What Should You Have for Your Reception Area Furniture?

January 14th, 2022 | Best Office Furniture

In any office, the lobby or the reception area provides the first impression to visitors. Besides aesthetics, the furniture you use for the space should be practical, easy to clean, and last over a long period.

Reception area furniture traditionally consists of reception desks, chairs, accent tables, accessories, and much more. Regardless of the nature of your business, the key is to find the right pieces that will serve you well for years—style, quality, and durability-wise.

How to Find the Right Reception Area Furniture

A practical design and well-thought-out space planning play an essential role in furnishing your office lobby. From branding to quality, style, comfort, and budget, below are some considerations when it is time to liven up your reception area.

Branding

Interior branding is more than just a logo or a sign or the use of the approved color palette for the walls and furniture. It’s having a clear understanding of your organization’s values and communicating them through the layout, color, lighting, and finishing materials in your physical space.

For example, if your company focuses on fun and innovation, consider a reception area with cozier touches on the décor and furniture that fosters collaboration. If you are trying to project a more professional image, you should opt for darker colors and traditional furniture.

Health and Safety

With the world still struggling to overcome the pandemic, there have been dramatic changes in visitor traffic and office capacities. All of these have resulted in the need to redesign lobbies to allow for social distancing and maximize spaces at the same time.

Some of the measures you can take include letting go of the traditional large reception desk to free up a floor area, spacing out seats, and/or reinventing the lobby to serve more purposes (e.g. reception area, meeting spaces, etc.)

Quality, Style, and Comfort

Style and comfort go hand in hand when furnishing your office. Your choice of office furniture should not only be aesthetically appealing but also comfortable—ergonomic, to be specific. It has to be designed with comfort and efficiency in mind.

You have covered the design and comfort, but don’t forget quality. The last thing you want to do is spend more money on repairs and replacements because the furniture broke earlier than you expected. Invest in desks, chairs, and other pieces that will be able to support your team to do their job comfortably and efficiently.

Budget

While the furniture should be stylish, comfortable, and of high quality, it should also be within your budget. It would be useless to find the perfect piece of furniture you love only to find out that it is way out of your budget.

Nevertheless, it’s best to set a budget with a bit of allowance in case you need it. After all, office furniture is an investment and splurging a little on quality pieces should be worth it.

Furnishing your office is no easy feat. Now that we have covered the factors to consider in furniture, it’s time to put your plan into action. Discover the pieces that will help you create a warm, inviting reception area.

The Best Office Furniture for Your Reception Area

Reception Desk

Set up a welcoming entrance with a reception desk that looks professional and well-designed, yet inviting—it’s the first thing your visitors will see when they step into your office. If space is a problem for a large, curved reception station, modular desks or corner units are some of the best alternatives.

Reception Chairs

There may be a lot of people sitting in the reception area every day. So, the seating options should not only be comfortable but durable and easy to clean as well. As for the chair that your receptionist will sit on, it has to be ergonomic for optimal support.

Coffee and End Tables

Coffee tables make a great addition to reception areas as they are not overly formal. They are often used to hold information like flyers and pamphlets, which is why you would usually see them in travel agencies, information centers, and clinics.

Meanwhile, end tables are the small table placed next to a chair or at the end of a couch. In a reception area, you can use it to hold a lamp, vase, books, or coasters.

Storage

In the same way that store display windows attract customers inside a retail space, your reception area is a reflection of who you are as a business and what you have to offer. You must keep it clean and free of clutter at all times and this is where storage solutions come useful. Think of a filing cabinet or an under-desk pedestal.

Accessories

Overall, you should make an effort to keep your employees and visitors comfortable every time they are in the reception area. Other items that can contribute to this objective include the following accessories:

• Magazine rack – If you offer some reading materials in the reception area, you can benefit from having a magazine rack or two. It also works wonders in organizing and storing office supplies like sheets of paper, etc.
• Coat rack – This can either be a set of hooks attached to a wall or the self-standing furniture where visitors or your team members can hang their coats, jackets, and umbrellas.
• Signage and Crowd Control Stands – These are essential in managing traffic flow. It minimizes confusion and makes it clear to visitors where to go from the moment they enter the office. Accessories like ropes, stanchions, and retractable belts could also double as solutions to enforce social distancing.

First impressions count and this is particularly true with your reception area. Visit Arenson and you’ll find a wide range of reception area furniture. These include a beautiful selection of desks and chairs in all sizes, styles, and colors imaginable, all at competitive prices.

Furnish your lobby with Arenson Office Furniture—reception desks, chairs, sofas, storage, and so much more.