4 Things You Need in Your Smart Office

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Are you unhappy with your current office setup? Is your space hindering your productivity? A new solution to your problem is on the horizon. Many people around the world are using smart technology in their homes. But have you ever heard of a smart office?  

Smart offices are a great solution to the challenge of modernizing your office whether you work in an office setting or at home. They are the future of modern workspaces.

What Is a Smart Office?

A smart office is a modern office that uses technology to aid employees in working more efficiently. Smart offices use the Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to streamline every aspect of the workday.

Keep reading for some examples of IoT which would be implemented in your smart office. 

1. Smart Lighting

Smart lighting is lighting that can be controlled via the internet. Smart lighting allows you to turn lights on and off, dim them, and even change the color of the lights, all from the convenience of your smartphone or computer. 

Smart lighting, as well as smart climate control (which we’ll get into) also monitors energy usage. Going “green” is crucial to the sustainability of our culture and smart energy is a great way to do that.

2. Climate Control

Similar to smart lighting, smart climate control allows you to control the heat and air conditioning from your phone or computer. Rather than go to the trouble of installing thermostats in every room of your office, you can now do it all on one streamlined system.

Just like smart lighting, smart climate control makes tracking your energy usage easy. This is important to both saving money and the environment. 

3. Collaboration & Productivity

Technology that allows team members to easily collaborate is a must-have, especially in today’s work environment when employees may be working remotely. 

Tools like Slack and Asana allow team members to manage projects and tasks and keep track of what needs done as well as deadlines. 

Zoom, WebEx, and Go To Meeting are online conferencing tools that allow employees to meet, share screens, and share files. 

4. Video Monitoring

In 2021, there were over 10,000 cases of theft in the U.S. Now more than ever it is crucial to have video monitoring in your smart office. With video monitoring, you can get an alert on your phone every time someone comes in and out of the office. This is especially helpful after hours. And, if anything does come up missing, you’re able to look back at the feed to see who was in the office at the time.

Start Designing Your Smart Office

Now that you know all about designing your smart office, you can start doing it today! Smart offices are a great investment toward modernizing your office space, whether it be in a traditional office space or at home. 

Top 5 Tips for Choosing the Right Office Furniture

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Choosing the right office furniture is just as important as choosing your office space. It speaks to who you are as an organization and as a team.

You can transform a space simply by changing or adding new office furniture pieces. Whether your style is sleek and modern or warm and cozy, there’s a design element for everybody and every office.

We know that choosing the right office furniture can be a daunting task, so here are 5 tips to help you do it successfully. Keep reading to learn more!

1. Choose Functional Pieces

First and foremost, your pieces have to be functional. Think about your employee’s jobs; what do they do daily? 

Are they using 3 large monitors on their office desks? Is there special equipment that they need room for? Don’t be afraid to ask your employees what their preferences may be either.

The best office furniture will offer ample maneuverability and include plenty of storage. Consider your business’s primary day-to-day functions and build off of that. 

2. Embrace Comfort

Studies have shown that comfort improves productivity. What better way to encourage your employees to work more efficiently than by providing them with comfortable and adjustable office chairs?

Even in waiting and reception areas, a comfortable chair is more welcoming than hard benches or stools. It shows your customers or clients that you are happy to have them there.

3. Select Lobby or Reception Area Furniture Deliberatively

Your lobby or reception area is often the first impression someone will have of your office. What will it say?

Are your chairs in brand colors? Are they conducive to conversation or meant to be spaced out? The reception area will tell clients everything they need to know about your organization before continuing, so ensure it makes a good first impression.

4. Pay Attention to the Size of Your Space

Before you purchase any office furniture, measure your space. Determine how many of each furniture item you suspect you’ll need and how many will fit into the space you have. Our office design experts can help you maximize your space and budget.

Overcrowded office spaces can feel overwhelming, even if cleverly styled. Conversely, an under-furnished space can make a space feel unfinished and awkward.

5. Pick an Intentional Style

Your brand has a style, whether you realize it or not. Choosing an intentional style allows you to take power over what’s being said about your business through its office furniture. 

Determine your business’s audience, typical clientele, and targeted demographic. Think about what the style of your office furniture says to those people. 

Keep your style consistent throughout your office space and use it to your advantage.

What Will Your Office Furniture Say About Your Business?

When choosing office furniture for your business, you’re not only choosing chairs, desks, or filing cabinets. You’re creating your brand’s style. You’re creating an atmosphere.

Workspace Solutions has the answers to all your office furniture needs. Whether you require a few office chairs or all new furniture, we can help your transform your business.

For ideas and inspiration, take a look at some of our previous clients’ spaces and see what Workspace Solutions can do for you too!

How to Create a Welcoming Atmosphere in Your Office Waiting Room

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Did you know that almost all adults in a 2020 survey pinpointed that they are frustrated by waiting room times? Whether you are waiting for a dentist appointment or a job interview, it can be exasperating watching the minutes tick by before your appointment.

