Office Furniture
By bushbaby
7th April 2013
Colour psychology should be incorporated wherever possible in business as it can have a dramatic impact on people’s moods. Particularly in office environments the colours you choose for your office interior design could mean the difference between a good or bad day at work.
While you’re at work, take a moment to glance around your office. Do your employees seem angry all the time? Are they constantly on the verge of an argument with their colleagues? Are they sat on a red chair or facing a red desk divider? This could be the cause of their mood and behaviour.
In this blog post, we will be concentrating on the colour blue and why you should embrace this colour within the workplace.
Blue is a great colour for office environments as it is commonly believed to be calming, relaxing, and connote tranquillity. All of these potential moods which can derive from the colour blue can be a way towards reducing work related stress levels, frustration, and anxiety.
London office furniture company, Panther Interiors can help you with office refurbishment and transform your office into a stress-free zone with a number of our blue office furniture pieces. These blue office chairs will get the calming process going during your employee’s lunch breaks.
These chairs will give your employees no choice but to relax during their lunch breaks and are some of our favourite breakout chairs for this reason. Their sleek, modern designs will modernise any breakout area and are bound to get employees to start relaxing. The ergonomic shapes and smooth lines of each of these chairs would probably still make the chair look tranquil even without the colour blue.
This pod-like screen with blue seating can be used anywhere in an office and will especially sit perfectly in a breakout area. You could even place it in the corner of a large office to be used as a mini meeting room.
These are more conventional shaped screens which we have available in blue are an excellent way to add some colour to brighten up an office refurbishment. A blue office screen like one of these will help your employees to remain calm during extra stressful times at work.
If you can’t afford to purchase a load of new office furniture, you could try a very simple office refurbishment with Panther Interior’s vast selection of office fabrics and screen fabrics. We currently have around thirty shades of blue for office screen fabrics and around fifty shades of blue for office seating fabrics; all in different types of material.
Contact us for further advice on how to improve your office interior design. We can also discuss what shades of blue might suit your existing office interior.
By bushbaby
2nd April 2013
Our previous blog post was the first part of our two-part blog special in which we explored the disadvantages of working from a home office. Now it is time to study the many advantages that working at home has to offer in part two.
Your very own office
Working from home means you don’t need to wait for a promotion to acquire your very own office.
Our London office furniture range has a number of suitable furniture pieces that will fit into a small room at home including office desks (Arkitek desks, Vital desks, Lexus desk), and office chairs (Kruze chairs, IS chairs, Trillipse chairs).
No need to commute
Conducting business and fulfilling job roles at home means there is no need to travel to a place of work. This fact alone carries many benefits with it. No need to commute means no travel expenses and therefore a significant saving of fuel which you can use up at the weekend instead. The chance to avoid the fluctuating fuel prices has probably converted you to working at home already.
With no time allowance needed for commuting, you can dedicate the time you would normally spend in the car, on the bus, or on the train, to more minutes/hours working. By the time you would normally have just arrived at work, you will have already got through an hour of your working day. Moreover, you get to avoid the chaotic traffic during rush hour and escape the unexpected delays often posed by public transport.
Flexible working hours
Have you been meaning to catch up with that old friend for ages? Working at home adds great flexibility to your daily routine; a lot more than you would experience at a place of work. Now you can catch up with old mates in your lunch breaks and make up the time later in the evening from the comfort of your own home where all of your work essentials are already waiting for you. No longer will you still be in the office at 8pm with the cleaners trying to vacuum around you.
No formal work clothes required
Prior to the daily commute to work, there is a dilemma which you will frequently face; what to wear.
With an office at home, you won’t have to set your alarm for an hour early to allow enough time to choose a work outfit. Instead you can where whatever you wish and no doubt your bank account will also feel the benefits without all of those shopping trips to update your selection of skirts and choice of comedy ties.
Less stress
Reduced expenses, no commutes, and no office parties, and most importantly no need to compete or argue. An office at home is most certainly one way to reduce your stress levels.
Have you reached a decision yet? Take a browse through our office furniture and start building your very own office.
