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The Benefits of the Armless Steelcase Leap

The benefits of choosing an armless Steelcase Leap are endless. With an ergonomic design and beautiful organic curves it’s the perfect chair for working those long tedious hours and still staying comfortable.  I know what you’re thinking Why would you want an armless chair as opposed to a standard Leap?

Armless Steelcase Leap V1 Chairs

Space– It’s not quite as bulky. Let’s be honest space matters especially in an office. Without arms you can more easily maneuver around a conference table or training desk.

Look– It’s slimmer and more elegant. Arms don’t always add to the look of designs, sometimes beauty is in simplicity. The Steelcase Leap’s design can stand on its own and still maintain several key features.

Damage– You don’t have to worry about damaging the arms or getting them repaired. Arms tend to slam or get stuck against desks and tables. Armless keeps your chair looking better longer.

Cost– Great news it costs less! When designing your space on a budget consider if you really need the arms for the tasks you will be doing. Why not try to save a couple bucks where you can?

All and all the armless leap may be the perfect match for you and your needs. Consider the factors and decide for yourself. Who needs those pesky arms anyways?

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Selecting the Right Wood Finish for Your Office

When you are buying your office furniture, you’ll get the most pleasing results if all the pieces you purchase are in harmony. They should blend in together or contrast in an attractive way. The wood finish on office furniture pieces is a critical part of achieving visual harmony. Your office furniture style also makes a significant impression on visitors, clients and even employees. It sets the tone for how people should behave and interact in the office environment. You shouldn’t pick wood finishes on a whim because you may not end up with the result that you want. Instead, carefully consider your decision since you have a wide range of choices.

Morgan Wood Veneer L-Shaped Desk with Modesty PanelThere are a lot of options when it comes to wood finishes. For example, you can choose either laminate or real wood for your office furniture. Laminate is a man-made material that is printed to look as if it has a wood finish. Laminate is available in a variety of colors just like real wood. Laminate is popular because it costs quite a bit less that solid wood furniture. Some office furniture stores offer both standard and upgraded laminate finishes. The upgraded finishes may involve slightly more cost, but if you want a certain look, the investment is typically worth it.

Another advantage of laminate is that it is very easy to customize without a large investment. People often think that wood is always preferable to laminate, but the reality is that laminate comes in many attractive styles. Laminate is typically available in more colors than wood so you will have a wider range of options.  You can purchase laminate in traditional wood colors like mahogany, cherry and espresso. You can also purchase the furniture in less traditional colors like white, light blue, hunter green and black. This will allow you to create a unique look to your office space.

Laminate tends to be harder than wood. Laminate office furniture has a very long lifespan, even if it has to be moved on a frequent basis. Wood is susceptible to scratches and will need to be refinished at some point. You typically won’t have those concerns if you choose laminate.

Wood office furniture is still a good investment, although it involves more cost than laminate. Some people vastly prefer the feel of real wood. You can find good bargains on refurbished wood furniture if you are hoping to reduce costs. If you choose this route, you should be careful to find refurbished furniture that matches your d©cor. The office furniture pieces should coordinate well with your paint or wall paper, chairs, tables and other items.Cambridge Wood Veneer Series

Wood and laminate office furniture can come in a variety of colors. You should consider how the color will look in your office. Some colors are much darker than other. Dark furniture can look sophisticated, but it can also make the room look smaller. If the paint and flooring are dark as well, the room can seem dark and unwelcoming. Lighter wood styles can brighten up a room and make it seem larger. However, it should blend with the flooring and paint or it will stand out and look unattractive.

Common office furniture wood finishes include cherry, espresso, mahogany, maple and walnut. Espresso finishes are very attractive because they are dark and lend elegance to the area. Cherry is still a dark finish but brighter than espresso which appears almost black. Walnut can have a variety of shading. Some walnut furniture is even available in white. You should carefully consider wood finishes when you are selecting office furniture because the pieces are important focal points in your office.

You should also consider formality when selecting wood finishes. Do you want a casual, open look to the office? Or, do you want the office to appear formal and traditional? These are important considerations because they make an impression on clients and visitors. Many law offices and financial firms choose conservative wood finishes like cherry and mahogany because they create a highly professional look. However, if you want your environment to be friendly and welcoming, consider lighter finishes like walnut or a lighter-colored veneer so that visitors and clients can relax and be informal.

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Upgrading Your Desk

As we move through the different stages in our lives and careers we go through upgrades. We upgrade our wardrobe our cars, furniture and appliances. For me I needed some upgrade in my life specifically in my office. Now for those of you who read my blog How to Choose the Right Office Chair for Your Workspace you would know I had already begun this process. I traded in my over-sized office chair for something smaller and more efficient and next up on my check list was a new desk.

before desk

My previous desk was one that I had thrown together from Pinterest. It had storage cubby sides and a wood top desk. It was by no means anything fancy nor did it have all the features I was looking for in a desk. It was always meant to be temporary until I was able to upgrade to something a little more professional.

When the day finally came I hit the warehouse to look at all the desk sets available. My first thought was that I needed something with lots of storage. I started checking out all the desk sets with credenzas and plenty of storage space. However, my office space (which also happens to be my bedroom) is limited and while I longed for a big desk set I knew it wasn't in the cards.

