I have a secret to tell you today. But it’s not an average secret - and you don’t have to keep it a secret either!

Ready for it?

Here it is……

Sit-to-stand furniture has been the hot thing in furniture for some time now - it's the "in" thing for healthy office environments and helping employees to be more active at work.  A sit-stand desk can be the perfect solution for someone with nagging back problems or circulation problems because it allows them to get up and stretch their legs and back while still being able to do their work.  Even if you don't have issues, it's still a good idea to change positions every so often and not stay seated all day long.

My dad struggles every fall and winter when the days start getting shorter. He’s seriously influenced by the lack of sunlight and it takes a heavy toll on him. This condition is called Seasonal Affective Disorder. People who have it may feel unusually tired or sad and have a lack of drive or energy during the short winter days. Extreme cases can result in depression.3

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can occur in your office as well. Employees may lack energy and lose focus, even fall asleep at their desks. You may be wondering what can be done to offset this or prevent it altogether. I’m glad you asked because there are some relatively simple changes that can be made to help keep your employees cheery and productive.

Is your office space configured for maximum productivity? Do your employees have both the spaces and the tools necessary for creative collaboration? Is the space comfortable? Is it flexible? These are all questions to consider when evaluating your current work space. Companies spend time and money evaluating processes and procedures and trying to find best practices to move the company forward and make it the best it can be; the work environment also needs to be considered in those evaluations.

There are a lot of moving pieces in an office remodel.  The overall style is probably the first thing on the docket - do we want contemporary or traditional? Something else?  Once that's decided, the furniture can be chosen, then the flooring, the lighting..........the list goes on and on.  

Take time to consider the color of the rooms.  If you've ever redecorated your house, you probably spent a bit of time trying to decide on the paint colors. Perhaps you bought some sample-size cans and painted patches on your wall to see how it would look before you jumped in with both feet.  The same concept applies to the office environment.  Different colors have different effects on employee moods, feelings and thoughts and great care should be given to the new design.  

Sit/Stand workstations and adjustable height desks are hot right now.  For years experts have been telling us that we sit too long at work and we need to get up and move around during our workday and sit/stand desks are seemingly the perfect solution to that problem.  

But standing too long can cause problems of its own.   You may experience fatigue, neck and shoulder soreness or stiffness, varicose veins, sore feet or joint pain.  I have back problems and I can't stand in one place too long or walk for too long without sitting down to rest my back.  I do like to stand up at my desk every once in a while although I don't have a sit/stand to work at. (I just rest my knee on my chair while I type.) 

If you're planning a furniture purchase for your office this year, this article will interest you.  The following excerpt is taken from the April 2018 issue of the Trendway Dealer News:

"Potential Benefits from the New Federal Tax Laws

Storage space is a key component in offices and which type of storage you use is determined by several factors, such as floor or wall space, frequency of use, decor and type of business.  Today we're going to focus on file cabinets.  I'll showcase a few of the options and, hopefully, give you information that will help you decide which type is the right one for your office.

I recently read an article by Dan Howarth on www.dezeen.com about a new innovation in the field of 3-D printing that may surprise you.  Researchers at MIT have partnered with Steelcase Inc. to develop a process they call Rapid Liquid Printing that changes 3-D printing as we know it and may make it possible to manufacture custom furniture in a matter of minutes.

I'm an intelligent person.  I've spent quite a few years on this planet already.  I have a college degree and I consider myself capable.  When I moved out of my parents' house into my first apartment, I saved money by purchasing ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture and I single-handedly assembled my bedroom dresser, nightstand and entertainment center.  

Without power tools.

I read the directions, followed them, and did it myself.  My hands were blistered and sore for quite a while afterward, but I did it myself.

Every office needs a kitchen/breakroom -  a place for employees to relax and eat lunch, with essentials like a microwave, coffee pot, refrigerator, etc.  Creating the relaxing atmosphere is done in part by the furniture in the room.  Ask your self these questions:

• Are the tables in your breakroom large enough for multiple people (and conversations)?  
• Are there enough tables to accommodate everyone who may be on lunch at the same time?
• Are the chairs comfortable?

If the answer to these questions is "no," take a look at some of the items we're featuring this week:

Our world is built around technology.  Twenty years ago the "must have" items for business professionals were Palm Pilots (remember those?) or a Blackberry.  Now, just about everyone has a smartphone, tablet or laptop computer and we take them everywhere we go.  Today's Product Quick Take is a great item for today's business lifestyle - the Lorell Mobile Laptop Caddy.  

Did you know that Office Express carries art & drafting supplies?  Yes, we do!  Whether you are a draftsman, an architect, a teacher or a student, we can help.  

We have a great selection of drafting tables, wall racks, mobile plan centers and roll files.

Have a small office?  Not a lot of space for shelf files or large filing cabinets but still have files that need to be accessible?  Consider a rolling file cart.

Rolling file carts, or mobile tub files, are a great way to keep active files handy without taking up a lot of space.  And, since they're mobile, they can easily go wherever you need them to be.  With or without a lid, these carts are available in a variety of sizes and configurations:

Probably the main concern when purchasing casters is making sure you get the right kind for the type of surface the chair is being used on.  If it's being used on hard floors, you need soft casters and if it's being used on carpeting or chair mats you need hard casters.  The other concern is getting the correct stem length and diameter.  Match your caster stem to the diagram below for the proper size and length.

Whiteboards are a common office element.  Or should I say "necessity?"  Just about every office has one.  Or more than one.  

If you find that you run out of space to write during meetings and conferences, you may want to consider the MasterVision Tile Whiteboard Wall System.  This system allows you to create any size writing surface or posting surface.

When evaluating a workspace for ergonomic correctness, remember to consider the keyboard.  Many people can work just fine with the keyboard on top of the desk, but frequently the desk isn't the right height and the user can't be positioned correctly.  Ergonomics are a critical component of an office - a space that isn't ergonomically correct can cause multiple health issues.

If you work in a space with a lot of employees in one room, chances are you frequently get distracted by the noise and commotion.  And you may be bothered by the lack of privacy.  While privacy panels and room dividers won't put a cone of silence around you, they do help to put a barrier between you and those unwanted distractions.

When I say "stack chairs," do you think of the plain, plastic chairs with the hard, uncomfortable seats?  If you said yes, you are not alone.  The good news is that stack seating has come a long way.  Now there are upholstered chairs, big and tall chairs, contemporary chairs, chairs with lumbar supports and chairs with contoured seats.  You can get traditional styling, sleek contemporary styling or even what I call "industrial" styling.  So you can have not only comfortable, affordable seating but also make a statement with style!

About a week ago, I wrote about breakroom tables and chairs and promised a post on cabinets and appliances.  In order to make your company breakroom employee-friendly, you need to finish your design with good storage and amenities.

Both HON and Alera have some attractive modular hospitality cabinets.  The HON system offers more versatility and configurations than the Alera, but I like the styling of the Alera better than the HON.  Here are the components of the Alera group: