Space & Location

The very first thing you need to do is decide where your office space is going to be. You may be lucky enough to already have a study or spare room that can be converted into your office; or you may have to find yourself a little niche somewhere. The amount of space you have is not important, what matters is what you do with it. Many home offices are set up in corners of rooms, or even in cupboards. The advantage of setting up your work area in a cupboard or wardrobe is that you can close the door on it when you are finished, putting work out of sight and out of mind. The thing to remember is to make it a clearly defined space that you and your family know is your work area, and try not to use it for anything else.

Image courtesy of LeeBrimelow via Flickr creative commons

Equipment

The most expensive purchase you will probably have to make will be your computer. Think hard about your needs before buying. For example, if you are going to have a shared computer for home and work, it is often better to get a laptop than a desktop. This way you can move it out of your work area when you finish, so you won’t be tempted to spend more hours at your desk checking emails or surfing the net. You may require a printer, fax machine or telephone line, and having a stash of paper and pens is always handy for taking notes.

Furniture

At the very least you will need a desk and chair, and somewhere to file things. If space is limited, try a corner desk that you can stash a filing cabinet and printer underneath. Office chairs must be good quality and suited to your height and build, as a bad chair leads to poor posture, which in turn causes back problems very quickly. If you have nowhere to put a filing cabinet, try putting a shelf up over your desk and get some upright filing boxes.

Image of Marathon Operator Chair

Organisation

It is very difficult to be productive at a messy desk, so take some time each day to have a good tidy up. Plan your space thoroughly – if everything has a home it will soon become second nature to put things away when you have finished with them. When you are surrounded by clear space you will feel much more relaxed, and won’t waste time searching for things.

Whilst we supply a wide range of office desks and office chairs with ergonomic features, it’s up to our customers to make all the relevant adjustments once the desk or chair is in situ. Remember, working on paper and working at a keyboard require different desk and chair heights for optimum working posture, so it’s imperative that you choose your desk and office chair with great consideration!

So for your benefit, in addition to your DSE assessment, here are a few tips to help you find the best working position and to get the most out of working from your brand new office desk:

1. Sit upright at your office desk in a relatively relaxed position with shoulders and elbows free of any tension. Make sure your back is making contact with the lumbar support and shoulder support areas of your office chair. Your chin should not stick out and should be tucked in very slightly to reduce strain to your neck and shoulders.

2. Make sure that your ears, shoulders, elbows and hip bones align vertically on both sides. You shouldn’t be slouched to one side – this is common in computer operators who use a mouse. Check that your armrests are in the correct position and do not impede your access to your computer keyboard or working area on your desk. Consider removing the armrests is they are too low as they can encourage you to slump.

3. Next, adjust your seat height and/or desk height so that the underside of your elbow can rest at desk height when it is in the ‘neutral’ position in alignment vertically under your shoulder. Your back should remain in a neutral natural ‘S’ position rather than a stooped ‘C’ position – you may need to adjust your seat pan backwards or forwards, upwards or downwards to ensure that your lumbar region and small of your back is upright, relaxed and in alignment.

4. Adjust your monitor height as per your DSE assessment guidelines. Your eye line with the monitor should allow you to keep your head looking straight ahead, whilst your eyes will look at a very slight downward angle.

5. Make sure you have enough room under your desk to move around comfortably, and to avoid contorting or sitting askew. Your legs should be squarely placed in front of you and you might require a footrest to reduce or increase pressure on the back of the thighs accordingly.

There are other elements that you need to be aware of to achieve the most healthy and productive way of working – wrist positioning, lighting, air quality and monitor quality are all aspects of the work environment that need to be considered via your DSE assessment. In some cases, special equipment and extra steps may need to be taken to ensure that you’re working in the safest and most appropriate way.

So whilst Desk Office can find you the most stylish and cost-efficient office desks to work with, it’s up to you, our customers, to make them the safest and most productive office desks you’ve ever invested in!

At Desk Office, we supply a range of Besa Height Adjustable Tables. Their ability to adapt to different height requirements means that the tables can be used for school children and adult learners of all ages, sizes and abilities. The height adjustable tables are an obvious good investment, as they negate the need to buy several different sizes of table to accommodate different age groups, and can help to keep classrooms versatile and multi-purpose.

What’s more, these ergonomic desks are also available with a choice of 25mm laminate tops, including beech finish, red, blue, green, yellow and grey. Desk dimensions include 700mm x 600mm (single seat), or 1200mm x 600mm (double seat size), currently prices £60.99 and £72.99 (ex VAT) respectively.

The Besa Height Adjustable tables conform to BS EN 1729 and include sturdy cantilever fully welded legs, rounded corners for extra safety, a front modest panel and a handy under-desk tray storage accessory. An ‘unseen’ added extra is the 2 year manufacturer’s warranty, all included in the price of each table that you order.

If you’re keen to invest in our ergonomic desks, please note that delivery takes usually between 3-4 weeks, although we may be able to arrange faster delivery in some special cases. A small surcharge may be applied to smaller order quantities, so we thoroughly recommended that our customers look into the prospect of a larger, more cost-efficient order – especially since we may be able to offer extra discounts on large volume orders.