If you own a business, you should strive to make your waiting room hospitable and comfortable for visitors. Here are some key things to try so that you can get better reviews and people will feel less stressed in the waiting room.

Comfortable Seating

The last thing you want is for people to be uncomfortable while they wait. This is why waiting room chairs and other waiting room furniture must be inviting and allow visitors to rest and relax before their appointment.

When thinking about seating, make sure that you consider size inclusivity. Try to find waiting room furniture that can accommodate a variety of body types. You should also ensure that people with disabilities have accessibility as well.

Offer Some Refreshments

If your customers will be waiting for a longer amount of time, provide refreshments. One popular option is a single-serving coffee machine, such as a Keurig or a Nespresso.

These come in a variety of different flavors, and even non-coffee drinks such as hot chocolate. You can also include little individually wrapped snacks like cookies and candy in a variety of types.

Entertainment for All Ages

Although many people have smartphones and tablets to keep them entertained, there is still value in keeping magazines in your waiting room. This may entice people to put down the screen and read while they sit before their appointment.

You can also include television with streaming services on it. A smart television with a remote can allow people to choose what they want to watch. Many streaming services have content blockers so you do not have to worry about a customer streaming something inappropriate while there are children around.

Educate Your Customers

When you are sitting in a waiting room, you probably look around and observe your surroundings. This is why one of the best waiting room design ideas is to include posters and pamphlets with valuable educational content.

For instance, if you are a dentist, you can place posters about the benefits of regular cleaning and pamphlets about procedures such as dentures and root canals. A good strategy is to ensure that these blend in with your other decorations.

Bring Your Waiting Room to the Next Level

If you want to spruce up your waiting room, you should not have to take a lot of time and effort to do so. With these tips, you can ensure that your waiting room furniture and atmosphere are comfortable and inviting for everyone.

Would you like to learn more about waiting room design ideas and how you can improve your company? Check out our blog for more tips and tricks.

4 Modern Home Office Ideas

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Even though offices are opened once again for in-office work, 61% of employees working from home are now working remotely because they choose to.

Need to spruce up your work-from-home office space to make it more modern? With the right home office design in mind, you can create a home workspace that boosts productivity levels and keeps your mind and body healthy. Continue reading below to learn how to do just that!

1. Desk With File Storage

When designing a home office space, you most likely don’t have as much room to work with. Using multi-purpose furniture pieces is ideal to create a workspace you can live in. A space-saving desk with file storage incorporated into the design is beneficial because you won’t have to worry about purchasing a file storage cabinet and finding a place for it.  

2. Ergonomic Office Chair

Speaking of ergonomic furniture, you’ll want to include an ergonomic chair as well. Ergonomic furniture is created with your physical health in mind. It ensures proper posture from the way you sit to the way your neck is supported. 

When you use ergonomic furniture, you’ll find yourself being able to work more hours and stay productive. There won’t be as many stiff necks or sore backs. The right office chair for your home office should provide both back and neck support and should have an adjustable height. 

When testing out office chairs, sit in it and make sure that your feet land firmly on the ground with your knees at a right angle. Consider using a padded floor mat for your feet as well for some added cushion. 

3. Biophilic Design

We talked about purchasing ergonomic furniture for your physical health, but don’t forget about your mental health too! When you incorporate natural elements and materials into your home office space, you create a biophilic design. This type of design focuses on all those natural elements that can make an office space ideal for good mental health. To bring a piece of the outdoors into your office, you can include live plants, wood materials, and water elements. 

Once you do so, you’ll notice a decrease in stress, an increase in focus, and a boost in creativity. 

4. Standing Desk

We all know how draining it can be to sit down at a desk in front of a computer screen for several hours a day. It’s never a bad idea to switch things up from time to time. This is good for both your mental and physical health! Include a standing desk area in your home office that allows you to easily witch between sitting and standing throughout the day to help keep your body moving. 

Which Home Office Idea Do You Like Best?

Designing the ideal home workspace will take a bit of time and patience. Try out a few different design ideas until you find the home office idea you like best. The ideal home office space will offer comfort, improve mental health and productivity, and keep your physical health a priority as well.

Are you looking for new furniture to add to your home office? Browse through a few pieces we have available today!

How to Maximize Your Home Office Space

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Did you know that a messy desk can limit your productivity?

Many people struggle to work from home as it is—the last thing you want is a cluttered workspace adding to the challenge.

So, how can you eliminate the clutter and best utilize your space?

Our tips will help you to learn how to maximize your home office space!

Go Digital

One of the easiest ways to maximize office space is by going digital. The more paper and files that fill your home office, the less room you’ll have for bigger furniture pieces.

