Home Office Or Return To Office?

Home office desk with computer, glasses against a bright window

We’re in mid-summer of 2021, and more than half of American adults are vaccinated, schools are starting to reopen, and states are lifting pandemic restrictions more and more every week. Yet, among all of this, more than half of the nation’s workers are still punching in and out of work from their homes, attending various Zoom meetings, and keeping it casual every day. However, some employers are pushing the return to the office in search of normality. 

How Some Companies Are Handling The Return To Office 

Large companies such as Goldman Sachs aim to have their employees back in the office at full force by the end of the year. Their CEO David Solomon has called their experience with remote work an “aberration” and “not a new normal.” JP Morgan wrote to their employees that their staff should be on a “consistent rotational schedule” by July. A recent survey done by Harvard Business School found that most remote employees miss the enjoyment of their co-workers and specific aspects of office life. 81% said they would want to stay working from home permanently or have a hybrid schedule with a few days working from home. Parents especially seem to want to return to the office compared to those without children, and married people were more eager than singles.

Many companies listen to their staff and try to find a proper balance between home and the office. Even before the pandemic began, a large portion of the workforce had meddled with the idea of a more remote or hybrid way of working. However, it took the pandemic for this shift in the workforce to occur, or else it may have never happened. 

So, it really varies on the company and how they want to get their office back up to speed as COVID seems to be under more control than a year ago. Even the CDC has issued a guideline to follow when returning to work

Why Go Back To The Office? 

There have been many pros to working from home. It was saving time and money on commuting back and forth, being able to raise a family a bit easier than leaving every morning, and the comfort of your home. It certainly has shifted perspectives for many. However, there are also obstacles that have not been overcome just yet. 

The sense of creating a culture as a remote company certainly has been one of the most difficult tasks so far. We tend to learn how to navigate a workplace by watching others’ interactions. In general, new hires have had a more difficult time getting things done, and it’s harder for managers to know when someone is having a hard time with a task. The sense of a company mission can easily fall away as you’re more separated from the team. Staying as engaged as possible has proven tricky and more time-consuming as we Zoom every meeting now. 

So, when it really comes down to what works better for your company, it might be time to have a meeting with your department heads and trickle down to your staff—understanding the pros and cons that each side is feeling and working your way through those obstacles. 

Revamp The Office As You Choose To Return or Stay Home!

Here at Indoff Commercial Interiors, we have plenty to choose from whether your staff is planning to return to the office or stay remote. Going back to the office gives your company a chance to revamp the way it was before—a new beginning for your team and how they can operate from a day-to-day office lifestyle. Bringing back a fresh sense of culture and aesthetic can be exactly what your team needs as they walk back in the doors. Contact us today to see how we can help you rebuild the office lifestyle.  

How To Pick The Right Office Chair For Your Work At Home Set-up

Working from home has been a big transformation for businesses and workers across the country. This change has also made many companies decide to stick to the work from home model. As we all thought that many of us would be returning to the offices after a certain amount of time, now we’re looking at how to make our home office work. Moving around furniture, setting up a presentable background, and even somewhere that you won’t get too distracted. These were some of the first steps we all took, but now we’re realizing we need office furniture! The most important to start with is your office chair. 

What makes a good chair, and how do you decide on one? 

The Life Of Ergonomic The Office Chair

An ergonomic chair is a perfect option for those long hours at the computer. They aim to be a solution for body pains and the strain you undergo when using a standard chair for hours on end. They’re designed to be a strong support for the entire body when sitting at a desk. They focus on posture, back support, weight distribution, comfort, and movement. Most all ergonomic chairs will have various adjustable parts to fit every user in their own unique way. 

Many ergonomic chairs have a waterfall seat design. This is due to their rounded front edge, which can help you have better posture while sitting. The contoured and downward slope will help relieve pressure and increase the support behind your knees and the back of your thighs, in turn, provides better blood flow to your legs while sitting. It also will provide a more even weight distribution across your seat, making it more comfortable. 

Adjustability 

The amount of adjustability your chair has then the more you can personalize it. Having a backrest that can recline or move closer for better comfort or vision is one of the top-ranking needs for workers. You should also have an adjustable height lever to adapt to your office desk. That alone can solve wrist pain and neck strain by being at the proper height. An emerging feature is an adjustable armrest. These all tie in together to give you the best support when working long days and avoid any body strains or fatigue. 