For more information about the Besa Height Adjustable Table, visit the Desk Office website, or call our friendly sales team on 0845 838 3616 to discuss your ergonomic desk requirements.

There are a whole range of desks available on this service, including our popular Staplesy Office Desk Range - a solid ‘everyday’ comprehensive range of office desks and workstations available in beech, oak or maple finished; our budget Falcon Office Desk Range - a simple, straightforward fuss-free range suitable for the office or at home; and our Maestro Range, which features a huge selection of competitively priced office furniture designed to help keep your office in fine fettle.

To qualify for the Next Working Day Delivery service, orders for desks need to be placed before midday Monday to Thursday. Orders placed before midday on a Friday will be delivered the following Monday. Some of our office chairs available in our standard 16 colours may also be subject to a next day delivery service, with custom colours available within three to five days.

For further information about our delivery schedules, call our friendly Desk Office sales team on 0845 838 3616 and we’ll be more than happy to help.

In light of this, we were very pleased to strike up a partnership with an established and renowned upholstery fabric British manufacturer and supplier, Bradbury Fabric. This move has meant that we’re now able to supply a number of our office chairs in an extended upholstery fabric colour palette.

We can now offer up to 16 colours as standard on our office chairs, but our new business relationship means that we’re also able to offer a colour matching service, meaning that essentially we can offer a limitless colour palette to our customers. So if you’re a business with corporate colours, an academic institution with school or college colours, or perhaps just have an interior decor scheme that you’d like your chairs to complement, then the great news is that we can now help you to source your office chairs in colours that suit your exacting specifications.

The 16 standard fabric colour options are available on a next-working-day delivery service for orders placed by midday, with custom colour options available on a three to five day service.

To place your order, order via the website for standard colours, or for a custom colour option call our sales line on 0845 838 3616 and we’ll be more than happy to help you with your order.

The Thebes is the first new addition to grace the website for 2012. It’s not hard to see why the Thebes has been named as such – the contemporary white gloss finish, sturdy build quality and strong, straight lines are a direct allusion to the white columns and structures so intrinsically linked to Ancient Greek architecture. The Thebes workstation desk is currently available at £95.99 (ex VAT) on a rapid weekly delivery schedule.

The second, but no less impressive addition to the Desk Office website goes under the curious moniker of the Bingu Workstation. Priced at just £89.99 (ex VAT), this sleek walnut and white finish workstation offers an affordable but elegant option for your office. The Bingu workstation includes a three-drawer fixed pedestal with white fascia, as well as two floating stationary shelves to help keep your desktop organised and clutter-free.

And last, but by no means least, we present the Branco office workstation – a beautifully simple and graceful straight workstation in an oak finish. The Branco’s sturdy and chunky design gives it the look and feel of solid oak, yet it costs just £95.99 (ex VAT).

All office workstation desks are available to purchase via our website, or by calling our Desk Office sales line on 0845 838 3616.

This small but perfectly formed home office furniture range draws on a traditional French styling, with organisation and function integral to the design. The antique pine finish and the brass handles on both office desks within the range gives the furniture a warm, homely finish, not unlike many wooden furniture pieces found in homes up and down the country. The French Gardens Bookcases in particular looking as though they could have easily have been chosen based on their looks alone.

If you are indeed looking to kit out your home office and are short on space, then the corner workstation offers a space-saving solution thanks to its integrated shelving and monitor stand, with room for your legs to fit comfortably in front of you whilst you work. As ever, we’ve endeavoured to keep our prices as low as possible, offering up to 60% off the recommended retail price of the French Gardens range.

All products within the French Gardens office desk and office furniture range are classed as ex-stock and as such are available for fast delivery. For more information about delivery schedules, product specifications or pre-assembly options, please feel free to call the Desk Office sales team on 0845 838 3616 today.

The Maestro range of office desks is described as ‘entry level’ range, but that’s not to say that you can’t expect a good build quality. The range has not only been built to withstand heavy usage on a daily basis, but all melamine chipboard facing used in the range meets with British Standards 476 Class 1 Surface Spread of Flame, as well as E1 European Standards on Formaldehyde Emissions.

The current selection of 25 Maestro Budget office furniture products includes huge variety of metal cantilever and straight ‘H’ frame desk designs - all of which are available in 3 different sizes and in a choice of beech or oak finishes – as well as desk extension units, desk pedestals, filing cabinets, a telephone table and more. The range is perfect for busy offices and academic environments and large scale departments where purchasing in bulk is a definite option.

To find out about our discounts on large volume orders, or for further enquiries about Maestro office desk product specs and delivery, feel free to call the Desk Office sales team on 0845 838 3616 today.

The Denver Reception collection is essentially comprised of three modular units – the Denver Reception Hutch, the Denver Reception Corner Hutch and the Denver Reception Desk, all of which are constructed from durable melamine-faced chipboard with impact-resistant 3mm ‘ABS’ plastic edging that perfectly matches with the beech-effect melamine facing. The Denver Reception desk also includes two handy 65mm cable ports, both of which can link up with upper units, helping to keep your reception area organised and free of clutter. The corner hutch and reception hutch offer plenty of storage space for files, computer equipment and post, keeping the contents of the desk concealed from visitors.

