Jun 2 23

Collaboration chairs

Mark
jack meeting table in white

Our range of collaboration chairs are all designed with flexibility in mind. Use them in meeting rooms, offices spaces and anywhere in between, for team tasks, impromptu chats, and solo working.

EMMA Chair

Emma Hybrid Task Chair in White

Emma Hybrid Task Chair in White

Our brand-new Emma chair is here to prove that a jack-of-all-trades can be a master of all. Looks, features, function, comfort and more – there’s so much that Emma offers in a single, light-scale, ‘hybrid’ task chair, that it crosses over into new territory. So, when it is time to enable collaboration (wherever and whenever you need it), the Emma chair sits ready to provide a radical new way to work.

HOVVA Task Chair

Hovva task chair white yellow

The Hovva task chair pairs a smart, single-piece chair frame, in black or white, with a comfortable, supportive mesh back, to create a chair suitable for use throughout the working day, whatever the tasks ahead.

RHUBA LITE Chair

Rhuba Lite Task Chair, fully upholstered in grey fabric

Rhuba Lite Task Chair, fully upholstered in grey fabric

The Rhuba Lite Task Chair is designed to seamlessly compliment the modern-day workspace, easily integrating with a multitude of task seating. The Rhuba Lite is available with a choice of technical mesh or fully upholstered backrest.

CUBE Multi-Purpose Chair

jack meeting table in white

Cube chairs with a Jack Meeting Table and a Martin credenza

Our new Cube Multi-purpose Chair is a useful addition to your office seating portfolio. Use in your meeting space or conference room, the Cube is equally at home at a desk and for quick informal chats with colleagues.

With its free-floating back movement, the Cube follows your changes in posture throughout the day. Perfect for use in those long meetings (you know the ones!)

Flux Task Chair

Campus blue meeting table

Flux Chairs with a Campus blue laminate meeting table

Our Flux Task Chair is a great all-rounder. Perfect for occasional office work, the Flux is also at home in meeting spaces, around conference tables and for catching up with colleagues. Its compact footprint means that the Flux may be parked around the office, ready for action.

Black or white frames, grey mesh, or ribbed upholstery, with or without arms, black or polished base, specify the Flux Task Chair to suit your tastes.

Belle Mobile Stool

Belle mobile low stool green seat

Belle mobile low stool

I have put a stool in here – yes, you read that correctly!

Our new for 2023, Belle Mobile Stool is a funky alternative to your standard meeting chairs. Designed for dynamic sitting, it is easily moved to where required, due to its five recessed twin-wheeled castors.

The open body lets you keep bags, mobile devices, and personal items safe, and neat to hand.

Want to know more about any of our chairs (or the stool)?

3 ways to get in touch….

May 22 23

How does office furniture affect your company’s productivity?

IMC

Whether it’s chairs, desks, office pods or meeting furniture, investing in good quality office furniture can have a highly positive influence on the wellbeing and output of your employees. Indeed, research has shown how great quality office furniture can boost employee productivity by up to 32%.

The importance of ergonomics

Providing comfortable, fit-for-purpose office seating is incredibly important; after all, desk-based full-time employees can spend up to a quarter of their lives in the office. At best, feeling uncomfortable in an ill-suited chair creates an unwelcome distraction and feeling of dissatisfaction. At worst, it can result in issues for your employees such as back, neck and shoulder problems. Indeed, employers have a legal obligation to provide DSE workstation assessments to ensure the comfort and safety of their staff.

Lismark supply a great range of ergonomic office chairs designed to be adjusted to actively support different body types. As well as offering seven adjustment options for the perfect fit for the body and positioning at the desk, the Solo Ergonomic Task Chair features five degrees of movement on the seat angle, inflatable lumbar support and a flexible section at the front of the seat to protect the back of the thighs.

While high end office furniture designed with ergonomics in mind may not always be the cheapest office furniture option, investing in it will always result in increased employee satisfaction – and, as a result, increased motivation. Not only that, it guards against the expensive productivity issue of long-term employee absence due to the work-related health problems that can arise from using inadequate office furniture.

 

Beyond the desk

In the modern office, which may be designed for hybrid working and hot-desking, nurturing employee satisfaction and productivity with high quality office furniture goes far beyond the desk and chair.