A smaller filing cabinet can help save space for documents that you need to keep hard copies of, the rest can be scanned and kept digitally. There are plenty of digital workspaces and applications that make it easy to file and secure your documents digitally.

Craft Unique Storage Options

The biggest challenge when it comes to maximizing home office space is finding a good place to store all your supplies.

Even with a closet, storage can be tricky. After all, you won’t be able to easily access everything you need.

One easy storage solution is to install floating shelves. They don’t take up floor space, and they can be customized to be as long and wide as you’d like.

Opt for racks and storage containers that can be hung over your door. It’s another way to prevent storage units from taking up precious floor space, and you can access them with the swivel of your chair.

Use Color to Open Up Your Home Office Space

The color of the walls can do a lot to make a small office feel larger. If you plan on spending a lot of time in your office, the last thing you want is for it to feel cramped and claustrophobic.

Using light colors is essential to make the room feel larger. Dark colors, by contrast, shrink the room and create a heavy, enclosed atmosphere. Using light colors is especially important if you don’t have any windows to let in natural light.

Consider Your Desk Options

Your desk will likely take up the most space in your office, so it’s worth considering which style of desk will best maximize your home office space.

Standing desks are growing in popularity, as they’re both space-saving and proven to increase productivity. 

If you prefer the comfort of a chair, consider an L-shaped desk. They fit snugly into a corner and give you more space than traditional desks. They’re especially useful if you have a dual monitor setup.

Desks are available in many sizes so find one that fits best in your space.

Creating the Optimal Office 

It can feel impossible to cram all your office furniture and supplies into a tiny room, but it’s possible with a bit of strategic planning. With the tips above, you’ll have no trouble creating an organized home office space.

Looking for more? Check out the rest of our website for more office tips and tricks.

Need a little extra assistance? Contact us to learn how we can help you improve your own office space!

5 Office Design Trends for 2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to change how we work going forward. Many offices are opting for hybrid spaces with employees working a mix of remote and in-office. With this new hybrid approach comes new and some not-so-new design trends for your office.

Office designs for 2022 are going to look different, and that’s a good thing. But, how different? What should you expect? 

Read on to learn about five office design trends for 2022!

1. Biophilic Designs

Biophilic designs were a hot trend for homes last year and this year we’re seeing it as one of the top design trends for the office. Biophilic designs add elements of the natural world to your office spaces. Wood, water, and plants bring a feel of the outdoors to your office and have several benefits.

One benefit includes improved air quality by adding plants to your office. These more natural spaces also help to reduce stress, boost creativity, and improve focus. All of these are important things in the workplace.

2. Flexible Work Space

A flexible working space is what employees will look for after more than a year of working from home. Letting employees work the way they’ve become accustomed to is the way forward, all without losing productivity that accompanies the transition back to the office.

Instead of dedicated desks and traditional office spaces, give employees flexible work areas for new ways of working. 

With more people working from home and video meetings taking the place of in-person meetings, spaces need to adapt.  Workspaces need to be able to go from collaboration spaces to private video spaces, as well as homey personal retreats. 

3. Neutral Colors

Neutral colors are a staple of office design, so expect more of them in office designs for 2022. Using beiges, tans, and off-whites to make an office feel more like home is vital for a successful office. Combine this with biophilic designs and go for wood tones to add some natural color to your office.

Keep the landscape around your office in mind when designing a color palette. Counter unending greys with neutral colors to keep the workplace lively. Color theory can help you motivate your employees.

4. Multi-Functional Spaces

More people are telecommuting since the pandemic began. Workspaces are adapting to this by changing what they use office space for. Using spaces that change into different setups saves space.

It also allows for more employees to be there at the same time. This way, remote workers have the option of coming in if they want. Meanwhile, your regular workers enjoy the benefits of the open space.

When needed, a multi-functional space can become a host for large meetings or parties. No cubicles to remove in this office, only space to put tables and comfortable office chairs. These spaces work well as flexible spaces.

5. Comfortable Offices

Offices around the world are making their offices look and feel more like home office spaces. Bringing the comfort of home to your office makes it easier when returning to work. Warm lights, plush carpeting, sofa-like seating will help your office look homier for your employees.

Adding comfort to work helps employee productivity. It also increases creativity, allowing your employees to better solve problems they have. Comfort is not something for your office to overlook.

Consider These Design Trends

Design trends for 2022 look less like a corporate hive and more like your employee’s home offices. You’ll see more sustainability, comfort, and flexibility in design trends. With them, employees will be happier and healthier, which leads to more productivity!

Enjoy this article? Check out our other articles next, including this one on how to make sure your office is decorated perfectly.

What Is Ergonomic Furniture and Why Should Your Workplace Have Some?

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Ergonomic furniture has become more commonplace as we study ergonomics and understand that more comfortable employees are happier, healthier, and more productive.