Lumbar Support

Proper lumbar support will help stabilize the upper body and provide support for your spine. Having a static seating position will decrease the blood flow throughout your body, whereas having proper lumbar support will increase that blood flow by providing a dynamic seating position. The concave curve that lumbar support provides will help distribute your weight and reduce the concentration of stress throughout your body. With that curve, you’re more likely to have lower back pain.  

Chair Material 

All the materials that your chair is made of will make a difference in the overall support and longevity of your chair. However, the upholstery is a definite individual preference but still holds a strong importance overall. Having a breathable mesh material will increase the airflow from within the seat and prevent it from becoming uncomfortably warm. Mesh will typically be smoother, softer than other types of office chairs. 

Indoff Office Furniture Has Your Dream Chair 

We can help your business chose which chairs would be best for your team. If you’re working from home or heading back to the office soon, take a look at our selection of products! Give us a call today for any questions you may have. We can also offer office desks and many other office furniture options to make your brick and mortar look refreshed when you get the team back in and rolling. 

Body Pain And Your Office Chair Life

Work from home has transformed the business world. More and more companies are realizing that working remotely can produce more productivity. This has many workers sitting at their desks longer than they may typically do so at the office. Also, workers may feel more comfortable and relax a bit more while working. As great as these aspects look on the surface, more than ever, we’re losing focus of what’s important – our health. By this, we mean just typical posture and sitting techniques we should follow to avoid any sort of body pain. To make this easier, we’ve come up with a list of things to pay attention to while sitting in your at-home office chair for hours on end. 

Don’t Crumble Into A Ball

It may seem like a no-brainer, but stand up, and stand up as often as possible. We all tend to zone into our work and start leaning forward or slouching. Standing up just to move around a bit can help you do small stretches and keep your muscles from stiffening up. YOu also may encounter back pain before anything else. This occurs because the disks in your back contain water and a series of chemicals called glycosaminoglycans. These chemicals resist compressive forces, but water will get pushed out of your disc when you sit for an extended period of time. This will lead your discs to bulge and place pressure along your spinal nerve.  

Chair Adjustments 

Your chair, no matter how expensive and fancy as it may be, needs some adjusting to keep you from hurting yourself after a long period. Start with your chair’s height and make sure it lifts just enough to keep your feet flat on the floor. Your fingers should have enough space to slide between the curve of your knees near your calves and the chair. If they can’t, then find a small footrest to help elevate your feet a bit. Even something as simple as a pillow can help. 

Make sure you’re close enough to your desk that you’re not overreaching out. Your keyboard should sit within an easy reach, and your elbows should sit at a 90-degree angle. This also may require you to adjust your armrests so that they don’t push your shoulders too high or leave them too low. 

Finally, your monitor should sit at an arm’s length’s distance, and your eyes should line up with the center of your screen or ⅓ from the bottom of your monitor. Your screen placed improperly can lead to neck pain from leaning forward to move around too much. If you tuck your chin to your chest and slowly reverse the movement to relieve tension in your neck. To help your neck and shoulders, then tilt your head from side to side with your ears staying aligned with your shoulders. Do these movements slowly but often to keep some flexibility and relieve tension. 

Back Pain and Your Chair

So, everything feels lined up, and you should be good to go, right? Well, also make sure that your bottom can tuck to the back of your chair. This will then line your back up with the chair. Your lumbar support should line up with your arch right above your waist. By placing proper lumbar support, it will prevent you from slouching or leaning forward. 

Lumbar Support Cheat 

Many chairs don’t have this support built-in or just don’t fit all body types. Placing a throw pillow against the back of your chair can provide you with the support you need. It’s a simple and easy way to fix the problems that many chairs have. 

Wrist Pain From Strains

Wrist strain maintains as one of the most overlooked injuries you can do to yourself. When you’re using a mouse or bashing away at your keyboard, the tendons in your wrists move back and forth. As this happens, microtrauma from friction can happen, which will lead to fatigue and possible inflammation. 

Your shoulders leaning forward will also contribute to wrist strain. When your shoulders lean forward, then your bloodstream to your hands and arms will decrease. You will feel a form of numbness, soreness, or a tingling sensation. 