By bushbaby
25th March 2013
Working from home seems to be an increasingly popular choice for both employees and small business owners. Here at Panther Interiors we stock a vast range of office furniture that is suitable for home offices.
In this two-part blog special, we explore the advantages and disadvantages of working from home. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first shall we?
Posture
Whilst vigorous health and safety checks in the workplace may seem annoying at times, they are there for your benefit. Ergonomic office chairs and an office desk at the correct height can prevent health and posture problems in the long term.
Fashioning an office at home without proper ergonomic office furniture could soon create back problems, neck pain, and sore and achy joints.
Expensive
Although by working at home you can save a lot of fuel money, constructing your home office can be a very costly outgoing. It also means that there is one less room in the house, unless you decide to work from your kitchen table or sofa (definitely not good for long periods of time on a laptop or trying to write).
To build an efficient office environment, you will need to consider purchasing an office desk, adequate lighting, a comfy office chair, and office storage; then you have still got to think about all the necessities like stationery, and computer hardware and software.
Distractions
The distraction of the coffee machine at work and that really annoying work colleague is nothing when compared with the endless distractions that you could face at home. Pets, children, noisy neighbours, television, radio, unexpected visitors, and non-work related phone calls; the chances are that at least one of these will hinder your work progress on a daily basis. Annoying colleagues don’t seem so bad now, do they?
Extra financial costs
An office at home means big trouble for your utility bills. Having your computer on all day, printing, adequate lighting, and heating will soon add up when these would otherwise all be switched off during the daytime if you were based in an office building.
Lack of motivation
With a boss or manager absent, temptation and lack of motivation will undoubtedly surface sooner or later. If you are working in an environment like an office at home where there is no one to push you or compete against, your motivation and work progress may suffer, and there will always be the temptation to keep putting work off.
So they are the main disadvantages of working at home: a long list of office furniture, distractions that are difficult to ignore, unexpected outgoings, and low work productivity.
Hopefully we haven’t totally put you off working from home as there are also a number of advantages to be experienced. We will explore these in our part two blog post tomorrow.
By cyberil
15th February 2013
While we may see the humble area of office furniture as a place to sit and work, in reality it is so much more. As well as providing a potentially efficient and most logical working space, the right office furniture is also responsible for portraying the perfect and hopefully most positive image of your company.
Many people overlook thorough branding when it comes to ‘behind the scenes’ business activity, yet as your staff are so important in carrying your brand statements and vision to your customers, it’s easy to see why things that the customer doesn’t see are just as important to your overall business behaviours.
So here’s our mini-guide on how important branding in your office really is and how office furniture can impact on its development and positive growth.
Branding itself is a key part of marketing and internal business development. While it serves mostly as a way to define your business aims and markets, it is also the thing that attracts potential employees. Therefore, projecting the right image internally in your office is so important.
If you have an exceptionally polished website, marketing materials and PR presence but your office is old, not stylish and effectively looks completely opposite to what you tell the ‘real world’ what do you think your staff will feel?
They could feel under-valued of course and worse still not have respect for you or the company that they work for. They may not make the same kind of efforts to do their jobs well and the absolutely worst scenario is that the way their office is configured does not help them streamline their activities.
It could be lack of storage, or a boardroom that doubles up as a training room, staff room and interview room.
Therefore, ensuring that your office furniture represents your image from start to finish will actually make a difference to your external image for the better and it will allow things in your office to run smoothly.
The stories of Google’s amazing offices and activity are world famous for a reason, because they carry their branding everywhere. And while they are seen as an innovative power house, their office and subsequently the way it looks is just as important as their daily Google search cartoons and animations!
A brand is usually associated with a logo, particular colours but also (and this is the most important part) what sets it apart from its competitors.
So when you start with reconfiguring your office, start looking at the colours that represent you. Are your office desks ultra-modern or are they more traditional looking?
There is of course no right or wrong answer to this but it does serve to show that you must ensure your branding and your office reflect who you are from start to finish!
Now take a look around your own office right now…what would you change?
By cyberil
13th February 2013
Many businesses know what kind of office furniture they want for their office and very often, usually have a clear picture as to its design and its style. However, what is not always clear is how the office furniture chosen will fit into the office space that is available.