I took several laps around the warehouse until I returned to the Everyday series in Cherry. One of the things I loved about this series is how I could pick and choose from several different pieces to make the desk set I wanted. I settled on the smaller desk with a single pedestal side. The great thing about this desk was all the features:

  • Easy to grip handles
  • Locks on all drawers
  • Black full suspension ball bearing slides on all drawers
  • Black finished drawer interiors
  • File drawers supplied with rods for hanging legal or letter files
  • Matching vertical grain drawer fronts
  • Black plastic wire management grommets
  • Vertical grain full modesty panels
  • Scratch resistant laminate
  • 3 Millimeter edge banding on all edges
  • Adjustable leveling glides

Everyday Series Desk

Now that's a lot of features for just a small desk right? But while this desk gave me enough space to work it didn't give me all the space I needed for storage so I added on a two shelf bookcase to the set. The book shelf was an important add on for me. It stores my printer along with the four baskets of office supplies I had in my previous desk. Even though I went from a one piece desk to two piece set I ended up taking up less space. My new desk is less bulky then my previous one and gave me more space to walk by. In the end I couldn't be happier with my new set. My office is more organized than ever and with the Cherry color I was still able to stay in the country style design I desired.

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My Cubicle Makeover

You can tell a lot about a person by their office. The design of your office should be a direct reflection of your personality. It’s also many peoples first impression of you. Do you want to be perceived as strong and sophisticated or are you coming across as simple and sloppy? If you have ever heard of the saying dress for the job you want the same should be said about the presentation of your workspace.

When I first started my position I was very excited about the design options that lay before me. I have this beautiful custom Knoll cubicle with a sliding glass door and metal polka dot base. Because I have a glass wall and am essentially visible to all, I knew that what I put in my cubicle was not only a direct reflection of myself but also of the company. I wanted to showcase the fact that cubicles don’t have to be boring but I knew I needed to choose some bold items.

First thing I changed in my cubicle was the neutral desk that was a shade of beige. I knew that wood didn’t really go with the style I was looking for so I swapped it out for a custom metal polka dot desk to match the outside base. The metal look is clean cut and sleek while the polka dots added some texture and uniqueness.

Storage is a must have. While you want your desk to look comfortable and cozy you don’t want to come off as messy and unorganized. Adding in vertical files under the desk is a great way to save yourself some space. Typically these items are no frill items however now you can get them with a custom padded top with fabric to not only add to your design but to also put out as an extra seat if need be.

Next I needed a bucket chair and I needed to add some color so I decided to make this item my pop of color. I hit the warehouse looking for the item I desired but I didn’t quite find anything that was exactly what I had in mind so I decided to get one reupholstered. I chose a comfortable chair that had great shape and clean lines. I reupholstered it with smooth red leather. It was bold and colorful as well as the company color. Not to mention a strong use of red in design also symbolizes things such as energy, power, leadership, courage, and joy.

Before and After Side Chairs

Now that I had chosen the main items that I wanted to reflect the company it was now time to choose my personal knickknacks that showed my personality and made me feel creative and productive in the workplace. Two must haves in personal items for me are a framed picture of loved ones and a plant or flower to help reduce stress. To add to my style I threw in some vintage inspired items such as a white teacup for pencils and a glass bird. For my finishing touch I add artwork to add more color as well as inspiration.

My Cubicle Makeover

I hope that my cubicle makeover inspires you to make a few changes of your own. Here are some closing things to remember: Design matters and customization doesn’t need to break the bank ask us about our reupholstering and custom desk top options.

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How to Choose the Right Office Chair for Your Workspace

Ever since I moved into my new apartment I have been struggling with my workspace. I live in a small (650sq ft.) 1-bedroom apartment, which doesn’t leave much space for anything, especially an office. However, as someone who occasionally works from home it was something I needed to figure out.

The biggest obstacle was my chair. It’s a great chair however not the right fit for my space or for me. First of all it was too large! I had a hard time squeezing past it to get to other parts of the room, not to mention it was not the easiest object to maneuver. I felt like I was in a constant battle with my office chair. I couldn’t get comfortable in it and my arm always slipped off the arm pieces uncontrollably. I said enough is enough and I went looking for a new chair

Steelcase Leap V2 Plus Used Task Chair, Taupe Line PatternNow as someone who works for a company that sells office furniture you can imagine I didn’t have to look far. But what did I want out of a new office chair? I knew I definitely needed something smaller for a start that was easy to maneuver around the tight space of my room. I wanted arms that wouldn’t slip easily and leave me flat on my face. I also didn’t want to be swallowed whole by some the larger more cumbersome task chairs. I needed something that fit my frame.

So I hit the warehouse. Who knew there were so many different kinds of task chairs? I sat in a few, swiveled around and played with all the adjustments: back support, adjustable arms, seat angle, seat depth, recline, and tilt tension the list goes on… Still unsure I went back to my desk.

I took a good long look at the chair I was sitting in at my cubicle and pondered its performance. I had never felt the same discomfort in that chair as I did in my home office one. I loved how I could customize the features to fit me just like you set your custom chair features in your car. This chair had molded to my every need and I never noticed but perhaps that’s the point. I was able to get my work done without any thought to being uncomfortable.

I thought about it on my journey back home; did I really want a plain black task chair or does my inner fashionista need something bold and colorful? But then I realized. Wouldn’t I be back at square one if I chose a chair purely on if it was feminine enough for me? The point is to be comfortable while seated all day. Plus, I decided I needed something gender neutral to keep both me and my other half happy.

So at the end of the day here I am, swiveling around in my Steelcase Leap V2 task chair, comfortably working without a second thought to whether or not I chose the right chair. Oh, and I later found out that my manager said we recover furniture, so if I wanted to engage my inner fashionista I could maybe this chair will be purple, I haven’t decided yet. Now, all I need to do is find the perfect desk to fit in my shoebox of an apartment.