If you perform a few basic exercises such as placing your hands together in a prayer position, lift your elbows out and lower your wrists until you feel a good stretch.  

You can also avoid all of this by holding your wrists horizontally above your desk when you type. Not higher than your hands or resting on your desk. Getting a wrist rest can help with this as well. 

Indoff Office Chairs And Furniture 

We have some of the best products out there to keep you healthy while you work at your desk. Let us know how we can supply your office and your team to keep everyone healthy and productive! 

How to Create the Perfect Multifunctional Home Office

Multifunctional rooms and spaces have topped the charts of design trends in the past year. For every passing day, people have come to realize how helpful and important multifunctional spaces can be. Most working people have had to bring their work to their homes, finding ways they can fit their personal and professional life all in one space. With the help of modern office furniture, creating multifunctional rooms has become a simple task. How exactly can you mesh both comfort and focus in one corner? By following a few simple tips, you’ll have your bedroom, living room, and office all in one!

Choose a Room with Optimal Space

When you plan to combine a home office with your other home needs and activities, you’ll need to find a room that is able to serve several purposes. Space is something you’’ have to consider carefully. You don’t want to be tripping over electronics or toys if your office space will also occupy the game room. Choose a space that provides enough room for all your plans.

Keep Technology Needs in Mind

Whatever room you choose to occupy your office space in, you will have to plan ahead when it comes to technology. For example, you’ll want to provide enough power supply for your computer setup, a television (if there is one in the same room), and other appliances that require an outlet. You should also account for other appliances you may have such as mini-fridges or others.

Choose a Desk that Accommodates Your Needs

The desk that you choose for your multifunctional office should have just enough space for your computer setup and tools and also additional space for other purposes. You could also designate one half of your desk for the computer and the other half for note-taking and filing. This can help your productivity and organization.

Make the Space Comfortable

Since you’ll be combining your office space, it’s important to consider comfort and relaxation just as you would in any other room! Let’s start with the office chair. As opposed to using a stiff and more traditional office chair, you could use a piece of furniture that is both a lovely living room finish and a productive tool!

Choose Furniture that Has Plenty of Storage

You’ll be thinking about how much room you have during this process, therefore, you’ll also have to consider how much furniture you can incorporate. It is best to choose furniture that provides enough storage to prevent clutter and to help with keeping things organized. Furniture that offers storage can also help when it comes to keeping your space multifaceted.

Lighting: Make it Just Right

As we’ve mentioned before, when it comes to multipurpose rooms, you want to make sure it’s just as comfortable as it is productive. Some offices have lighting fixtures that are too uncomfortable to bear. When you’re at home, you want to relax and wind down. For a multifunctional home office, you’ll need a little bit of both to achieve productivity!

Make Sure to Leave Room for Other Purposes

Creating a home office doesn’t really require much space. In fact, all you need is a corner with just enough for a desk, a seat, and other tools you may have. With that being said, if you’re trying to create a multifunctional workspace, you don’t want to go overboard with the office furniture. Planning ahead and laying out your furniture may help.

Dress it Up to Your Liking

Of course, you should always have fun with the process of building your multifunctional office space! Don’t be afraid to throw in some vibrant-colored curtains, a notice board, and other materials that speak your aura. This can encourage your workflow at home if you have trouble focusing outside of the traditional office space. In addition to productivity, you should enjoy working in a home office.

Throw in Some Green

It is proven that having plants or natural elements around can decrease levels of stress during your workday. Not only does having a plant help you manage overwhelming sensations, it can also help you feel more at home and dresses the space up to be more multifaceted.

Contact Indoff Commercial Interiors Today!

The experts at Indoff Commercial Interiors is proud to provide El Paso locals with their professional needs, especially during these unprecedented times. If you’re looking for specific materials or furniture for your office space, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

Getting Your Office Back Up To Speed: Work & COVID-19

If your office is like thousands of offices across the globe, you may have elected to work from home sometime during the coronavirus pandemic. The virus that took the world by storm nearly a year ago is beginning to wane in many parts of the world, so now offices are beginning to allow people back in.

But you don’t want to simply bring people in without a plan. If you don’t have some sort of plan in mind, you’ll likely end up with people in your workplace getting sick and your office shutting down once again. So how should you bring your employees back to work in a safe way?