The modules are sold separately so that you can not only pick and choose your preferred configuration according to your budget, but also select the best layout for your company’s needs. All reception desk modules can be easily assembled in situ with a cam and pin technique.

To find out more about the Denver Reception Desk collection, call the Desk Office sales team on 0845 838 3616 and we’ll be more than happy to help.

However, if you’ve opted for a self-assembly product, but really don’t have the time or the inclination to construct it yourself, then you’ll be pleased to learn that we do offer a pre-assembly service on a large volume of our products. There are two ways to find out about our service – it is either advertised next to the product in question as an additional service, or if no reference is made to pre-assembly, just call our friendly sales line with your order and we’ll be able to confirm whether it’s a possibility or not. In most cases, the answer will be ‘yes’, so it’s always worth enquiring.

Whilst there is a small additional charge for the Desk Office pre-assembly service, for many it proves cost-efficient in terms of time and effort – especially in cases where large volume orders have been placed, for example conference centres, community centres, schools and office refurbishments.

If you would like to purchase an office chair, or any other chair or office desk without a pre-assembly option, just give our friendly sales team a call to find out whether we can arrange this service on your behalf – call 0845 838 3616 today.

With our competitive prices, there is no better time to update and rejuvenate your school, college or university canteen seating. At Desk Office, we offer a range of cost-effective options to suit your budget, with products that are specifically designed to withstand the daily wear and tear of a busy eatery.

If you’re looking for a balance of style and function, why not consider the Fiuggi, our lowest price fast food seating option. Priced at just £42.99 (ex VAT), the 4 legged chrome frame, propylene and fibreglass seat and backrest are not only durable, but are also incredibly easy to keep clean too. This stylish utility seating unit comes fully assembled and is available in units of 2 in both black and pistachio.

If you’ve got a little more to spare on your canteen seating budget, we offer the stylish but practical Bingo chair. This contemporary styled chair is available in a sleek beech effect with chrome legs and optional range of arms if required. For your convenience, the Bingo stacks 4 high. Please note, the Bingo chair is available with a minimum order of 2 units, although as with all Desk Office products we can offer significant discounts on bulk orders.

Why not call our friendly sales line today for more info, advice or product recommendations on 0845 838 3616.

Where many office desk ranges come in standard beech effect, with the Price Point Furniture range our customers are now able to choose from a selection of 5 finishes – Oak, Beech, Maple, Grey/Silver and White. That’s inaddition to the ‘mix and match’ leg desk colours of grey, silver and white so you can create the perfect look to suit your office interior decor scheme.

The thick 25mm desk tops have been designed to withstand the daily wear and tear of office life, helping you to keep your office smart for years to come. You’d think that all of this versatility and style would come with a hefty price tag – but you’d be mistaken! The Price Point office desk range is, in fact, completely affordable and cost-efficient, especially since we offer up to 60% off the recommended retail price!

You can find the new Price Point office desk range here, or alternatively why not call our expert Desk Office sales team on 0845 838 3616 to place your order, or find out more about our great discounts on bulk orders.

We’ve classified this office furniture range as a ‘reduced range’, due to the fact that each product within the Hawk collection is available in just one size, making stocking and delivery logistics much more streamlined, with next day delivery available on the entire range. With the reduced range, we’re also able to make savings that can be passed onto customers like you, so even the most limited of budgets will go surprisingly far.

And although the Hawk collection is classified as budget range, that’s not to say we’ve scrimped on the catalogue of products available within the range. In the Hawk collection you will find:

• Rectangular, wave and crescent workstation desks
• Under desk, fixed and mobile 2/3 pedestal drawer units
• Office cupboards and open storage bookcases
• A round meeting table

Need a small but quick office setup? Then why not plump for our super saver Cantilever Desk and Pedestal Unit furniture pack, priced at just £147.99 (RRP £249.00, ex. VAT) plus a next day delivery service.

To find out more, call Desk Office today on 0845 838 3616 today.

The Chiro Plus, and its blue upholstered counterpart the Cairo Plus, are two ergonomic chairs that feature a whole host of adjustable elements that allow the chair operator to find the perfect working position. The chair features include a synchronised and 3 lever mechanism that allow for the following movements:

• Adjustable chair back with contoured lumbar cushioning
• Heavy duty gas height adjustment on seat
• Adjustable seat slide for support behind the knees
• Detachable headrest
• Height adjustable, pivoting armrests.

The Chiro Plus and Cairo Plus are both constructed with memory foam padding in the seats and back rest, offering a luxurious seating option that provides non-stop comfort through your working day. And thanks to memory foam’s contouring and weight dispersal qualities, you can say goodbye to sore pressure points where your body comes into contact with the chair. The reduction in pressure points also helps to promote healthy circulation, an important consideration for anyone that spends that majority of their working day at a desk.

Both the Chiro Plus and the Cairo Plus have been certified EN5459 and are suitable for 24 hour use up to 150kgs/23 stones. Both chairs also available for next day delivery and are currently priced at just £249.00 (ex. VAT) .To find out more about these ergonomic chairs, or to place your order with Desk Office, please call our sales team on 0845 838 3616.