Ergonomics play an important part in the workplace as ergonomic office furniture puts the body into a natural position, rather than in a position that could lead to injury, while providing a more comfortable working environment. 

Are you preparing to redesign your office and update your furniture? Let’s go over the ins and outs of ergonomics so that you can be sure that you are making smarter purchases for your team.

What Is Ergonomics?

Ergonomics is the study of how efficient people are at the office. It makes sure that office equipment is at the right height and angle for employees to be as efficient as possible throughout their workday.

An ergonomic workplace provides many benefits to the employees. In turn, it makes them happier and more productive, which makes the boss happier as well.

Ergonomic Furniture

Ok, so ergonomics is where they study how employees can be more efficient. What does that mean for office furniture, such as office desks and chairs?

Workspaces are places where employees often spend hours on end sitting at their desks. So, the ultimate in comfort is extremely important.

The placement of chair seat height, angles, armrests, and desk height will all influence how the body sits while working. 

Thinking Ahead For Health 

Hopefully, we are upgrading our office furniture to ergonomic designs for our health. We can also do it for design aesthetics, or just to be up to date and modernized office; the biggest benefit will always be our health.

Sitting in a chair that was not designed ergonomically can create a multitude of back problems. It can also give you tight muscles, digestive issues, and a wide variety of health problems.

Saving On Healthcare

Check-in with your healthcare provider as to what discounts can be applied when you switch from traditional office furniture to ergonomic furniture. Healthcare companies love when employers promote wellness in the office and may reward employers in the form of a discount. 

Add in mindful posture reminders and group stretches throughout the day, and there might be an even bigger discount applied.

Take Comfort To A New Level

Of course, our health comes first, yet comfort is a close second.

A full workday at a desk that is too low or too high can put your body in an unnatural and uncomfortable position. This makes you feel pain and become agitated at work.

Boost morale and keep employees comfortable while they work by switching out individual desks and group work tables to ergonomic designs.

Replace old chairs with chairs that sit the body in positions that make sense for health and are adjustable to suit all body types.

Sitting Pretty

Ergonomic furniture will have the office looking spiffy and have the employees sitting pretty as they become more productive in a morale-boosting environment.

Workspace Solutions has many options to bring the solution you are looking for to your office. Be sure to check out our blog posts for more great tips!

These Tips That Will Help You Stay Motivated and Productive While Working From Home

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Many people got to experience what it was like to work remotely firsthand over the past year. Now that things are beginning to open back up, some employees would like to keep working in this manner. 

Working remotely does have its benefits. In fact, according to a new study, 80 percent of participants noted remote work helped them take better care of their mental health. With another 83 percent citing it decreases their level of stress. 

If you are working remotely, keep reading this guide and learn how you can stay motivated and productive while working from home. 

1. Establish a Work Space

Rule number one while working from home is to separate home from work. This means establishing a space or home office that’s specifically designed for you to work and that alone. The goal here is to eliminate all distractions.

Your workspace should be complete with the right equipment, such as a desk or workstation and office chair capable of being used all day. It’s important not to cheap out on this furniture as a proper chair and desk can make it easier for you to remain focused throughout the workday. 

2. Make a System

If you are having a hard time gathering the motivation to work while at home, try implementing a time management system that can increase productivity and keep you focused. 

One system that people have success with is called the Pomodoro Technique. The basics of the method are as follows:

  • Put all your focus on one task for 25 minutes straight
  • After the 25 minutes are up, take a 5-minute break
  • Repeat four times

The method is designed to help break your work down into simple, more manageable parts that you can accomplish more efficiently.

3. Use Tools & Resources

One of the best parts of working from home is the vast amount of free resources and tools available to help you stay focused on work. Here are a few of the most popular:

  • Note-taking – Evernote, Simplenote, Google Keep, Microsoft Onenote.
  • Block out distractions  – LeechBlock, Forest, Focus.
  • Time management – Trello, Todoist, RescueTime.

Using a few of these free resources can help save you time, increase efficiency, and get more work done throughout the day. 

4. Get Outside

Not only can getting outside and enjoying some fresh air improve your mood, but it can also increase your productivity.

A study from Harvard Business Review divided participants into two groups. The groups were asked to work on a repetitive assignment for five minutes and were then given a 40-second break. One group was asked to stare at a concrete roof. The other group also saw a roof but was covered in nature or green meadows.

When the participants were asked to continue working, the group that saw the concrete roof lost concentration by an average of 8 percent. The group that experienced nature saw their concentration levels rise by 6 percent.

The Best Way to Stay Motivated

When you’re working from home, it can be challenging to stay motivated with so many distractions and other things going on. Luckily, there are certain things you can do to increase your productivity and block out all those distractions that are holding you back from producing your best work. 

The best way to stay motivated is by setting yourself up for success with the right tools and equipment. If you are looking to boost your productivity, contact us today, and we can help design the correct setup for your home office.