In this blog, we’ll discuss tips that you can use to keep your employees healthy and productive!

Let Everyone In On The Sanitation Plan

This should be a no-brainer but so many companies unnecessarily leave their employees out of the loop. Your office’s response to the coronavirus should be clear to everyone who needs to follow it. Make sure none of the plan is vague, either.

Stay Patient

Often when companies experience crunch, the gut reaction from management is to crack down and pressure people to perform. This is absolutely not the way that you want to bring your people back.

If some of your employees seem a little sluggish, don’t be so quick to get rid of them. Propose an action plan and give

Create An Action Plan

In addition to having a sanitation plan, you’re going to need to have a plan for all departments to get back up to speed. Of course, this plan is going to be highly dependent on how your business has handled this period. If productivity has been lacking, then you may need to be aggressive with your plan.

Conversely, if your business has handled the pandemic well, you shouldn’t push too hard. This is for reasons that we’ll expand on in the next tip. Most importantly, be sure to balance the needs of the company with the needs of your employees.

Create A Support Network

Modern life even before COVID-19 was incredibly hectic and stressful for millions of Americans. Our current pandemic has only added more instability to an already precarious economy and social fabric. As a result, a support system at work could keep people from burning out completely or being unproductive.

This support network can be configured in a number of ways. It could be something as small as encouraging employees to reach out to each other to make a therapy program.

Consider Socially Distanced Activities

Chances are that when you go back to the office, morale won’t be so high. It’s natural, everyone has a lot on their mind, so try to think up some activities or fun incentives for a morale boost. Perhaps a fun office activity with a cool prize, or a surprise doughnut break for the team.

These activities can be tailored to your business’s specific situation. Just don’t forget to get creative and try to get everyone on the same page.

Tell Employees To Leave Work At Work

Even if offices say not to work from home, most probably secretly love when their team decides to knock something out at home. People may be even more inclined to work from home since they have been doing it for a while. But you may need to really emphasize that the work needs to stay in the office.

This is because of the stress and burnout that we mentioned earlier. With everything that is going on, it could be easy for your employees to overwork themselves and burnout. When your employees come in, just try to stress that they need to stop the work when they clock out.

Trust Indoff For Your Office Furniture!

Regardless of how you bring employees back, they’ll need a place to sit ad work. That’s where we come in. Indoff supplies the best in office furniture and equipment to support our El Paso customers.

Contact us today to learn more about our office offerings!

Office Space Design: Getting Your Office Furniture to Work for You 

a group of young employees collaborating in a shared work space

Research into how we work is nothing new. First, there were factory floors, then large office spaces that resembled factory floors, then cubicles, then the revolution against cubicles, then the technology and internet age. Every step of the way business executives and heads of major companies have been trying to figure out a way to improve the way we work. A big part of improving productivity and increasing collaboration lies in the way that people’s workspace is arranged, although not many companies consider this as an asset or tool for growth. Here at Indoff Office Furniture, we understand that the office is not just the place we arrive at in the morning with coffee stains on our shirt, our hair undone, and flustered from the morning commute. The office space needs to be so much more than that. 

Many startups and tech companies today are trying innovative ways to propel their workforce to improve workflow. Sometimes it feels like they are at odds with themselves. After all, the office is not one dimensional. Here at Indoff Office Furniture, we understand that. We see the office as a place that should inspire creativity but also encourage comfort; it is a place that lends itself to quiet solitude and focus but also makes interaction and collaboration easy. The office space should do all these things while maximizing space and suggesting a feeling of modernity and coziness. 

Let’s take a step back, where did all this begin?

The roots of the office design were born out of necessity. As the white-collar age began, many big-time company execs understood that housing all of their employees in one building could present a series of problems but also opportunities. During the turn of the 20th century, Taylorism was born and would today be looked at with some scorn. The office layout consisted of a fully open layout with all employees laid out in one big room as company executives looked on from above the way that factory floors were often structured. This creation of hierarchy and separation would not bode very well today but the movement was deemed Taylorism, after Frederick Taylor, who was obsessed with productivity and efficiency. The levels were soon done away with and the arrangement became more utilitarian by the mid-50s, although much of the space still remained relatively open. Later in the 20th century, Herman Miller created the Action, a semi-personal workstation that created dividers between workers but gave enough space for some conversation. This little station has gained quite the reputation and has in some ways become synonymous with the drone and tedium of modern life, yet it did change the way that office space was conceived for many years. This is, of course, the cubicle. 