It is of course much easier if you have a fairly uniform room shape such as a square or rectangular office because this means you don’t have to worry so much about awkward corners or wasted space.
Additionally, you need to consider things like work flow (which involves looking at the actual structural organisation of your office on a daily basis), the type of desks, the shape of the room, any office storage and of course office chairs and ergonomics. Therefore, this is why it is essential to have a floor plan and a very clear idea as to where you may want office furniture to be placed to maximise the available workspace and thus your workers’ productivity.
Budget is always a consideration as well of course but there is absolutely no reason why you cannot have the best of both worlds – getting both quality of office furniture finish for the very best price available.
Things you can miss…
While the actual office furniture, storage and chairs are at the forefront of our minds, it is not surprising that many people forget about some fairly typical office items.
This may be things like a water cooler, coffee and tea making area (especially where you have an office with no separate kitchen, meeting spaces and so on.
The solutions to many an office layout issue are however, easily solved with some planning. And the fact that office desks come in an array of different shapes and designs, you can be pretty certain that there will be a solution just for you.
This could be larger workstations, desks that can be configured in a multitude of shapes and the good news is that this is only ever limited by your imagination itself.
The main thing is that you will want your office to look good, for it to be highly practical and assist with good workflow and of course you will want to ensure it is completely optimised for productivity.
If you are currently looking for new office furniture and a highly experienced company to assist you in the design and planning, why not give Panther Interiors a call?
We can take the stress and uncertainty away from you so you can get on with running your business!
By cyberil
18th January 2013
With any office environment, it’s clear that the main purpose is the work conducted there. The quality of this work is affected directly by the environment, as explored in previous blog posts. As we all know, happy workers are productive workers – but how do you make sure your workers are happy?
We all like a good break to help relieve ourselves from the stresses of the workplace. They work wonders to refresh the mind, to provide breathing space and can give people a few minutes to look forward to throughout even the most monotonous of tasks and arduous of days. Breaks allow for socialising and informal team-building in a relaxed environment. It’s a good idea to have designated areas for breaks, so that your employees can unwind in a comfortable environment and mentally refuel for the rest of the day. We at Panther Interiors have some suggestions for making the most of your break room space and, in turn, of your company.
Many feel that formality should be maintained throughout an office – including in break rooms. However, a formal approach to office interior design doesn’t mean you have to throw away the idea of comfort. Take a look at our Courier range of breakout chairs, for example. The sleek design and neutral colour scheme lets these chairs blend seamlessly into any office environment. They would seem equally at home in a break or meeting room, providing comfort whilst maintaining a corporate air. Perhaps you would prefer the furniture of your break room space to reflect the activities that take place there – so why not pick something from our coffee-toned Rotor range for your coffee breaks?
If you’re looking at creating an eating area in your break room, browse through the Leisure collection – the variety of light wood furniture on offer here would fit in perfectly with any breakout space and add a hint of ‘al fresco’ to lunch. This range of tables and chairs provides a great degree of leeway for customisation within your available space.
Alternatively, place a standalone table in amongst a group of breakout chairs; the Contour range has this covered. Regardless of height or design scheme, Contour has both a quirky and practical solution, from small coffee tables to communal dining pieces, which would work well with most of our other ranges. Perhaps you’d prefer a made-to-match table and chair combination – in which case, take a look through the Bobbin range of tables and chairs. Both contemporary and comfortable, these pieces would add a touch of colour to your breakout area, whether you’re aiming to create a dining space or a social space.
Social spaces are, after all, equally important to dining areas – they give colleagues a chance to informally interact and build teamwork. What better way of creating such a space than by using the Pebble range of breakout chairs? With a choice of a colourful or more formal colour scheme and the ability to either scatter them liberally around or cluster them to create a social space, we at Panther Interiors think the Pebble definitely brings the ‘fun’ back into ‘functional’.
