Office Fit out: The Importance of Choosing the Right Furniture

While it’s easy to overlook the importance of your office fit out, choosing furniture and designing the layout of your office can be crucial to so many aspects of your business. From supporting happy, healthy and motivated employees to establishing brand credibility, this article will discuss the importance of your office fit out and how to get it right.

Google is renowned for their wonderfully unorthodox office spaces and there is a lot we can learn from them when it comes to office refurbishment. Their employees are some of the happiest in the world and their working spaces and the environment they harvest is one of the reasons the company has been bestowed with the ‘Best Company Culture’ Award. Their mission in creating fun, wacky, and entirely unique office spaces is “to create the happiest, most productive workplace in the world”. While we don’t suggest you go to quite the same extremes as Google does, we recommend adopting a similar mission and greater understanding of what a powerful asset your office fit out can be.

Why your office fit out is important:

Your office fit out is important because it:

• has the potential to increase job satisfaction as well as the health and productivity of your employees
• entices prospective clients and future employees, and
• communicates company culture and brand values

For these reasons it is essential that you take the time to plan the design and layout of your office space in order to maximise the influence of the space.

Things to consider when refurbishing your office:

When it comes to fitting out your office, these are the things you want to consider:

Space:

Consider your office. How big is it? How much natural light comes in? Is there a big, awkward support beam that you need to work around? Know your dimensions and make practical choices that maximise your use of the space. Particularly if you are working with a small office space, you want to avoid clutter so consider storage options and multifunctional furniture that makes your office a safe and clean working environment. Another aspect of space to consider is choosing appropriately sized furniture. This is relevant no matter the size of your office.

Purpose:

Your office fit out should meet the needs of your business. How do you want to use the space? What kind of working environment do you want to foster? The purpose of your office space will greatly influence your fit out. If you want to promote collaboration between employees a conference table and multiple chairs would be appropriate. If you want employees to have their own space to work individually you may want to invest in office partitions.

Practicality:

Is your fit out design functional? This is a crucial question to ask yourself throughout the design process. As awesome as your design may be it still needs to function as an office. The practicality of your space can affect the organisation and smooth running of your business. Another facet to practicality is flexibility. How adaptable is your fit out? It’s wise to “future proof” your office by considering potential for growth and other changes you may face in the future. It can save you time and money in the long run.

Style:

The style and aesthetic value of your fit out serves your brand identity. The style of your fit out should reflect your brand identity and company culture in the colours and type of working environment the layout promotes. Getting this right can boost your brand’s credibility and communicate to the world your company values.

Comfort:

Never overlook comfort. Employees spend large amounts of time sitting at a desk so it is crucial that they are supplied with appropriate furniture that is comfortable and supportive. Think ergonomically designed chairs and a choice of sitting/ standing stations. It’s a good idea to get employees involved in this aspect of your fit out design. Their input can ensure they stay happy and healthy at work.

Quality:

Considering the quality of the furniture you buy is an important step in the process. Constantly replacing furniture can be expensive and disrupt workflow. It is wise to think of furniture as an investment rather than an expense. S

Talk to an office designer in Melbourne and Invest in your office space with a fit out that promotes productivity and a happy, healthy working environment, all while communicating to the world your brand’s vision and values. Understanding the importance of your office fit out is the first step in creating an excellent design that maximises the potential of your space. Consider the above when going about your refurbishments and you can’t go wrong.