The Move Towards Collaborative Spaces Using Furniture and Space Arrangement 

The modern age has us not only working with technology but working to further technological advancements, services, software, and more. Regardless of what your office works on or develops, the space where your workers attack the problems and challenges must be conducive to a better work environment. 

Approaches to Better Office Design and Increased Productivity 

See your office design and furniture as tools for growth. For the modern age, this might include re-engineering office space to encourage interactions and communication between different departments or types of employees. Let the developers mingle with the designers, let the creatives watercooler-talk with the salespeople, and let the managers interact free with their teams. This happens simply by re-thinking the way our spaces are laid out. In terms of furniture, it might include using different types of desks in one area and other more private cubbies in another. 

Use furniture as a way to set the tone and create comfort. There are so many more options today than simple cubicles or bland desks that tend to create clutter. One thing that does increase people’s stress is the clutter that begins to form when the arrangement of the room is not conducive to storage or the maximizing of space. Today’s office furniture offers a lot of interesting alternatives, many of which can increase employees’ comfort level and set different tones for different rooms. Technology companies like Google—who have truly revolutionized the office space— have found that productivity happens in a spectrum, so they have designed different rooms to be conducive to different types of work, from solo work to semi-quite focused areas, to full open collaborative spaces. 

Indoff Office Furniture is meant to help you maximize and reengineer your office space in a way that inspires your employees to be more productive, comfortable, and happy at work. 

 

How The Color Of Your Workplace Affects Productivity

An animated office with glass windows, conference room, computer tables, with plants and hanging lights.

There’s so much we do to set up the perfect workspace. From the right kind of coffee to kick-start your day, to finding that perfect chair for posture. But have you ever thought about the color scheme you’re surrounded by? Studies have shown that your office paint job can affect you more than you realize. A study done by Color Psychologist Angela Wright proves to show how color can change your mindset. It’s time to reanalyze your efficiency and optimize your productivity. If you’re working from home or heading back to the office soon, here’s how changing the color of your workspace can change how you work.

Color = Productivity

Before you jump up and pick your favorite color for your workplace (let’s not break out the neon scheme just yet), you should know what individual colors mean. Think about it from an artist’s perspective. They pick certain colors to bring out specific moods and emotions in their work. If they’re creating a calming spring meadow, they’re not going to use Hi-Fi reds and oranges. They’ll aim for blues, greens, even some yellows to relax your mind. Let’s look at some of the primary colors and their effects on the mind. 

modern working office with efficient colorful walls and carpeting to enhance productivity

Red: Stimulating And Attention Grabbing

Although stimulating, the color red has its pros and cons for the work environment. Think of a stop sign – it catches our attention immediately. It’s also probably what your teacher used when marking up that paper you spent all night working on. Mostly, it’s a call for attention in the details. It raises our blood pressure and can activate our “fight or flight” instinct. Although the color red isn’t recommended for a relaxing workplace, it’s productive when drawing one’s attention to a key item. It also has two ways on the spectrum it can land on – pink and burgundy. Pink has a light-hearted feel, whereas burgundy takes a sophisticated and serious tone. The verdict? Use it sparingly or just to highlight something important in the office.  

Blue: Productivity and Calming

Quite the opposite of red, and known for its calming ability, blue has the most significant productivity boost in the office. If you use blue as the base color for office productivity, you can use other colors as accents since so much goes well with the color. It has the opposite effect from red as it lowers the blood pressure. Creating a calming feeling, it aids the mind for concentration at its fullest. 

Green: Relaxing and Peaceful

Hitting that 40-hour workweek can be exhausting no matter what you do. Luckily, green has a significant effect on calming people down. It’s key to relaxation, mainly because green doesn’t strain the eyes. It’s no wonder offices have open windows with plenty of nature surrounding them. You can even place plants around the office to help create this effect as well. It’s perfect for keeping your mind at peace for those overwhelming projects and deadlines.

