If you are setting up a new home office then working out what you need can be a confusing task as the choice of products available is huge, with our range here at Price Crash Furniture running into the thousands of items. However, help is at hand for you as we take a look below at what you should be considering when making the all important buying decisions for your new office setup.
Stage 1: Have a clear idea of what you intend to use your office for
A home office setup is simple isn’t it? Well, no not really. It all depends on how you are planning on using it. Experience tells us what you need for a setup varies significantly depending on what you are planning to do.
A home office set up for having a laptop for a bit of internet shopping and essential life admin, or a setup that means you can work from home if there is bad snow and you can’t get to work, is very different to one designed for working from home the majority of the time in a hybrid or remote role, or running a business from home.
Stage 2: Understand the space you have available for your home office setup
This is an issue we see all too often unfortunately, and one I have made myself before when I was young and naïve. As a consequence I am well placed to talk about this one!
Setting up the office looks easy on paper, but do you really have space for the grand curved corner desk you are looking at? Or would a narrower laptop table better? Can you easily get your chosen office chair in and out? To do this comfortably you need to allow at least 90cm between your desk and any obstruction for your chair.
The best advice we can give on this is to start your planning with an empty floor space so that you can then mark out where everything will go, this will help you visualise the layout, and any challenges you may have with your preferred choice of office furniture.
What size and style of desk do I need?
We have written before in some detail about choosing the right desk for your office. The key to this is what we have talked about in stage 1 – understanding what you plan to use your new office for. If you are planning a dual monitor set up for a lot of working from home, you will need a more spacious desk that for simple occasional use of a laptop. Equally, if you are just looking to use at occasional light use we have many laptop tables that will be ideal and provide a very different aesthetic for the room compared to a large desk
What type of chair is best
Like the choice of desks, we have talked in detail about choosing the right chair for your office which is well worth a read if you want to explore the subject in more depth.
As with the choice of computer desk, it is important to understand to what you intend to do, but also crucially how long per day you intend to do it for before committing.
Office chairs come with a usage or hours rating, designed to guide you on the maximum suitable usage per day. If you are going to be working at your desk all day every day you need a desk chair with a suitable rating to not only ensure it stands the test of time, but also that it is been designed specifically to support someone sitting for that duration.
Chairs designed for use all day (8 hours or more) will typically come with improved or adjustable lumbar support, improved tilt mechanisms and adjustable armrests to ensure you are properly supported for the whole working day.
Do I need extra storage for the office?
If you are only planning on light use for your office, the likely answer is no. Even if you are planning to work from home on occasion, the standard drawers and cupboards built into most desks should be enough.
However, if you are planning to use your office a lot then you may need to consider additional storage – fortunately we have plenty on offer.
For basic extra storage you may wish to consider a pedestal drawer unit that sits next to or under the desk. For more substantial storage options we have a broad range of filing cabinets and cupboards for the office to suit all design tastes and needs.
As a basic rule for storage, always remember that cupboards and shelves are going to be more substantial than drawers. This means they are much more able to hold increased weights if you have a lot of big, bulky and heavy items to store such as paperwork.
