Casework Transforming Workspaces - Your workspace should be inviting and it should be functional, especially when you think of how much time you spend there. A workspace is inviting when the casework – the cupboards, filing cabinets, and desking fit into the space seamlessly. They should look like they naturally belong where they are. Consequently, when you enter your workspace, you should experience a sense of quiet satisfaction and that things are as they should be. You intuitively feel that you are at one with your workspace universe, your office – your “Offiverse”. You should feel welcome. Multi-functional casework offers additional efficiency benefits. Some of your casework can perform more than one function by allowing you to put things inside of it, as well as use or work on top of it.
The Case for Casework Transforming Workspaces
Casework can also give you options to optimize your space by transforming workspaces for different purposes and according to the number of users.
Here are two suggestions to make your workspace inviting, functional and optimal.
- Fit the furniture to the space.
- Optimize through being mobile.
1. Fit the furniture to the space.
Advance planning is the key. The worst thing we do when setting up a workspace is to take a piecemeal approach. We end up with a mixed assortment of old and new furniture which we try to cobble together into a semi-seamless arrangement. We end up “making do”. Worse still is not doing it all at the outset, so half measure “solutions” keep being added to the “storage warehouse” look.
Commercial Furniture
Commercial furniture offers a degree of flexibility. Although manufactured mainly to a set of international standard measurements, some casework pieces are available in non-standard sizes. Measure the space and draw up a bird’s eye view indicating what needs to go where. Be mindful of what suits right-handed and left-handed users, because they sit at opposite angles, making desks in corners problematic. Also, pay attention to which ways doors should open. A lot of casework has a reversible door option, just like many fridges.
Helpful staff
Once you have your aerial view on paper with the measurements, rather take it to a casework store than shop online. The chances are that the staff will have some carpentry “wherewithal” and experience in planning workspaces. They will be able to ask you questions you haven’t thought of and give you good advice. An even bigger advantage of going to the store is you will probably get to meet the person responsible for the delivery and installation. It’s like having a courtesy project manager on hand.
This far outweighs the supposed convenience of shopping online which can usually only offer an anonymous, outsourced delivery, which places the onus on you to assemble (if you have the tools) and then to position the furniture, which might take more than one go, especially if you are using the “trial and error” approach to transforming your workspace. Another potential benefit of visiting a commercial casework supplier and establishing a relationship with them is that they just might be able to customize the dimensions of one or two pieces to achieve the seamless look we are striving for.
2. Optimize through being mobile.
Another great feature of casework suppliers is that they are constantly innovating. Not only do they offer an increasing number of furniture options and styles, but they are always coming up with good ideas as well. One such good idea is to have a working-cum-storage unit in the middle of your workspace – just like having an island in the kitchen. A workspace island can act as a collaborative space for meetings, or as extra desks. To ensure optimization, order a mobile island with wheels. If you use it as your personal “big” desk, you can move it around your workspace as the sun moves around your office – any time of the year, even if you want to avoid the sun. Specify wheels to your casework “caseworker” and be sure to ask for wheels that can lock.
Lots of your casework can be put on wheels if not already available as mobile standard, commercial options. An under desk drawer unit should be able to roll out and the top can be used to put paperwork on if you need a bit more elbow room at your desk when working on a project. Where wheels come in really handy is under tall filing drawer units. Even when empty, these units are heavy to move without first removing all the drawers and contents. Heaven forbid we knock our favorite pen or cell phone off the top and it slithers down the back of the cabinet. Without wheels, retrieval becomes someone’s sweaty nightmare. Another advantage of mobile casework is easier access to the cabling behind it.
Investing In You
Spending money on setting up and transforming workspaces is an investment in your own efficiency actually. Efficient workers are happy and happy workers are productive. So, if the budget allows, opt for the wholesale transformation of your workspace. Ask your casework supplier for a discount on bulk purchases. If they can’t offer a discount, perhaps they could offer free delivery and, first prize, free assembly and placement. Or, if the budget doesn’t allow it, try to hold off. If you do end up having to buy piece by piece, stick to the overall plan instead of searching for kneejerk, piecemeal solutions.
Still talk to your supplier and show them what you want to achieve over time. You don’t have to mention that you want to be at one with the “offiverse”, but sharing your long-term planning with the salesperson will give them an opportunity to think of alternatives and ideas for you. Moreover, that salesman might have access to a canceled order or slightly shop soiled suite that you could get for a discount. It pays to talk to people. Treat your supplier as a customer and enjoy the potential dividends as you set about transforming your work area into an inviting, self-welcoming, optimal workspace that will benefit your business.
Contour Construction | Commercial Carpentry in Omaha
Contour can complete large and small carpentry jobs for:
- Multi‐Family Residential
- Commercial
- Educational
- Small scale tenant improvement and build-out projects
Contact Contour Construction to outline performance in carpentry on your next project. Click to check out our services, projects, or contact us today.