Yellow: Collaboration and Optimism 

As much as we love being relaxed and cozy, too much can put us to sleep. A touch of yellow can bring in some energy and positive emotions into the office space. If you want to highlight collaboration, yellow can help to bring out an uplifting and vibrant mood. It’s also known for stimulating creativity and optimism. Although, too much can be an oversaturation. It’s known as the least favorite color for most adults, so use it sparingly and in key spots.

Group of joyful and cheerful coworkers sitting together in bright creative office and laughing while discussing launch of new project of company

Working From Home

 So, you’ve set-up your at-home office, probably in a room that wasn’t used much before. Or maybe, you’re in the center of everything in your living room. You probably went from spending your early mornings and evenings at home, but now you’re there all day. Take a step back and see what color fits both your living and home working situation. You’ll find it makes a more significant influence than you realize.   

Back To The Office 

As a business owner, most of your staff might be working from home right now, and that’s okay. It has its pros with everyone out of the building. Now is the perfect time to renovate the office space a little. This doesn’t mean you need to break out the paint buckets either, you can do all of this with furniture as well. Not everyone has the luxury of owning a building or the budget to paint every wall and room in the office. By simply updating the furniture, you can make the entire room come to life.

Also, remember that each color’s tone and brightness take a big part of what you’re choosing. You don’t want to oversaturate your office or pick the wrong color for the wrong room. Our leader, Kim Gregory, can help you decide what message and vibe you’re sending not only to your clients but to your people.

More Than Just A Color  

A key thing to remember is the intensity and saturation of each color. Selecting colors in key spots means more than a whole room one color. The CEO having a blue highlighted door can mean trustworthiness and dependability. Green plants bring in freshness and nature into the office, and so on. So, before picking that basic beige or white walls, think about how you can truly optimize productivity with your color schemes. 

The History of the Office: Where Productivity and Creativity Flourish

a modern open office space with plants and white office furnitureOffices have a long, storied past. It’s where great deals are made, and where world-changing inventions come to life. But how did we arrive at the modern office? And where are offices going in the future? Today, we’ll delve into the history of the modern office to see if we can uncover any secrets to this crucial piece of modern society. If you’d like to convert your office into a more efficient, comfortable, and professional space, then Indoff Office Furniture can help.

The Origins of the Office

Here’s a fun fact, did you know famed English author Geoffery Chaucer is credited as the first person to use the term “office” as a place where business transactions take place? This was way back in 1395, appearing in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Prior to this, the term was generally used when referring to a position that involved certain duties. 

We can find the true birth of the modern office in the 18th century when the East India Company and other large-scale, complex organizations began to grow and take hold of the world. It was during this time that the first office spaces were being built. These buildings were built with the sole purpose of getting work done. 

Productivity³ 

At the core of every office is the need for productivity to thrive. This need gave birth to the office cubicle. In 1964, office equipment company Herman Miller teamed up with industrial designer Robert Propst to create a concept of a “modern” office that would fight against the monotony of past office spaces, thus allowing for higher degrees of creativity to flourish. What they came up with was known as the “Action Office,” a precursor to the modern cubicle. Today, the cubicle is seen in a less-than-flattering light but its original intention was to create a private setting where employees could work without distraction, thus letting their creativity and productivity flow. 

Japan in the 20th Century: Birthplace of the First Open Plan Offices 

One the other side of the spectrum is the 20th-century Japanese office. Japanese offices pioneered what is known as an “open plan” which mostly relies on ergonomic decisions that aid in making employees as productive as can be. Unlike most American offices, Japanese offices have no walls dividing desks or cubicles; individual offices are also eschewed in this open floor plan. In order to ensure productivity, the office or group leader sits at a prominent position. From this spot, the leader can assign tasks and keep tabs on work as its completed.

Since this open-plan does away with walls, team members are able to speak freely with one another in case they require assistance or guidance. If this sounds like your current office layout, then you’re in good company! It wasn’t long before the open office plan pioneered by Japanese businesses began to crop up in other offices all across the world. 

Working from Home

There are countless industries in this world of ours. As such, some industries may benefit greatly from open plans while others are actually more beneficial with cubicles or team spaces. It all depends on the particular industry. But with the advent of the internet and the turn of the century, offices actually evolved to become more personal. So much so, in fact, that many individuals have gone on to work from home.

