthly budget you provide). Plus, you aren’t stuck trying to retrieve the furniture from their home if they quit. It’s the leasing company’s job to be the repo man. On the down side, when you let an employee handle the process you may end up paying more than if your company negotiated the contract.

Reimburse

One of the simplest ways to handle provisioning office furniture for remote telecommuters is to let the employee expense it to the company. However, you may want to make some recommendations for the right office furniture to buy. You don’t want an off-site employee sitting in a poorly designed office chair all day at home. They need to purchase the same high quality, ergonomic office furniture that your on-site employees enjoy.

For example, the actual brand name Murphy Desk Bed makes it super simple to transition from desk to bed without even removing anything from the desk surface (and without gluing everything down). The desk surface lowers to the ground with your computer monitor, hard drive, office supplies, and desk accessories remaining nice and level. The bed folds down from what looks like a storage unit. It covers all the equipment, effectively protecting it from being disturbed.

Of course, this wooden seating isn’t going to be very ergonomic. It’s best suited to an environment where people only need an occasional space to sit. The egg pods are designed for use in a public lounge. But you could also have them in a lounge setting at work where mobile employees can use them as needed. Or, you could make these pods a place where job seekers fill out applications and take aptitude tests. That would certainly make an impression on fledgling workers!