When it comes to planning out your office reception area you will want to make this as inviting as possible so that it feels light and airy and welcoming to all those you visit your office. There are a number of items of furniture that you might want to consider including.
- Desk – Having a reception desk is not only important as somewhere for your receptionist to work from but it helps to give your visitors a place to go when they first step foot inside your office.
- Reception Chairs – The right Reception chair can make your office inviting to those who are visiting. It is important for them to have somewhere to sit whilst they are waiting for their meeting to start.
- Coffee table – you might like to have a small coffee table or two located next to the chairs in your reception area so that you can place some marketing material on there for them to have a look through whilst they wait.
- Tea & Coffee Machine – nothing is more delightful than being able to get yourself a cup of tea or coffee from a dispensing machine whilst you are waiting to be collected from the reception area.
Furnishing the rest of a new office
The reception area is usually the first space to plan when you move into new premises, because it is what visitors see first. Alongside a reception desk and a suitable chair for your receptionist, comfortable seating helps waiting visitors feel relaxed and calm before their meetings.
Once reception is sorted, the general office needs desks and chairs for every member of staff. These should be ergonomically designed to help prevent back and neck problems, as people spend many hours a day using them.
Think about storage as well, such as filing cabinets for paperwork. Waste and recycling bins are easy to forget, and a small kitchen area with the equipment staff need to make drinks and refreshments through the day makes the whole office more pleasant to work in.
Seating and refreshments for waiting visitors
Once the main pieces are in place, think about how visitors will actually spend their time in reception. Comfortable seating matters more than it might seem. Good chairs let people wait in comfort for their meeting rather than wandering aimlessly around the space. Choose a style that fits the room you have, and consider adding cushions in your business colours or carrying your logo to tie the area to your brand.
Refreshments are another touch that the best reception areas share. Water, tea and coffee dispensers allow guests to help themselves while they wait, or make it quick for the receptionist to offer a drink.
That second point is easy to overlook. If the receptionist has to leave the front desk to wait for a kettle to boil, the desk is left unattended. A dispenser close at hand keeps them where visitors expect to find them, which helps the space feel professional and well run.