By cyberil
10th January 2013
A reception area is the front stage of your business. Much like the stage of a theatre, the reception area is the stage in which everything you want the public to see happens. As such, every aspect of the area is important. The furniture is the stage set; the receptionists, the actors. Despite the seemingly prosaic nature of the space, a reception room can be extremely influential in helping your clients to decide what kind of company you are. It is your clients’ first impression of your business as well as their last. Therefore, in today’s blog we thought we’d talk you through some of the key things to consider when planning your reception area.
So then, having established that the reception room is as, if not more important than the general office, we will set about considering different aspects of the space and what is needed to create the best first impression for clients.
The reception desk
A reception desk is a key feature of the reception area that is particularly important in creating a good first impression. It is essentially a screen, dividing front of house from backstage. Therefore the choice of desk creates the biggest impact on clients and visitors and sets the tone for the rest of the reception area. A reception desk is also one of the largest furniture investments you are likely to make. So you will need to think carefully about the kind of impression you wish to make. However, whilst you need to make an impact, it is important not to go for the overstatement when it comes to choosing a reception desk. Remember, you are not a bank!
Good ambiance
When a client is waiting in reception, they do not want to feel uncomfortable or bored. Therefore you will need to consider the environment as a whole. Soft furnishings, coffee tables, display cabinets and lighting all play a role in putting clients at ease.
Display of company literature
Likewise, it is wise to provide a display cabinet or shelving unit for company literatures. This will help clients and visitors to relax as well as learn more about your business ethos and activities.
Comfortable sofa
Good quality, comfortable sofas will do no end of good in helping clients feel relaxed. A good sofa will also make visitors feel at home. A row of chairs will have the opposite effect, giving more the impression of a doctors’ waiting room than a welcoming reception space of a dynamic, forward-thinking company.
Natural elements
Your reception area should a warm friendly and above all human space. Therefore, it is important to soften and ‘pseudo-personalise’ the space with homely natural objects such as stones, water and plants, which all help to maintain the balance and harmony of the room.
There are many possible ways in which you can configure your reception space. However, here at Panther Interiors we are passionate about helping you create the right impression for your business. So if need help and advice about what would work best for you or would like to discuss your requirements in more detail, then please call us on 0208 292 0025 and we will be only too happy to help.
By cyberil
23rd December 2012
We’ve all been stressed before in one way or another… Financial worries, family troubles and – most commonly of all – work can get a little bit too much to cope with from time to time. There are ways of reducing the impact of this stress, especially through intelligent office design, but why is this thought of as such a necessity?
Stress can affect us in many ways, from increasing the rate of blood pressure palpitations to giving us muscle tension and sleep disturbances. We can become anxious, nauseous and excessively emotional – and that’s just some of the short term symptoms. Prolonged stress can increase the risk of depression, heart disease, psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome and difficulties in the bedroom. Confusion and a lack of concentration can follow stress, and a decreased resistance to infectious diseases is a common symptom, often leading to further time off and therefore further workplace stress.
It’s vitally important, therefore, to cut stress off at the head, right where it often begins – the workplace. That’s where Panther Interiors come in – we can design, redesign or completely set up your office based entirely around a discussed brief. If you believe stress can be a recurring problem in your office, we’ll ensure your new place of work is as stress-reducing as possible within your individual budget and space constraints.
If you’re considering a complete office redesign, first think about what impressions you’re trying to give before you start looking at the layout. If you’re aiming primarily to create a low stress environment, there are several factors to consider.
Pressure can lead to productivity in some cases, but it can also lead to heaps of undue stress. Comfort is a necessity – after all, nothing puts you off a day’s work in front of a computer quite like a bad back! The most commonly attributed cause to time off work, back pain can be brought on by inadequate seating – so when choosing your office chairs, make sure to consider who will be sitting in them and for how long at a time. Feel free to refer to our section on minimising back problems for further advice.
Whether you’re going for an ultra-modern or ultra-traditional office – or anything in between – it’s essential to remember that your workplace should be designed to be practical. It’s no use having a car made of solid gold if the engine doesn’t work! Whether you’re thinking about office tables, chairs or even storage solutions, there’s no point having a top of the range expensive product if it doesn’t work for who’s using it. Take a look at our ergonomics guide for more information – and
By cyberil
4th December 2012
It’s that time of year when the boardroom becomes a hive of activity as you set down to appraise the year’s progress. Whether, you are using the boardroom for a yearly review, AGM or for planning the last quarter, it is important that the room is not only functional but inspiring.
