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The age of chrome and black steel and plastic is done; mahogany desks, brass lamps, and wood office chairs are returning the Victorian look to the workplace. At the same time there is a reluctance to part with all of the joys of modern technology – so while the feeling of classic tradition may be there, it is touched with a digital flavor, whether it is a readout under the analog clock or an ergonomic curve to the grain of the wood office chairs.
However, you should take some time to evaluate the pros and cons of changing your office style before just going out to buy the pretty faux-wood desktops shining in office supply stores. Many of these are made of simple pressboard with a veneer of wood, and while the deals may look great, the idea of “caveat emptor” (“Let the buyer beware”) applies. You tend to get what you pay for, and actual quality wood furnishings – whether it be a cedar file cabinet or some cherry wood office chairs to go around a mahogany boardroom table – tend to cost a premium. This is due to both materials and craftsmanship.
Materials require some researching – make sure that your office environment is climate-controlled, for example, since dryness and humidity can often affect the strength and stability of wood. Of course, you don’t have to go with any old wood – many pieces of furniture are made out of amalgams of various kinds of wood and other materials, producing a composite that is often stronger and more flexibly durable than steel or aluminum. This means that any size client can sit in those delicate-looking wood office chairs without you having to worry about them suddenly giving off an ominous creak of impending collapse.
Craftsmanship is a part of this – finding someone who can work with the materials you want, who creates furniture for the office in the style that best reflects your business. If you can create a personal relationship with a woodworker, they can create a look for your office that becomes a unique reflection of your business. Better yet, when your competitor has to replace all sixty of the uncomfortable rolling plastic chairs on their Customer Service floor because their office supply company has discontinued that model, you can simply ask for ten more wood office chairs from your personal friend as your company grows. “Office furniture designed by…” becomes a part of the added value of your business.
The real value of wood comes in a less definable way, though. The warm tones of wood and earth in your office give a feeling of solidity and security which can be very reassuring in times of economic and social instability. You want both your clients and your employees to feel that they have a place of permanence in your business, and believe it or not, investing in a more solid oak door or those soft brown maple wood office chairs might do the trick.