Monthly Archives: December 2014

What’s New In Office Furniture?

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A guide to some cool new office furniture options.

It seems like each day, new office furniture is being crafted to better adapt to the ever-changing trends in businesses and offices. With each new product comes a greater degree of functionality and efficiency. It can be hard to keep up to date on all of these new products available. Fortunately, Workspace Solutions in Fort Wayne is here to help you learn about new products that are available in the world of office furniture.

All-Steel’s Mimeo Office Chair

mimeo newNew from All-Steel is the Mimeo Office Chair – a chair designed with the best of both ergonomics and visual impact in mind. The unique design of the chair back helps to offer constant contact with the user for incomparable support and comfort. This chair is incredibly versatile, as it’s open design accommodates for a wide range of postures and uses. Each aspect of this office chair is designed to be incredibly visually appealing, and even customizable. Everything about this chair is customizable; from the color of the chair back and the base, or even armrests!

When it comes to ergonomics, the Mimeo chair allows the most lumbar support and comfort available. The unique design of the chair back allows every inch of your back to be supported at once. It just makes sense.

 

 Humanscale’s Trea Office Chair

New from Humanscale is the Trea chair. This revolutionary office chair was designed by New York designer Todd Bracher to be a solution to many workspace issues. It’s designed with a mechanism that automatically adjusts to the user’s body for up to 12 degrees of reclining positions, which helps the user to maintain a balanced posture while providing lumbar support. This is no regular office chair. The Trea is perfect for conference areas, cafeterias and home offices.

The smooth yet subtle design of the Trea allows it to harmoniously complement its surroundings, rather than overtake them, offering a sleek, modern look. This new chair from Humanscale not only comes in a wide variety of finishes and color options, but its also available in three different base styles; four-leg, four star, and cantilever.

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Hon’s Abound Workstation

The new Abound workstation from Hon is a revolutionary new design that offers the best of both worlds, when it comes to cubicles. The trendy design of its frameless glass tiles offer immediate access to natural light, while also defining your personal space. It contains all of the benefits of cubicles, without any of the negative connotations.

This workstation is incredibly flexible, and its ease of setup makes it surprisingly portable. With installation taking only minutes, your desk will be ready to use in no time at all. The Abound comes with interchangeable, flexible tiles to best fit the needs of any office space. With the interchangeable paneling, the Abound workstation is incredibly customizable. Easily swap out a fabric paneling for a markerboard or frameless glass paneling to best fit your needs.

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Workspace Solutions has it All

The best part of these great new office furniture options is that you can get any of them right here in Fort Wayne. At Workspace Solutions, we also offer custom office planning and design. Check out these great new office furniture pieces and many more in our new showroom that is conveniently located next to I-69 and US30 at 2208 Production Road.

How to Stay Active at Work

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Don’t Get Trapped At Your Desk

Studies show that those of us who spend the majority of our day sedentary are probably doing serious harm to our long-term health. Most of today’s jobs require a lot of time spent in front of a computer. On top of that, for many of us, most of our free time is spent engaging in sedentary activities as well, such as watching TV and playing video games. Even if you exercise regularly, there are still many hours in the day spent in a sedentary position.

Research shows that the body’s metabolism slows down when major muscles — like your back and legs — aren’t moving frequently and regularly. Findings indicate that people who sit the majority of the day have unhealthy levels of cholesterol, blood sugar, and triglycerides — which can lead to weight gain and an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and other health problems.

Fortunately, finding a solution for this unhealthy behavior is fairly simple. Researchers have found that workers who regularly broke up their sedentary time with movement had a healthier body mass index and lower levels of triglycerides than people who didn’t take breaks during long periods of sitting. If you would like to incorporate some healthy behaviors into your work day, simply taking some breaks to move around and get the whole body moving can make a huge difference.

Here are some suggestions to get out from behind your desk and move, so you can begin incorporating some healthier habits into your workday.

