Deciding what type of office furniture to buy for your reception seating area can seem like an overwhelming task. But taking the time to thoroughly think through what type of furniture you want is important. You want the furniture to last, look good and clean easily. So, how long your furniture will last in your reception room depends upon the choices you make.
Questions to ask yourself
Before you decide to buy your new reception seating furniture, there are some questions you may want to ask yourself. This especially applies if the furniture you’re considering buying is made from fabric. Below are some things to consider:
In what part of the reception area will your furniture be placed? This is important because how long your furniture is going to last depends on how often it’s used. If you don’t have a lot of traffic in your reception area, then you could consider linen or silk. But if you are going to have a lot of clients or sales representatives sitting on the furniture, then another option may work better. In that case, you would want something which would hold up better. Consider fabrics which are engineered or combined with other fabrics which are more durable then. Another point is that the tighter the fabric has been woven, the better the fabric on your chair will hold up.- Will it be near a window? If your chair is near a window, then keep in mind that fabric will fade over a period of time in sunlight. So, you can move your chair away from the window and the sunlight here. or find a fabric option which doesn’t show fading as much. Also, where there is a heat source in your reception area, don’t place your furniture close to it.
- What is the ambience of your reception seating area? Think about the mood that you want to express when deciding upon the fabric. The color you choose will set the mood you’re trying to convey in your office. So, if you’d like to have a bright cheery room, then use bright colors. If you want a homier, more comfortable look, then choose earth tones.
- Why are pattern choices important? Pattern choices are important as explained. A printed pattern can hide a stain better than a piece of furniture made from plain fabric. However, you don’t want something which is loud and clashes with the style of the furniture you are buying, or is already in the office. A pattern which is woven will hold up better than a pattern which is made from printed material also. Additionally, you want to choose something that you will enjoy looking at since you’ll be in and out of the reception area yourself. Another point to think about is that the size of the furniture. A smaller chair, for example, will need a different pattern of color than a larger, bolder piece of furniture.
- What about cleaning? You need to find out what cleaning methods will work best with the fabric on your furniture. Water-based cleaners or a dry-cleaning product can be used on many chair fabrics. So, check the cleaning tag on the furniture to see which to use on what you will be purchasing. Also, furniture may have a lettered cleaning code to explain what cleaning method to use. Another question to consider here is whether you should have extra stain protection. There are different types of fabric stain protectors which can be used to protect furniture from stains, mildew, bacteria and odors.
Other upholstery furniture options
If you’re concerned about durability of your reception office furniture, there are better options. These would consist of leather, vinyl or mesh. Below are the explanations for each:
- Vinyl seating: Vinyl seating looks and feels very like leather, but it has less maintenance. It cleans up very easily.
- Leather furniture: This furniture breathes class and comfort. When considering leather, look at its color, the quality of it and whether it cleans up well though. A leather protector can be applied before using the furniture additionally. Leather furniture needs to be kept out of the sun too.
- Mesh chair: These mesh chairs are wonderful for ventilation and will help your clients stay cool while waiting. It allows airflow on the back of the person sitting in it which cuts down on cleaning the chair as often.
Your reception area should not only display your taste, but say something about your company
References:
https://nationalofficeinteriors.com/product-category/reception/reception-chairs/
https://www.business.com/articles/choosing-reception-furniture-for-your-office/
