How to kit out your office from scratch

Designing and kitting out an office space can be a daunting task, especially if you’re starting completely from scratch. To ensure that you cover all the essential items and maximise the potential of your space, it’s important that you undertake some careful planning and organisation. To help make the process a little easier, take a look at these simple tips.

Set a budget

Kitting out an entire office can be an expensive task, and before you start furnishing your space, it’s important to set a realistic budget. Taking a practical approach will help you to make informed decisions and keep the costs to a minimum. For example, thinking about how many people will be occupying the area and using the equipment will help you to buy the necessary provisions.

Remember that some things are more important when it comes to office furnishings, and your financial plan should reflect this. Overspending on superfluous items, like decorative ornaments or gimmicks, may leave you struggling when it comes to more important expenses.

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Plan your layout

Think of your office space as a blank canvas and try to envisage what type of working environment you want to create. For example, do you want an open plan area to enhance workforce collaboration or would you prefer to have sectioned-off areas to enable a degree of privacy? Perhaps you want continuous rows of desks, or maybe you’re keen to set up small clusters of workstations to differentiate between departments. Remember that private spaces can soon be created in open plan rooms with simple solutions like office screens and room dividers.

Once you have decided upon the layout of the room, you can then start to formulate an idea of what kind of furniture will be most appropriate.

Start with the basics

When kitting out an office, the easiest place to start is with essential pieces of furniture.  Workstation facilities, such as desks, chairs and computers should be at the forefront of your mind, as these items will be used on a daily basis. It’s important to make sure that the furniture you buy is high quality and ergonomically designed to ensure that your employees are comfortable while working. As a general rule of thumb, your furniture should be functional, user-friendly and meet the specific needs of your business.

Luckily, it’s now easier than ever to find affordable, high-quality furniture for offices. Companies like Furniture At Work offer a range of products that are ideal for first-time business owners, with the added bonus of flexible payment programmes and bulk-order discounts.

Storage

Storage solutions are a vital part of the office environment. Not only do they help keep all of your important files and work tidy and organised, they also maximise space and create a productive setting. Filing cabinets, drawers, shelving units, desk pedestals, bookcases and cupboards can help you to maintain a clutter-free space. If you’re tight on square footage, wall-mounted bookcases and shelves are great solutions that free up valuable floor and desk space.

Modular systems with adjustable heights are particularly useful, as they can be easily altered to create bespoke storage solutions that suit your changing requirements. You may also want to think about lockable storage cupboards to ensure that any confidential work is secure.

Other considerations

Depending on your needs, you may also want to consider other office amenities, such as executive furniture, boardroom furnishings, presentation equipment and decorative items as well as looking for the right marketing suite. Make sure it is local and looks professional for all clients and employees.

Remember that offices don’t have to be plain and clinical. Be creative with your furnishings and general design, and try to make sure you create an area that your employees will be happy to work in.  In House catering maybe be important so look into a software like In house manager to help you manage this side of office life.