  • Set a timer to remind yourself to at least stand up and stretch every hour or so.
  • Take a quick stretching break every time you cross something off of your to-do list.
  • Take walking meetings — instead of sitting down for one-on-one meetings take a stroll around the block.
  • Stand up when someone enters your office to chat or even if you’re on the phone.
  • Take the stairs instead of your building’s elevator.
  • Invest in an ergonomic office chair that offers lumbar support
  • Park on the far end of the parking lot.
  • If you work from home, use the breaks between tasks or cell phone time to walk up and down your stairs.
  • Perhaps invest in a standing desk to help get you on your feet and moving around

Quality Ergonomic Office Furniture at Workspace Solutions

At Workspace Solutions in Fort Wayne, we have a wide variety of ergonomic office furniture that can help you incorporate some healthy habits into your workday. If your office could use some change for the better, our office planners can help you design an office space that works for you.

How to Throw an Office Holiday Party that People will Remember

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Some Tips for throwing a Memorable Office Party

The holiday season can be a stressful time at work. But, the good news is, you may be able to de-stress a bit if there’s a fun office party to look forward to. It’s a great way to show staff how much their hard work is appreciated and to celebrate this year’s achievements. A well-done office party can forge stronger relationships between co-workers and boost morale. And it encourages everyone to take some time to slow down and have fun together. Here are some tips on how to make this year’s office party affordable, enjoyable and successful!

Planning a Successful Office Holiday Party

  • If possible, designate a committee to be in charge of planning the event so the extra work doesn’t fall to just one person (and so a variety of ideas can be explored).
  • Rather than just sending a boring memo, send a funny e-vite to set the mood for celebrating.

A Good Space

  • Renting a space is a nice way for everyone to get away from the office, but choose a location that is convenient — make it as easy as possible for everyone to get to the party.
  • Using space in your office is a good way to save money, but be sure to decorate your office to set a festive tone for the party. Try to clear the paperwork off of your desk; make it a place where everyone can forget about work for awhile.

Food And Drinks

  • Whether catered or pot-lock, make sure there is plenty to go around — and a good variety to meet special dietary restrictions (consider adding a line at the bottom of the party invite where staff can note any dietary preferences).
  • Other fun food options that may save some money include hiring a food truck or two to park outside the party venue; or planning the party to be a lunch or breakfast event.
  • If the event will have alcohol available, you don’t need to offer too many options — party planners suggest one signature cocktail, a red and a white wine, a beer option or two, plus sodas and water.

Music/Decor

  • Keep the decorations festive, but nondenominational so that everyone feels included.
  • Options for music include hiring a DJ, putting together a party playlist, or hiring local talent.

Office Party Activities

  • If you want to include an activity or two, ask your colleagues beforehand and see what they would like to do — gift exchange, party games, or just hang out and have fun.
  • Plan activities that are inclusive and not embarrassing to anyone. Let people opt out, if they so choose. Award prizes to the winners to enhance competition.

DOs and DON’Ts (for attendees)

  • DO thank the boss for hosting the party (and also whoever did the planning).
  • DO branch out and talk with coworkers that you don’t know so well.
  • DON’T overimbibe.
  • DO remember, this is a work function and you will have to show your face at the office the next day. Make sure you act in an appropriate, professional manner.

The Holidays are a great time to show your workers some appreciation; so above all, have fun! From all of us at Workspace Solutions in Fort Wayne, we would like to wish you a very happy holiday.

How to Decorate your Office For The Holidays

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Tips for Cheering up your Office Space

It’s a festive time of year! If you have visited downtown at all, you might have noticed that Fort Wayne is all lit up in the Holiday spirit! Lights, decorations and holiday music everywhere. Why not use a bit of creativity and make your workspace holly jolly for the holidays, too?

It can be a bit challenging to strike the proper balance when decorating your office space for the holidays: too much sparkle can look unprofessional, too little can make the offices look Scrooge-like at this time of year when everyone expects a bit of seasonal cheer. Here are some simple, fun ideas to bring some holiday cheer to your office.