So in today’s blog we will consider the importance of boardroom furniture in setting the right tone for a meeting. We’ve all been in boardrooms that feel like school classrooms or worse still, hospital waiting rooms. Boardrooms can be dull, tired and austere places that appear to reflect the sluggishness and conservatism indicative of failing businesses. However, this needn’t be the case.
A boardroom should be the beating heart of your business; a dynamic and energising space that has the potential to inspire blue sky thinking. Therefore, this space needs to be bright, stimulating and aesthetically pleasing in order to put employees at ease and inspire their creative side.
All this considered, it is equally important to recognise that the boardroom is also a place of power. And should reflect power relations and reinforce management structures within your company. Therefore, boardroom furniture needs to be bold and brave, as well as stylish in order to put you in control during those tougher business meetings.
Likewise, a boardroom is the place where clients are received and as such, should feel warm and friendly. It is the face of your business; the front-of-house where image and presentation is all-important in securing contacts and breaking new deals.
The most important choice when it comes to boardroom furniture is the table. At the top end of our boardroom furniture sits the Hyform range of bespoke boardroom tables. These tables are made using the latest laser technology for precision fitting, then beautifully hand-finished by master craftsman.
If the Hyform is beyond your budget then the Oxford is a beautiful table with solid hardwood legs and inset chrome detailing. And for a more contemporary feel we have a wide range of veneer or glass tables including the Glide, Boston and Arkitek, which all have clean, stylish modernist lines. Glass table tops are made of 10mm tempered glass and bases have a high gloss chrome finish. Moreover, some of these tables also give you the option of table top power, data or AV outlets with cabling that feeds neatly into the leg posts.
Here at Panther Interiors we have a wide range of boardroom furniture to compliment your table including chairs, credenzas and presentation bureaus. So, whether you’re entertaining clients or want to create a more dynamic and inspiring environment for meetings we have a the right furniture to create exactly the right impression.
By cyberil
27th October 2012
Everyone knows the awkwardness and discomfort that back pain brings with it. Did you know, though, that the number one cause of ill health at work is back pain? Did you know it’s the most prominent contributor to absenteeism? Back pain is a really important issue, and since the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 placed the general duty of care on an employer for the health and welfare of employees while at work, it’s become an even bigger concern – we at Panther Interiors understand.
Sitting down for long periods is an understated occupational hazard. In the modern world, where many of us spend a lot of time sat down – at work, at home and travelling in between the two – there’s a great deal of pressure put on certain parts of our backs. The spine has a natural curve in the small of the back, and when we sit down this curve flattens. When we lean forwards, this curve reverses, more than doubling the usual pressure on the lower portion of the spine.
Keeping moving is one way to avoid this problem; however, with most office work involving more time spent sitting at a computer than exercising, this is not a practical solution. The first port of call, therefore, should be choosing a suitable office chair.
When fitting out an office, you need to consider that all types of people may be using your chairs. Unfortunately there is no single chair that will work for everyone in every situation, but Panther Interiors thinks it’s a good idea to aim for a chair with enough flexibility to suit at least most members of staff. So what do you need to look out for in choosing good office seating?
First and foremost, consider the back rest – and consider how often you and your staff use it with your current chairs. Lower back support is a necessity, and we would recommend choosing chairs high enough at least to come to the bottom of the shoulder blades. If in doubt, though, it’s better to choose too high than too low.
Consider going for a chair with a free floating synchronous mechanism in order to increase the time spent with the back supported. This allows the user to sit and move freely while continually experiencing support where necessary, increasing the amount of stable positions a worker can take up and reducing the risk of back problems.
The seat itself is generally of a better quality the denser the foam is, and should have a waterfall edge at the front to allow good blood circulation in the user’s legs. It’s also essential that the seat isn’t too deep or too low, as both can lead to increased muscle usage and strains.
For a more detailed guide on choosing chairs, click here – alternatively, contact us for personal guidance. For any of your office design needs, Panther Interiors is happy to help.
