subject: Choosing Office Furniture Fabrics And Finishes [print this page] The variety of fabrics and finishes available in todays current furniture and seating industry is limitless. From high pressure laminates in every possible wood finish to simulated marble and beautiful sophisticated matrix patterns, the choice is literally endless.
One of the challenges our customers are constantly faced with is fabric and finish selection. As I mentioned the choices are boundless, but this is not what produces most of the conflict in decision making.
Many times customers know they will be forced to live with the aesthetic theme they select for a number of years to come. They want to make the right choice so their theme is current but not so trendy that it produces a dated result. In addition to their design concerns, many knowledgeable clients want to make good environmental and ergonomic decisions as relating to the purchase of new furniture and seating.
Clients inherently want to purchase furniture, seating, fabrics, finishes, and materials that are good for the environment. And the good news is they can choose materials that are both environmentally conscious and attractive. They also want to choose products that provide safety, comfort, and ergonomic benefits for their employees.
Many of our large commercial clients have on-staff designers that make these decisions, but most clients are forced to make these choices themselves. Receiving good advice is the key to making educated office furniture and seating selections. This is where experienced consultants can be of assistance.
Getting experienced advice can be invaluable. An experienced consultant can provide insight that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. Good consultants know the origin of materials and know whether the materials are environmentally compliant. They also know how to provide good design and configuration advice. A competent and experienced office furniture consultant is usually familiar with spatial adjacencies and scale dimensions. They can usually provide 2D and 3D CAD options with a variety of views that really help clients to visualize what their new configuration will look like prior to purchasing.
Modularity is also very popular as it relates to home and business office furniture because it provides the ability to change furniture the configuration within certain limits. All in all, my advice would be to engage in due diligence to educate yourself regarding all of your options. If you do not have the luxury of investing time into your perspective furniture project, I recommend calling an expert for advice.
The purpose of this article is to inform and educate. It is our main goal to provide help and assistance to those in need.
