These guys have been in business since the early 1970s. They specialize in casegoods, conference tables, and reception furniture. The Craftsman emphasis is on beautiful finishes that include not only wood veneers and laminates but also glass and marble. They are available to quote custom and built in jobs.

DeskMakers

This company started out very simply in 1964 with only a few product choices for their customers. Now, their factory churns out a broad range of office furniture collections in 18 standard thermofuse laminate finishes. Like Wendy’s hamburgers, these pieces are built to order while you wait.  Surprisingly, lead times are still quite short – ranging from 1-2 weeks according to the website.

Salman Furniture

Albert Salman’s name remains associated with this extensive selection of office furnishings although the company was acquired by Mike Parkinson in 1993 (almost 20 years after the business was founded). It features a unique manufacturing facility of 75,000 square feet that is one single, high ceilinged room. 75 employees work in this space – giving it an extraordinarily high square footage to worker ratio. The entire production process is viewable from the showroom.

The Taylor Company

This company is the oldest of the group – going back all the way to 1816. It has been passed down through 7 generations and is among the top 30 oldest family owned businesses in the U.S. Not only does The Taylor Company have a rich tradition of desk and chair craftsmanship, they also boast a 100% union workforce and a well developed sustainability program.

That’s Not All

Of course, besides being located near several manufacturers, San Diego is also home to re-manufacturing companies. These dealers offer customers the ability to select finishes for high quality refurbished office furniture from leading U.S. brands at a deeply discounted cost.

As far as seating goes, many manufacturers have Big & Tall selections in their product lines. These chairs are designed for larger employees (taking both height and weight into account). Of course, the higher price tag associated with these furnishings is not a guarantee of comfort. For example, a wing backed, overstuffed executive chair is not suitable for shift work that requires hours of sitting at a stretch. You need to pick a high quality office chair that is designed for flexibility and adjustability to provide good back and leg support for long periods of time.

• 2009 consumption (production and imports minus exports) totaled $7.845 million
• From 2008 to 2009, production dropped 29.7% – the biggest decrease BIFMA has ever documented
• In the same time period, U.S. exports of office furniture to other countries dropped almost 28%
• Canada is the recipient of 50% of office furniture exported from the U.S.
• Manufacturers in Canada and China each account for 40% of office furniture imported by the U.S.
• 2010 is likely to see a further 2.5% drop in consumption
• The outlook for 2011 is rosier with an expected increase in consumption of 12.6%

According to BIFMA, these numbers don’t take into account the refurbished furniture market. By volume, restored office furniture accounts for about an additional 15% of consumption. Of course, with so many business owners putting off buying new furnishings, the recycled furniture industry is in a position to offer an excellent alternative.

Efficient Space Usage

If you do all the calculations for office furniture placement yourself, it’s easy to miss out on making the most of your square footage. Simply calculating the footprint of each workstation and leaving room for pathways isn’t the best way to do space planning. There are dozens of tips and tricks that professionals know that increase the number of employees who can comfortably fit in your office environment. A consultant can also offer advice on how to save money on cable and electrical installations by arranging modular furniture in a spine based layout.

Brand Selection

A professional office furniture advisor (who isn’t an exclusive dealer for one manufacturer) can give you objective information about the best brands and models for your workspace. Without a consultant, you would have nothing to go on but customer reviews and the advertising provided by the manufacturers of each brand. Digging through the web to compile enough information to make a good decision takes up a great deal of time. It makes sense to ask for a consultant’s top 3 or 4 recommendations that fit your price range so you can narrow down the field and just research those few choices.

Acoustics, Ergonomics, and Aesthetics

Some of the most frequent complaints employees have about office furniture is the noise level of the cubicle environment and the discomfort caused by inadequate chairs and workstations. A consultant can help you select the items that will maximize worker satisfaction and create a pleasant office environment. In addition, you can bounce ideas for different color schemes off an experienced designer and end up with a look that fits your branding and doesn’t clash with the rest of the décor.