Everyone, from architects and freelancers to therapists and photographers, has made the move to home offices. Although there is still a prestige that comes along with a physical office address, there’s unbridled freedom that comes from working at home. In fact, many modern companies have remote workers who live in different cities or countries. All this can be done thanks to the advancements in technology and internet connectivity. 

Coworking Spaces Explained

Coworking spaces are an interesting development in the trajectory of office spaces. Sometimes, working from home just isn’t in the cards. Perhaps you don’t have an extra room to spare or your family is much too loud for you to properly speak with clients over the phone without interruptions. This is where coworking spaces can come in handy. Coworking spaces seamlessly combine the idea of open-plan offices with the premise of remote work. For low monthly rates, you can have your own desk in a modern, state-of-the-art office.

Coworking spaces are incredibly popular among freelancers, start-ups, and entrepreneurs so you’ll be in good company. In fact, that’s one of the main benefits of coworking spaces. Since like-minded individuals are all around you, you’ll be able to flourish in your own endeavors. Coworking spaces create a unique environment. You’re your own boss, but you’re not on your own. You can take time to speak with those around you and bounce ideas off one another and there won’t be a supervisor keeping tabs on your tasks. As such, creativity can flourish!

Finding the Right Furniture

Whether you’re planning on converting your spare bedroom into your home office or you’re ready to start renting a space for your startup, you need to make sure you have the right office furniture to guarantee productivity, comfort, and organization. This is where Indoff Office Furniture comes into play. We carry the best of the best in business and office furniture. Give us a call today to learn more about what we have to offer!

Five Fun Ways to Open Up Your Home Office

Comfortable workplace with modern computer on desk. Home office

Working from home is an exciting venture, but the initial interest may wear out quickly if your setup fails to suffice. After a few weeks (or even a few days!) you’ll get used to waking up at eight in the morning until five in the afternoon. Although, what makes a home office optimal is that you get to customize your space, which is not as feasible when you work in an office. If you’re in the El Paso area and you’re ready to take your home office to the next level, then Indoff Office Furniture can help. We’ve compiled five great tips that can turn your home office into your most productive space yet! 

Start With the Right Office Chair 

Whether you’re planning on using a standing desk from time to time or sitting at your computer screen all day, it is still in your best interest to look for the best office chair possible. There are a lot of options for you to choose from, but it’s important that you don’t purchase an office chair that is too comfortable. The more comfortable a chair is the more inclined you’ll be to slack off and possibly even fall asleep! With a more up-right and supportive chair, you’ll be able to tackle all of your tasks within the assigned time! 

Get a Durable and Sturdy Desk 

Modern office interior design with office chair and desk in front of windows. Workplace with laptop.

Your office desk is the seed that will help you grow ideas into tangible success. You can go all out with your desk or you could keep it light and simple. Whatever suits your needs is what matters most! It’s also important to not go overboard with a large desk because you might feel like you have too much space and not enough supplies to fill it with. For example, a large desk might give you space for a filing cabinet, but if you don’t find the need for one, then it’s nothing to worry about! You want a desk that fits your comfort and your work ethic, all in one. 

Create a Comfortable Light Setting 

Your home may have a dark and ambient light setting throughout each and every room, but this isn’t ideal for your home office. When creating your home office, it is important to make sure that you have enough light so you can stay focused on your work. If the room is too dimly lit, you might become drowsy or bored, thus becoming too distracted and fail to get any work done. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the setting has to be painfully bright, especially to the point where it can be headache-inducing! If you have a spare room where the sun spills in perfectly, then you can use this place as your home office. 

Personalize Your Space 

Modern home working place with laptop, stylish lamp and plant in pot over white wall background

One of the best things about working in a home office is the limitless possibilities you have available. You could add pictures of your friends and family, encouraging sticky-note messages, candles, and any other personal items that help you get through your workday! Make your home office your own so you’ll forward to working every day. This way, you won’t loath your working hours. 

Make Sure Your Work Zone is Free of Distraction 

Everyone works differently. Some people have to physically leave their homes, others may have an easier time working in the comfort of their homes. Even if working at home works out better for you, noise is inevitable. Noise will especially be prevalent if you have little ones that hit the TV and their toys as soon as they come home from school. Even if you are not the one generating the noise, it is still your responsibility to keep it down as much as possible. Additionally, if you don’t have to worry about children breaking into your office, it’s still a good idea to make sure your office is unreachable (obviously, except by you). This way, you won’t get distracted or bothered while working on that big project. If locking the door isn’t an option, you can let your family and household members know that you’ll be working and that volumes will need to stay low. 