Here at Desk Office, we have received a number of calls from women in various stages of pregnancy who are looking for a suitable office chair to help them get through the day as comfortably as possible. Generally, we recommend two of our office chairs, due to their many adjustable features and 3 lever mechanisms:

Hercules Operator Chair

• High Back with adjustable lumbar support
• Height adjustable, multi-directional arms
• Weight tension control
• Independent back height adjustment
• Sculptured posture curved seat fitted with seat slide and waterfall front
• Endorsed by the General Chiropractic Council and the British Chiropractic Association

Cork Super Large Operator Chair

• Gas seat lift adjustment
• Lockable inclining seat adjustment
• Adjustable posture control back rake with floating or fixed option
• Twist pump adjustable lumbar support
• Sturdy, adjustable arms

Both the Hercules and Cork Super Large operator chairs’ supportive qualities mean that pregnant women who work primarily in desk-bound jobs can look forward to a more comfortable working day, with better circulation. We do, however, stress that any chronic aches, strains or pains associated with workplace conditions should be investigated by your physician, to ensure that the necessary action is taken to ensure optimum health and comfort. Desk Office also advocates the need for regular screen breaks to promote mobility and good circulation.

If you are pregnant and would like to discuss the best office chair for your needs, feel free to call our friendly sales team on 0845 838 3616 today.

Rhetorical question time - imagine walking into an organisation and being asked to wait in an area where the furniture is worn out, out of date and clearly uncared for. Would it make you feel confident about the abilities and professionalism of the organisation?

But it’s not all about looks – obviously the other big factor is comfort. We’ve all had negative experiences where we’ve had to spend prolonged periods sitting on hard seats that leave us feeling stiff and sore – not a desirable encounter that anyone would wish to repeat. But this needn’t be the case when it comes to your patients or clients, and your reception area.

For instance, our popular faux leather Tang High Back Tub Chair and Italian leather Nao Single Tub Chair products are both generously padded with deep, luxurious cushioning, and can be arranged in a standard ‘line’ or circular back-to-back arrangement, depending on your reception area’s layout. For a more standard reception chair, there’s the classically styled ultra luxurious York chair – two or more of York chairs can be linked together, and we also supply linking tables and joiners for larger reception areas.

For more information on dimensions, pricing and other products in our Reception Seating range, take a look at our Desk Office site. If you’d like to place a bulk order of any of our products, you may be entitled to an extra discount in addition to our competitive prices – just call our sales team on 0845 838 3616 to find out about any savings, discounts and delivery schedules.

The latest addition to our online catalogue is the opulent Regent and Edward range – a selection of chic and contemporary office furniture products that will look at home in any director’s office.

The range spans across a number of our categories, and includes:

Edward 1.2 Meeting Table – perfect for executive boardrooms and conference calling

Edward 1.2m Round Meeting Table – a rounder cousin to the 1.2m meeting table, but no less stylish and perfect if space is at a premium

Regent 800 High Bookcase – an open storage solution with 18mm solid back construction

Regent Under Desk 3 Drawer Desk Pedestal – a fully lockable unit that fits neatly under your desk, and featuring 2 box ‘soft close’ drawers and 1 filing drawer that accepts hanging files.

Regent Two Door Lockable Cupboard – a lockable double door unit with impact-resistant edges and shelves that can accommodate arch lever files.

Each product in the Regent and Edward range comes in a choice of high quality wipeable melamine light or dark walnut finishes, with an assuring 5 year manufacturer’s guarantee for your peace of mind. Although these products are offered as self assembly as standard, for reasonable additional charge we can arrange for pre-assembly for an extra-efficient service.

As ever, our policy of offering extra discounts for bulk orders applies to the Regent and Edward range – just give our friendly sales team a call for more information and a quote on 0845 838 3616.

Whether you’re looking at a complete office redesign, or just want to introduce a few new key pieces of furniture, here at Desk Office we have just about everything a contemporary office will need. Our selection of bookcases caters for all office sizes and designs, from modest home offices through to large-scale departments in private and public sector organisations and educational/academic institutions.

For example, our French Gardens 4 Shelf Bookcase will blend in effortlessly with most home decor schemes, and so makes a perfect candidate for a home office. In contrast, our robust Tambour cupboards offer a functional and secure way to store and organise important office documents, and our prestigious Phenix Open/Closed storage bookcases will look at home in any upscale, prestigious firm.

Order your bookcase today and you can look forward to receiving your order within 2-7 business days. If you’re too busy and can’t spare the time to install your bookcases, then you’ll be pleased to note that we can also assemble and install our products – all you need to do is call our friendly sales team and we can arrange this service for you at your convenience.

In business, creating favourable first impressions is essential. From the way we dress, converse, and the environment that we work in can all have something to say about our work ethos, our success and our abilities.

Take a look at the office around you. What do you think it says about your business? What do you think it says about YOU? Does it contribute to a positive and proactive work environment, or does it fall short of expectations? And what about your office desk – your does it help or hinder the way others perceive you and your professionalism, and the way you perceive yourself?

