You're Your Reception Desk

By Author: Dino Slager
Total Articles: 5
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"You are what you eat" and "birds of the same feather flock together" are two sayings you probably know. The meaning of either isn't lost on you. In the same vein, you can agree that when it comes to offices and workspaces, furniture such as a reception desk and conference tables will tell a lot about the company, if not those who work there.

What does your office chair or even the lighting have to do with the business image? Just as the taste in clothes or music provides you with an idea of exactly what a person is, furniture will tell clients, guests, as well as prospective employees how you run your shop and what it really is.

Consider Google

Technology giant Google is thought to be amongst the top (if not THE best) employers worldwide. Aside from the benefits employees get, the design of a normal Google office reflects the emphasis of the firm to creativity and open mindedness. You don't see any cubicles, particularly not the traditional ones. You'll find large, open spaces for collaborative work; color and artworks are ever present on the walls.

It's the same for most technology titans. Facebook, ...
... AOL and leading gaming company Activision Blizzard all avoided the common office look of side-by-side cubicles and wall-to-wall white paint. Their offices, from the facilities to the smallest bit of furnishing, show you the creativity of staff are revealed and collaboration is key. Microsoft calls its headquarters a "campus."

Do a comparison of this with offices that belong to law firms, old conglomerates, and banks. There exists that impression of power and authority in everything from the reception desk to the old oak conference tables.

Choose wisely

There's a tendency to go all-out utilitarian with your furniture. Consider, though, that one of the first things a guest might find is the reception desk. This doesn't really need to be a thing that makes them go wow at first sight. It just should give that impression of respectability and seriousness.

All things considered, you hire a receptionist with a pleasing personality and attractiveness, since they are the face of your office. Why then match your receptionist with a substandard desk?

Conference tables can be like the workspaces of your staff. They could be as functional as you wish, or you can get them to be part of what inspires them to better productivity. Conference rooms can also be the place where you will likely host clients and guests so you may do well to furnish these in a way that will wow them.

At least, your office furniture should reflect the beliefs of your company as well as the image you would like to project. Nothing is wrong with choosing antique furnishings if these speak to the soul of your company and offers the image you wish to project. If the organization trades in creativity, modern designs might have the double effect of inspiring your staff and telling clients your enterprise is innovative.

As they say, the clothes make the man. Your reception desk might be one thing on which everyone judges your company.

Dino is an interior designer who recently picked areception desk andconference tablesfor a client.