LEED Certification

If you are trying to earn LEED points, it’s an especially good idea to consult a professional. Office furniture selections that are sustainable and that don’t negatively impact IAQ (indoor air quality) can help you achieve certification. Again, this is an area you could research yourself, but it makes more sense to make use of the knowledge already accumulated by a specialist.

Being flexible with the style of chair you purchase permits employees more leeway in selecting their own furnishings as well. If you give them an office supply catalogue, a price range, and the stipulation that their office chair has to be black, chances are they can find something they like very easily. Employees may also trade chairs back and forth until each person finds one that’s comfortable for them.

The other benefit of black office furniture is that it doesn’t show dirt and wear as readily as lighter shades do. These furnishings should still be wiped down every week, but you won’t have to worry about them looking shabby after a few months of constant use.

Dealers that support sustainable office furniture practices also know when it’s time to simply start over and resurface a cubicle panel or workstation. They have the tools and supplies to return a piece of furniture to factory condition – and it’s still cheaper than buying new.

You can also rest assured that you will receive sound advice on how to dispose of your old furniture in the most eco-friendly way. It may be refurbished again for use by another company; or it may be broken down into its components for post-consumer recycling. Materials such as steel are almost 100% recoverable and many plastics can also be reclaimed.

Manager cubicles are larger than entry level ones – and an executive model should be bigger still. Fortunately, panel systems are modular so you can easily join two of them together to make a “super cube”. Put in a couple of guest chairs to make it obvious that you really need the extra space for the high level networking you do. Also, if you can locate your cubicle near an exterior window, be sure to claim that prime piece of real estate.

Surface Appearances Are Important

You may not need to go all the way by paneling your cubicle walls with mahogany (like Jared Neilson did). However, a nice wood grain laminate or beautifully patterned textile is certainly reasonable. Hang an original art piece on the wall. Add an antique desk and lamp to finish out the cube.

Cube Bases

Some cubicles come with stabilizing feet set at right angles to the panel itself. These are designed to keep the walls from tipping inward or outward on free standing panel systems. You will often see this feature on lighter weight, low cost cubicles like the Verse collection from Maxon. The T-base may be adjustable so that the panel can be leveled. One issue with stabilizing bases is that they may stick out pretty far from the office cubicle walls. You have to take care that these don’t create a tripping hazard.

Thicker Panels & Special Configurations

High end office cubicles can be up to 3” thick (Maxon’s Empower collection is an example). This is wide enough that the panels are fairly secure in a rectangular configuration. In a honeycomb layout, they are even less likely to shift around. That’s because the hexagonal structure doesn’t feature any right angles (like you would see in a typical cubicle). This layout is one of the most inherently stable designs in the natural world – and many people also find it more attractive than the typical cubicle configuration.

Wall & Worksurface Brackets

Attaching your panels to a wall or worksurface with sturdy brackets is another way to make sure they stay in place. Panels that are fastened down this way take a little extra disassembly time if you want to rearrange your workspace. However, it is the best option if you really want to make sure your office cubicle walls don’t get knocked out of position. Brackets are also essential if you are installing cubicle panels that feature heavy accessories like overhead bins.

• Dust your leather furniture with a soft cloth twice a week. For non-suede surfaces, you can use a slightly damp cloth.
• Try using a genuine rubber gum eraser (available from art supply stores) to remove dirt with a gentle rubbing motion.
• You can use a olive oil based soap diluted in water to wipe down leather that has been pre-treated with a protective coating.
• To increase stain resistance, you may wish to treat your leather office furniture with a protective spray.

Check out this helpful chart from Lazy Leather to figure out what type of leather your chair is covered with and what products are designed for that material.

The number of collaborative workspaces shown in Kjerulf’s post is a testament to how the walls are tumbling down in many ultra-modern office environments. While not every job is suited to a panel-free workstation, having that option available is becoming more common. The mix of open areas, pods, and enclosed, private office cubicles is often ideal for promoting both productivity and creativity.