If you hesitate to answer any of these questions without anything but absolute conviction that your workplace and personal working area promotes your professionalism and reputation, then perhaps it’s time to think about moulding your working environment to reflect your business aspirations. Remember, first impressions count in business – and every detail matters.

If you’re not sure where to start with your ‘First Impressions Revamp’, then why not begin with your desk. Our designer desks have been specially selected for their beautiful design and construction, innovative features that can be facilitated in contemporary offices, and user comfort. We consider our Designer Desk range as the most prestigious selection of Desk Office desking, yet still regard our pricing of these desks as competitive, with up to 60% off their recommended retail prices. Take, for instance, our Senso Panel Leg Curved Desk – despite an RRP of £1099, we are offering this sleek executive designer desk for just £499, including the cost of installation by our own experienced team.

To kick start your office redesign, and to find out more about our fantastic offers on designer desks, you can peruse our Designer Desk range, or call our Desk Office expert sales team on 0845 838 3616 for more information on our delivery, pricing or product specifications.

Here at Desk Office, we offer a range of specialist examination desks as well as a number of modular tables perfect for use in examinations within schools, colleges, universities and other learning institutions. Our examination desk not only has a large working area (600mm x 600mm), but is lightweight and collapsible, making them extremely easy to store and move around as required. And with an anti-collapse mechanism, you can be sure that this examination desk will be sturdy and stable when in use.

Our modular welded square classroom desk also offers a space-saving examination desk option, as well as the stackable modular table, where a little more working space is required for two students.

We offer next day delivery on all examination desks that we’ve mentioned, meaning even if you’re in urgent need of exam desks, you won’t be waiting around. There’s no minimum order quantity either, so whether you require 1 or 100 desks, just place your order today. Remember, although we offer significant discounts on our school desking, we might be able to offer you a generous discount on large volume orders – just give our sales team a call on 0845 838 3616 today to find out more.

But we’re also often asked whether we can supply desks fully assembled so that they can be installed straight after delivery. Although our desks are shipped out flat-pack as standard, because we’re a customer-focused company, we’re happy to say that yes, we do offer an assembly option on our online catalogue of office desks and office furniture.

All you need to do is give our Sales Line a call on 0845 838 3616 – there is a small extra charge for this useful option and in order to provide an accurate quote we will need the desk model and order quantity.

1) Woolwich

The Woolwich soft cushioned leather executive chair has prevailed as one of our most popular luxury executive leather chairs. Available in both white and black, this top quality Italian leather high back chair is as functional and versatile as it is stylish. The modern design means that it is perfectly suited to in prestigious meeting and consultancy rooms, as well as executive office environments, whilst the outstanding comfort that it offers makes it suitable for heavy usage in call centre and busy operations centres.

2) Hercules

Comfort, adjustable support, style – our Hercules operator chair has it all and often tops our ‘best sellers’ list. And thanks to its myriad of adjustable features, enhanced lumbar support, tension control and multidirectional ‘T’ arms, the Hercules chair has also been endorsed by the General Chiropractic Council and the British Chiropractic Association. With this stamp of approval, we’re confident that this stylish ergonomic operator chair will continue to prove popular throughout 2011.

3) Brixham

Third on our ‘5 of the Best Design Chairs’ is the Brixham executive office chair. The mellow light oak arms and base, together with the cream leather upholstery, makes this luxury office chair a favourite with home offices and ultra modern office interiors alike. And competitively priced at just £99.99 (ex. VAT), it’s not surprising that the Brixham’s have been flying out of our factories faster than we can produce them!

4) Envoy

Next on the list is the Envoy Visitors chair. The classic cantilever base and modern, sleek styling makes the Envoy a popular choice for meeting rooms and boardrooms, reception areas and waiting rooms. The padded seat and back offers supreme comfort, whilst the smart chrome frame retains a classic executive styling that will complement a wide range of interior design schemes. Like the look of the Envoy? Need a high volume of Envoy visitor chairs? Then call our sales line on 0845 838 3616 – we might be able to offer you a significant discount on your bulk order.

5) Lapella

Last, but by no means least on our ‘5 of the Best Design Office Chairs’ list, is the Lapella.  This high-tech luxury mesh seat and back executive chair offers not only looks great, but also offers optimum ergonomic support. With innovative features such as a spring mesh seat base that moulds to your body shape and weight, stylish duel-wheel chrome castor base and adjustable/removable headrest, the Lapella has frequently topped our design office chairs list –definitely one to watch in 2011.

If you’re starting your own business from home, then it’s a good idea to make sure that you’ve got a solid office set up, right from the off. Successful and productive home working requires absolute commitment, effective time management and a multitude of organisational skills – which in turn, can rely on a practical, tidy and well-organised home office environment!

Although home working is often about finding a way to work flexibly, your home office still needs to be an interrupted ‘sanctuary’ that takes you away from the many distractions of home life during those dedicated working hours. Productivity relies on an ability to focus and concentrate (with regular breaks, of course), as well as the ability to work in an environment that suits your type of work, and your individual capabilities.

For computer-based work, setting up a home office is simple. Hopefully you’ll have opted for well-lit, well-ventilated room, with adequate room for manoeuvre! If not, consider your options again!