Decorating your Desk:

  • Hang a string of lights, a wreath or some garland
  • Use holiday-themed mugs
  • Choose a snowy or holiday scene picture for your computer background or screensaver
  • Trade out your paperweight for a decorative snow globe
  • Keep a bowl of holiday candies on your desk
  • Put a small holiday rug in your space
  • Wrap a cubicle wall or your door with shiny wrapping paper
  • Display holiday cards

Decorating your Office Space:

  • If there’s room, place a decorated tree in the lobby
  • Place mini potted pine trees or poinsettias in common areas
  • Decorate with white flowers, pine boughs and holly sprigs for a celebratory feel
  • decorate office furniture with festive ribbons and bows; perhaps stick a bow on the back of your office chair.
  • Fill the office with edible decor; but give your employees and visitors a break from all the candy — use bowls of seasonal fruits as decorative centerpieces in conference rooms or waiting areas
  • hang a string of icicle lights around your workstation

It’s a festive time, but also a time to think of others. Organize an office-wide canned food drive or toy/clothing drive for needy children. Set up a Christmas tree or decorate donation boxes to display the items and inspire co-workers to bring in contributions.

Enjoy this special time of the year — whether at work, at home or at play. From all of us at Workspace Solutions, we would like to wish you a festive and fun holiday season!

Standing Desks vs. Sitting Desks

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quickstand-standing

The Benefits of Standing at Work

A few years ago, health experts began to discover the benefits of using a standing desk at work. After all, the effects of a sedentary lifestyle include many conditions such as weight gain, spine problems, back pain, heart issues, and many more! If you have been thinking about trying to include some healthy habits and better ergonomics into your work day, consider a standing desk. Before you decide on whether or not a standing desk would make a good addition to your office furniture, there are some things you might want to know.

The Effects of Sitting at your Desk

Many people do not consider the effects that sitting all day can have on your body. The fact is that sitting all day is so bad that it can’t even be outdone by exercise. Evolutionary biologist and writer for the New York Times, Olivia Judson says:

“It doesn’t matter if you go running every morning, or you’re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting — in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home — you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.”

Because of these issues, a popular trend is standing desks. There are many benefits of standing while working. Along with increased muscle activity that goes along with standing, those who stand at work also move around more, which leads to:

  • burning more calories
  • lower levels of triglycerides and fats in the blood
  • better processing of glucose (high levels of glucose lead to diabetes and heart disease)
  • increased alertness and better moods

Many researchers claim that continual standing is actually more beneficial than regular exercise. Exercising has proven benefits, of course. But those who stand at work gain more benefits from the constant (though almost non-perceivable) increase in muscle activity that standing encourages. Simple, frequent movement may have longer term benefits than regular exercise.

Tips for Standing at Work

In order to maximize your comfort and ergonomics while standing at your desk, your monitor should be at eye level, and your desktop should be at the height of your hands when your elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle.

If you decide that you would benefit from a standing desk, there are some things to keep in mind in order for you to get the most out of your decision. First, don’t just immediately begin standing for 8 or 9 hours a day. In order for your back and leg muscles to adjust, it is best to gradually work up to a full day of standing.

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Because you will most likely want the option of sitting, it might be best for you to invest in an adjustable desk. In order to allow the option of sitting, there are many desks available from quality office furniture manufacturers like Hon, Allsteel, and SurfaceWorks that adjust to a custom height either electrically or manually.

 

quickstand

Still, another option is the Quickstand from Humanscale. This stand sits on your existing desk, and allows you to raise and adjust the height of your keyboard and monitor; allowing you to turn your desk into an ergonomic standing desk quickly and effortlessly.

The Best Sit-to-Stand Desks at Workspace Solutions

Whether you need an adjustable sit-to-stand desk, or just would like to add a standing option to your existing desk, Workspace Solutions in Fort Wayne can help you find any kind of desk you’d like. They are experts in space design and ergonomics and will help you to make sure that your office furniture is providing maximum comfort, boosting your productivity, and promoting your overall health.