Today’s businesses work in units more often, collaborating on projects to support different areas and to come up with innovative ideas. Collaborative furniture for the workspace is one of the newest trends, encouraging employees to mingle and share ideas through carefully designed sitting areas. Furnishings include lounge seating and unassigned tables positioned in-between work spaces encourage “visitors” to collaborate.
Commercial furniture is designed for greater flexibility of use. Pieces are made to fulfill a variety of needs so that one piece does the job that two or three pieces were required for in the past. Mobility is essential, with chairs and tables being made with wheels so that they can be easily moved and re-situated for different uses.
Although ergonomic furniture has been around for a while, more of the chairs used in offices combine ergonomic features with luxury fabrics and stylish designs to provide the ultimate in comfort and luxury. Designer seating is becoming more popular as office executives become increasingly willing to pay higher prices for greater comfort and health benefits that look fashionable.
One of the biggest changes commercial furniture is also a result of the need to stay on computers for hours each day without causing or exacerbating existing back problems. Standing desks allow users to adjust the height of their computers so that they can use them while standing. Those that are adjustable can also be lowered to use in a sitting position. This new desk trend prevents the user from staying in the same sitting position for hours which can lead to health problems. Standing while you use your computer not only improves back health, it aids in digestion, blood flow, and improved muscle tone.
With the more open and welcoming design in many offices, there is also a lot more noise. Acoustic panels are also being used to absorb noise and keep audio intrusions to a minimum. These panels are available in a variety of colors to coordinate with any area of the office and with other furnishings.