A Guide to Selecting Breakout Furniture
Breakout furniture provides comfortable and attractive furnishings for staff and visitors to relax in and enjoy. It sends a message to those who use it, and armchairs, sofas, and tables that are inviting and stylish while fitting the company’s image, intended use, and space requirements is an integral part of creating an appealing environment.
The first thing to consider when choosing breakout furniture is the office’s requirements. For instance, are you looking for pieces to fit in a doctor’s office, or a restaurant? Are you looking for stools to sit at a bar, or tables and chairs to sit independently from it for employees to relax at during their breaks? The use of the furniture is the most important issue to contemplate when selecting breakout furniture items. The next point to think over is the volume of people who will use the pieces. Is the space a high-traffic, high-volume area such as a corporate canteen that will seat many people each day? If so, making sure that the pieces are durable and well constructed is very important. If the pieces will not see heavy traffic on a regular basis, perhaps something more ornate and luxuriant would best suit the environment. In addition, who will be using the furniture is an important point. If the pieces are for an employee break room only, must they match the rest of the building’s pieces, or should they have their own style? If they are to be used by employees, visitors, and potential clients regularly, is continuity in style important throughout each room in the building?
Space is the second factor to mull over when contemplating breakout furniture. It is important to utilize a room’s space to the fullest, as square footage can be at a premium in many buildings; ensuring unimpeded access to essential exit doors and routes in case of emergency is of the utmost importance, as building owners do not want these outlets blocked by furniture. When choosing breakout pieces, consider the layout of the room; is it a perfect square, or rectangular? What is the square footage that you have to work with? Do you want to utilize a bare wall, or place individual islands throughout the area? What about when no one is around? When the day is done, will the chairs need to be stackable to open up alternate space usage or ease of access for the janitorial staff? If so, stackable chairs and tables that are light enough to easily move are a must.
Once you understand the company’s utilization and space requirements, style is the next essential point to ponder. Do you want pieces that compliment your office’s décor, or ones that stand out from it? If a dentist’s office has a rustic, log cabin theme, they might not be interested in breakout furniture that features bold colors and modern designs. On the other hand, if the space has tile floors, high ceilings, and incredible amounts of sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, modern and colorful or even contemporary might be just the thing. For breakout areas that have a bar or café theme, high or low stools can be the perfect complement to circular or square traditional bar tables, as well as a bar itself, and complete a relaxing and carefree atmosphere. Another point to keep in mind with a bar or café theme is whether this setup is inside or outside; if outside, making sure that the breakout furniture pieces are weatherproofed or otherwise able to handle the elements is very important.
For those in the market for breakout furniture, remember three things: the business’ requirements, its space, and its style. Think about furniture utilization and who will use the pieces and for what, how much real estate is open, and what style will present the image the company wants. Look for pieces that will fill the company’s breakout needs, whether they are large or small, what will fit in the breakout area and what will not, and if the pieces represent the company well. Bear in mind that the furniture should be comfortable for those who will use it, not overcrowd the room it will fill, and present a hospitable picture for all that use it.