Firstly, you’ll need a desk with room for your desktop or laptop computer, a telephone, printer, and some rudimentary document storage, at the very least.  If possible, opt for wireless technology, as this will help to keep your office tidy and clean, as well as helping to avoid hours of wire untangling or frustrated yelling as you attempt to find yet another USB port for your latest computing gadgetry.  

If you’re particularly short of space, why not opt for a comprehensive solution in the shape of one of our office desk workstations?  Here at Desk Office, we now supply a variety of office desks to suit all budgets and home interior schemes, from budget space-saving workstations through to beautifully crafted designer office desks.

Once you’ve chosen your desk, it’s time to consider chairs. This is a very important purchase, as you’ll spend a lot of time rooted to the seat of this chair, and as such it needs to fit to your individual needs and requirements. Executive mesh chairs are popular home office seating options, as the mesh backs not only provide a stylish, breathable cool and comfortable working solution, but also make for a lightweight chair that’s easy to lift and move as required.

For those who are keen to adhere to stricter ergonomic principles, take a look at our ergonomic mesh office chairs, and our office desks. The ergonomic mesh chairs offer a variety of adjustable features to help you find your perfect sitting posture, and our office desks offer the space and storage solutions to promote a productive a and comfortable working environment.

The human body is designed to be upright, with the spine naturally curving in an ‘S’ shape. However, more often than not, when we sit for long periods of time our spines curve into a ‘C’ shape, a posture that stretches and strains the muscles and ligaments in the spine. So really, the fact that on average we spend 28 of a 42-hour working week, with few breaks, it’s not really that astonishing that so many of us suffer from bad backs at some point during our lives.

But there is a way to help keep your back posture healthy when at work – not only can you take frequent breaks every 30 minutes, but you can also invest in an ergonomic office chair. Ergonomic chairs are a fantastic remedy for bad backs, as they reduce the risk of injury to joints and muscles as a result of inactivity and poor support whilst seated at the desk.

Broadly speaking, ergonomics is the scientific study of human performance at work. Ergonomic chairs are designed so that they can be adjusted to the individual’s needs and requirements – such as seat height, lumbar support and arm rest height – to allow limbs, joints and muscles to work at the optimum angle with adequate support when performing a range of tasks and movements.

Here at Desk Office, we provide a number of adjustable ergonomic office chairs to help reduce the aches and pains associated with sitting for long periods at an office desk or meeting table. Our Lapella luxury mesh back office and Cobham executive chair are two popular ergonomic chairs that we offer as part of our wider executive and ergonomic chair range, but excitingly we’ve also introduced an ergonomic chair endorsed by Chiropractor Dr Robert Bateman BSc DC DCHA.

This orthopaedic task operator chair features a contoured backrest cushion with pronounced lumbar support, sculptured posture curved seat fitted with seat slide and waterfall front, a triple paddle mechanism offering seat tilt, backrest rake that can lock in any comfortable position, as well as tension control and heavy duty gas lift suitable for up to 25 stones. Together with regular screen breaks, our chiropractor-endorsed chair says goodbye to back backs, and hello to a healthy ‘S’ shaped spines!

To find out more information about our ergonomic chairs, mesh chairs or our orthopaedic task operator chair, just call our expert sales line on 0845 838 3616 today!

It has been suggested that colour can increase the appeal of a particular activity. Traditionally, this has been achieved through bold wall displays, and even painted walls and murals. But another effective way to bring colour and appeal into the classroom is through classroom furniture.

Our colourful trapezoidal activity tables help to brighten up any classroom. Available in red, yellow, blue, green, beech or grey, they come with an optional trim colour too. These vibrant activity tables are modular, meaning that they can be arranged in a variety of ways to fit classroom sizes and activity group numbers. They also come in 5 standard British sizes to suit children across all age groups, as well as a 1 year warranty.

The activity table surfaces have been manufactured to withstand ‘severe’ educational use (BS5873-4), with hardwearing easy to clean 18mm laminate tops – that roughly translates to scissor, scratch and scribble-resistant! The school activity tables come fully assembled, or alternatively can be delivered disassembled if required – just specify your needs when you place your order!

Our children’s activity tables can be purchased in sets of 4 only, with additional discounts on large volume contract orders. Call our UK sales team on 0845 838 3616 to find out more today.

Having witnessed a tumultuous 25 years in the office furniture industry, it’s perhaps not surprising that we've seen a rise in the need for home office desks and furniture. The Internet is slowly and irrevocably revolutionising our working practices, with more and more of us able to work flexible hours, from home or wherever we happen to lay our hats. We can’t say for sure, but we suspect this might one of the reasons that our French Gardens Pine Study Desk is selling well.  

The desk brings together an interesting mix of traditional era styling meets digital age necessity. The design of this particular country-style wooden home office desk perfectly complements many home interior design schemes, whilst incorporating a number of practical features, such as room for A4 hanging foolscape files, room for a laptop or CPU and monitor on the spacious desktop, as well as a built-in modesty panel – all for just £195.99.

This antique pine effect office desk can also be matched to other products in the same range, including two sizes of French Gardens Bookcase, as well as a 2 or 4 Drawer Filing Cabinet. Alternatives to the French Gardens Pine Study Desk include the Mini Desk and Corner Office Desk, all of which feature in our Home Workstations category.