Indoff Office Furniture: Making Your Dream Office a Reality 

The world of interior design for offices is full of great options. You don’t have to be a master in office design and decorating when you have Indoff Office Furniture to help and guide you! Give us a call or visit us today to take a look at what we have to offer.

Office Furniture Trends You Can Expect to See in 2020

Still of the interior of a modern office aligned with wooden features, divided work spaces, office chairs, and office tables.

The new decade is finally here and now, more than ever, companies are becoming increasingly complex in terms of their functions and operations. Those who are on the front line of workplace design are working to anticipate the ever-evolving needs of businesses while creating a cohesive brand that encourages innovation and a company’s corporate vision and culture. The challenges that businesses face today have led to exciting transformations in the way that employees perform, interact with, and operate within built environments. Employees are now working in offices and workplaces that are designed for high-demanding business needs, with the goal to improve performance and productivity, attract talented new recruits, enhance wellness and well-being, and inspire new and innovative ideas. None of this would be possible without the prevalence of specialized office designs and furniture. As we plan for 2020 and beyond, these trends stand to make the most immediate and significant impacts on the future of our workplaces. 

Making a Comeback with Wooden Interior 

By today’s standards, most office environments are built with traditional whiteboard drywall construction and filled with metal cubicles. As brands become more focuses on sustainability and rearrange their workspace to attract top talent, facilities have adopted a more environmentally conscious attitude in recent years to meet their employee and tenant expectations and this is done with the help of wood. Wood is infamous for adding biophilic texture, lines, and warmth to traditionally sterile office environments. Linear wood paneling and slatted wood patterning also help create the illusion of depth. 

Utilizing Monochromatic Expression 

The Oxford dictionary defines monochromatic as containing or using only one color. Although, this definition doesn’t depict what it can monochromatic color schemes can do in terms of design. Monochromatic color schemes have sparked a color explosion that’s been taking place in commercial vicinities over the past several years. These color palettes only use one color, but they utilize the entire spectrum of shades, tones, and hints of that particular color to depict a uniform and recognizable theme. This design draws people in via creative expression and establishes an image that showcases functions and personality within a workspace. 

Implementing Hanging Horticulture and Vegetation 

Plants have become more popular in office environments than ever before, with the emergence of walls adorned with green and moss as staples of well-being and branding. With floor space at a premium, designers are turning to new heights to integrate their vegetation: ceilings. Office ceilings are the next frontier for companies striving to maximize space, efficiency, and incorporate the patterns of nature. Hanging vegetation often promotes home-styled environments where the lines of business and leisure are blurred. With plant design engrained in buildings seeking a sustainable and wellness-forward image, green has become and continues to be an undeniable feature in the near future of office design. 

Modular Modern Designs

By the looks of it, the open office space isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. In the meantime, businesses are looking for ways to provide their employees with personalized, private spaces in which they can focus on their important projects. Beyond that, functional furniture is a key element to help employees stay creative, active, and extremely productive. This indicates that new studio drafting tables, standing desks, benching workstations, and even insulated phone booths are being developed and reimagined every day to help workers maximize their time in the office.

Dynamic Spaces and Flexibility 

The trend of dynamic spaces has begun to emerge, introducing people to the idea of multi-functional workspaces. These spaces typically include indoor-outdoor access via garage doors, movable dividers, and television and video equipment—just to name a few. Dynamic flexibility incorporates an entirely new generation of moveable, multi-functional, lightweight, and ergonomic elements designed to fit any space and purpose. This design trend also focuses on a complete transformation of environments from the meeting rooms, to a production area, to a quiet, semi-private space, with just a blink of an eye. All in all, these spaces are designed to meet the needs, application, and comfort in our increasingly multidisciplinary business world. 

Indoff Commercial Interiors: Here to Help You Transform and Modernize Your Office Space

If it’s time for you to renovate your office or workplace, we have all the materials, furniture, and office essentials to help you achieve efficiency and success! Contact us today to learn more about the products we carry and to have a professional help you find furniture to compliment your office environment.