Striking a balance

Whether you’re running a small business or a multi-million dollar corporation, every office wants to save money wherever possible. While it’s always smart to spend carefully, it’s important to plan wisely when budgeting for your new office furniture—some pieces are worth the splurge.

Reception area

SPLURGE: When it comes to the main desk in your reception area, we suggest choosing a piece of furniture that’s going to make a statement. This area will be your customers’ first impression of your business. A great reception desk is welcoming and needs to withstand high-traffic use.

SAVE: Coffee and end tables are welcome accent pieces, but they don’t need to take up much of your budget. Occasional tables in a reception area are used very lightly, and so don’t need to be as durable.

Workstations

SPLURGE: Workstations are important to overall productivity and happiness of your employees; the furniture you select for private offices and cubicles should be the best quality you can afford. Desks and office chairs should be able to withstand daily use and comfortable enough employees can work at them all day, every day. Providing employees with a standing height desk option is becoming a popular choice in today’s health-conscious workforce.

SAVE: Guest chairs at workstations can be an opportunity to save. Whether they’re side chairs in a corner office or a task chair in a cubicle, they are used very lightly and therefore don’t need to be able to withstand any harsh wear.

Conference rooms

SPLURGE: Similar to reception desks, we recommend splurging on your conference table of choice. Choosing the correct conference table is critical when creating a meeting space that’s attractive, impressive and comfortable. Going with something sturdier and more resistant to high traffic use will ensure you won’t need to replace it anytime soon, saving money in the long run. We also recommend splurging on conference chairs comfortable enough for users to sit in during long meetings. After all, nobody is going to be productive in a conference if their back is killing them.

Décor

SAVE: The right décor can create a place that inspires creativity and relaxation in your employees. That being said, we recommend you select all the important furniture first and choose your décor based on the budget you have left over. There are tons of budget-friendly décor and accessory options to choose from when designing your office. No matter what the budget is, you’ll find a selection of artwork, lamps and area rugs to fit into it.

The bottom line

When determining where to spend vs. where to save, it boils down to this: invest in the focal point of a room and high-usage areas. Save on the extras that round out your space. With that in mind, take a step back and determine where it makes the most sense for your office to spend and where to save.