More often than not, a company meeting room will also double as a conference or training area. This means that it’s not just the space that needs to be flexible – the meeting room furniture needs to be adaptable too. We recognised the need for space-saving, configurable tables, and with Desk Office being a leading furniture specialist, decided to expand our range with a collection of versatile meeting room tables.  The new meeting and conference table range includes a number of models with various practical features.

For instance, our new stylish titling tables (as the name suggests) tilt from a fixed horizontal plane to a vertical stacking position, making nested storage simple and easy. The tilting tables also feature castors for easy manoeuvrability. Our folding conference room tables also provide a space-saving solution, as each table folds down to a height of just 85mm, and can be safely stacked 8 tables high.

If your conference or meeting room needs a frequent change of layout or table configuration, then you’ll be pleased to note that we also supply a range of small, medium and large multipurpose tables.

All of our versatile conference tables and meeting room tables are available in a choice of Beech, Oak or Maple veneers, retailing at well below their recommended retail prices. For more information, or to place your conference table order, call 0845 838 3616.

A meeting table or conference table remains at the centre of any meeting room. With or without the aid of projections, computer screens and multimedia hook ups, a meeting table can be the central communication hub of any discussion or dealing. This is why choosing the right conference table for your needs is so important, as it’s as much as about style as it is about function.
If your meeting room tends to host more ‘traditional’ face-to-face boardroom meetings, then an executive and luxury boardroom table should be your first consideration. Simple, but elegant, solid and prestigious, these tables set the tone for the proceedings scheduled to take place around its edges.

For meetings that feature lots of devices such as laptops and telephone conference units, a conference table that features desk grommets is somewhat of a necessity. Desk grommets are small sealable port holes, where cables and leads are fed through to electric sockets and hubs. So, if conference calls and multimedia presentations are a more common occurrence in your company’s meeting room, then a meeting table with a number of cable tidy desk grommets is ideal for keeping the ‘working’ area neat and organised.

Some meeting rooms are used by a variety of individuals, departments or even companies within the same building.  They may also double as training rooms or examination rooms. This means the office furniture in these kinds of conferences needs to be configurable, so it can be rearranged according to the room’s intended use. Smaller tables, such as our Edward Meeting table are perfect for regular team meetings or one-to-ones in smaller office spaces.

Take a look at our array of meeting room and conference room tables; with a collection that ranges from small modular and circular meeting room desks, to prestigious, imposing and stylish boardroom tables, you can be sure that you’ll be making a saving by choosing DeskOffice. We can also offer extra discounts for large volume orders and contract purchases – just call our Desk Office Sales Line on 0845 838 3616 to find out more.

Bearing this in mind, the average school desk – which perhaps previously had to stand up to general wear and tear, and the occasional doodle – now needs to be stronger, sturdier and more resilient than ever, as well as easy to clean and maintain in good condition.

Whilst DeskOffice’s comprehensive school furniture collection has been hand-picked in part due to its competitive pricing and durability, you should also take note of our versatile module school desk range. For classrooms where activities, class size and class age vary on a lesson-by-lesson basis, module desks are a perfect, intelligent school furniture solution.

Ergonomic principles should not just be confined to the adult workplace; for growing children and teenagers, working and learning in comfortable and positive surroundings is also of paramount importance. With children developing and growing at different rates, where one school desk height is perfect for one child or age group of children, for others it can be completely wrong. Poor posture when sitting at a school desk can not only lead to acute head, neck and shoulder problems, but could also lead to long term injuries that may last well into adulthood.

For this reason, our height adjustable school tables are perfect for a dynamic classroom that has a high turnover for students. These school desks also feature a handy under-desk mesh storage area, to help students keep their working as clear as possible. No more sitting awkwardly to accommodate a mountain of textbooks, papers and class equipment – this easy storage solution promotes an organised and comfortable working environment for school children of all ages and abilities.

As well as competitive prices and fast UK mainland delivery, we may also be able to offer extra discounts on contract orders for our school furniture range. Just call our Sales Line on 0845 838 3616 to find out just how much you could save by choosing DeskOffice as your classroom and school office supplier today.

Bar stools tend to be quite lightweight, particularly the contemporary styles that tend to be constructed using chrome stems. Even with the addition of hydraulic or gas lift height adjustments, a footrest, and solid base, our bar stools remain sturdy but surprisingly easy to move around.  This means that in the home, they can be picked up and moved around at will. So, for instance, if someone owns a bar stool and uses it on a regular basis as a kitchen bar stool, it can also be easily picked up and moved around the house or garden as a spare seating solution.

Want to instantly update or freshen up your interior decor scheme? Then just add a few brightly coloured bar stools. It’s that simple. Even if your home decor tends to err more towards a traditional or period scheme, there are still an abundance of wooden stools that complement this style. What’s more, bar stools are a fantastic space-saving seating solution, so are an ideal addition to a minimalist, bright and airy interior design scheme, where space and light is at a premium.

Bar stools are actually pretty versatile for businesses too; they can be used as casual seating in a coffee area, as stand-by extra seating (with relatively easy storage), or thanks to the many funky, stylish designs available, can also be used as a means to instantly pep up and add a touch of contemporary charm to any reception or visitors area.  Bar stools are also an incredibly popular exhibition seating option, for all the above reasons – space-saving, uncluttered, attractive, available in a range of styles to suit your needs, and easy to move around and store.

Check out the Desk Office range of bar stools to see how much you can save; as direct UK suppliers, we offer up to 60% off the recommended retail prices of our bar stool range, with even bigger discounts available on contract/bulk orders. If you need advice, recommendation or any other information about our bar stools, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly and experienced sales team on 0845 838 3616.

You can actually see dynamism in the now vibrant office wall colors, the breezy atmosphere between work stations and the more modern furniture designs. Naturally, furniture pieces play a vital role in promoting and improving the dynamism in your office. If you are thinking of an office look revamp on your own, but you are particularly hesitant about spending too much money too soon, you might want to start by simply changing the furniture you have. You can literally spice up your office space with a few tweaks on the usual chairs and tables. Throw out those ugly mono-bloc chairs and tables. Return those straight back dinner chairs to wherever dinner table you got them from. If you are using both dinner chairs and dinner table for your conferences, you may want to ditch these out as well.

Investing in a few key signature or designer chairs may help improve your office a lot. Instead of those standard fiberglass benches in the reception area, you could invest in a designer couches or entire sofa sets. The world “designer” need not be such a great concern. There are designer sets that are usually on sale from one online store or another. You can easily find both a bargain and a wonderful set that will complement your intended space. By simply making the reception area more inviting, you can actually help increase foot traffic to your business.

As for your actual work space, (and maybe even your conference room,) you may want to buy a set of mesh chairs for you and your colleagues. Mesh office chairs are now en vogue, so you can actually find a supplier who can give you a lot of designs to choose from, at a price range you will be happy with. Most designer office chairs and mesh chairs these days are ergonomically designed, so comfort will be an added guarantee always.

However, the best thing about having a set of matching designer or mesh chairs in your office space is the look of dynamism it provides. Inexplicably, having these furniture pieces gives workers the additional incentive to work harder; (a great chair always enhances a person’s performance.) At the same time, visitors to your office will actually see that you are improving your work area; and improvement usually means progress. You just may land better deals and more customers in the long run.

Employees are the backbone of your organization and you must take adequate care that you do not injure their backbone with poor quality chairs, desks and stools. They spend the entire day on the chair and only if they sit on a good ergonomically designed chair they can maintain their cool. A good chair will automatically provide for good sitting posture from the employee and this will avoid spinal injuries and neck pain. The most common injuries to the spine occur when the employee hunches in his chair to concentrate on the computer screen. This action from the employee puts a great amount of pressure on the spine and so the injury occurs. It is wrong to think that sitting does not involve any muscular effort.

A straight upright posture should be maintained at all times to avoid any complications. Ideally the seat height must be adjustable to the exact height of the employee. It should not be difficult to adjust every time and the adjustment must be pneumatically done. The feet should always touch the ground whatever is the height of the employee to give a firm support to the body. The seat should have ample width to seat even a large person. More importantly you should be able to adjust the forward tilt and also the backward tilt in all the operator chairs as the employee often has to reach out for the filing cabinet without leaving his seat. To enhance the comfort level of the employee the height as well as the depth of the seat must be adjustable. All operator chairs and office chairs should have enough of good quality upholstery with a fabric that ensures airflow to the employee sitting on it. All operator chairs and office chairs must rotate 360 degrees to allow the employee to move around and get things done without leaving his seat. Armrests of the chairs should also be adjustable to keep the employee safe from thumb injury, what is commonly known as carpal tunnel syndrome. It gives an excruciating pain to the connective tissues of the thumb and the employee will face a great difficulty in using his thumb even for a simple task like pressing the space bar.

Do not generalize when it comes to selecting your office chairs and operator chairs. Ensure that each employee will find it tailor made to his size and height. The employee will not mind sitting on such a chair for a long time and needless to say that it will boost productivity and employee morale. Cost considerations should take a back seat and only the comfort and stress free mind of the employee matter here.

We address bad seating issues... We can increase productivity by contributing to a healthier, happier working environment and significantly reduce time lost to sickness amongst our workforce.
So how can we achieve this?

Firstly, and crucially, we need a chair that allows us to site in a position that offers the right support for our back, so we can achieve a well-supported and natural balanced position for our spine.

Secondly, we need to sit so that our pelvis is rotated slightly forward and our thighs are angled in a gentle downward direction, encouraging good blood flow to the feet, which should be flat to the floor, or perhaps on a well-adjusted footrest.

Next, we need to sit close to our desks and have our workspace intelligently arranged so that everything we need is within easy reach of both eye and hand. Computer monitors should be set so that the top of the screen is flat on to our eye line; computer keyboards should be placed parallel to and at the correct distance from the edge of the desk – About 10cm – so our fingertips rest comfortably on the keys. Your mouse-wrist should be supported and the mouse should be within easy reach, to avoid stretching for it or twisting at a damaging angle to reach it.

Arrange your work so that you are mostly looking straight ahead – Sit back in your chair and rest your upper body against the backrest.