Office pods

At Lismark, we provide a wide range of great quality office pods. Our solo office pods are perfect for uninterrupted work and private phone calls. Ideal for the flexible modern office, our acoustic Milli Work Pod features air ventilation, automatic lighting and power sockets as standard, as well as built-in castors, so it can easily be moved around as requirements change.

Sit-stand desks

We all know the importance of taking regular screen breaks during the working day. However, research by Loughborough University and The University of Leicester found that standing while working actually increased productivity. Lismark supply a great range of sit-stand desks, designed to give employees the choice of sitting or standing while they get on with the working day. Paired with the Solo Ergonomic Task Chair, the easy-to-adjust Solo Sit-Stand Desk is the perfect ergonomic solution for the modern office. We also supply high meeting tables such as the Advance Sit-Stand Meeting Table, which is designed to transform sluggish sit-down meetings into energetic exchanges.

Breakout areas

The ability to take a break or move around is key to productivity, which is why it’s so important to provide alternative spaces for staff to regroup or get a fresh perspective. Soft furnishings provide a welcome alternative to official workspaces and office seating such as our Libby Sofa Range offer a comfortable and chic space for colleagues to catch up or provide an on-brand welcome for clients and guests.

Meeting pods

Meeting pods are the chic and contemporary space-saving alternative to the traditional office meeting room and do a great job of empowering employees to focus on the collaborative task in hand. Lismark supply a great selection of meeting pods including the Bea Meeting Pod, which is available in hundreds of colourways and is able to accommodate between 2 and 6 people.

A question of aesthetics

No one wants to work in a drab, dimly-lit environment, which is why making the most of your workspace with colour, light and modern and attractive office furniture has such an important role in motivating employees and increasing productivity.  High quality furniture should always be prioritised over good looks in the office, but the two can happily coexist together. The sleek lines and curves of the  Neon Mesh Back Task Chair are designed with users’ posture in mind, as well as contemporary good looks. Available in a wide range of seating fabrics, you can add a splash of colour to fit in with your brand décor theme too.

Office furniture for the modern, productive workspace

If you’re interested in finding out more about how you can increase happiness and productivity with office furniture, please get in touch with our experts. Our service begins with a visit to your premises to understand and advise on your exact requirements. Call us on 0116 251 7741 or fill in our contact form to find out more.

May 18 22

How to tackle the issues of hot-desking

IMC
employee hot desking drinking coffee

Hot-desking is becoming more and more popular with businesses looking for space-saving solutions as they embrace new patterns of working. Done right, switching to a flexible office can bring fantastic benefits in terms of productivity and cost-effectiveness. But before taking the plunge, it’s important to consider various common pitfalls, which can be avoided with a bit of careful planning.

Providing privacy

Bee Solo Work Pod

Bee Solo Work Pod

Most hot offices are designed to encourage a spirit of flexible collaboration, but this shouldn’t come at the expense of providing places for staff to work in privacy when they need to focus on a demanding task or have a confidential conversation. Privacy pods for offices provide a perfect solution to this issue. At Lismark we supply a great range of office pods for a variety of tastes and budgets with the following features:

  • A choice of an open design or the ultimate privacy of a fully enclosed pod.
  • Built-in desk pods like our Bee Solo Work Pod or pods where we can advise on a suitable desk for the space.
  • Built-in power sockets as an optional extra on some models, making tech easy to install and providing a streamlined look.
  • An extensive range of colours and fabrics to reflect your brand’s identity.

A space to speak

Gone are the days when a personal landline was a key requirement for every team member, but although much of our business is conducted online these days, it’s still important to provide a space for employees to conduct phone and video calls, particularly if they are confidential, lengthy or require deep levels of concentration. Installing office phone booth pods means your staff can concentrate on conversations without having to worry about background noise or other distractions. Our phone booths offer:

  • The option to choose a glass front and/or acoustic foam upholstery to significantly minimise sound with option such as our Penelope Phone Pod.
  • A range of sizes, within a small footprint that won’t impact your working space.
  • The option to include a shelf, seat, fitted desktop and lighting in options such as our Bob Work Pod.

Equal opportunities

As humans, we can be creatures of habit, which is why some people can initially be resistant to the idea of making the switch to hot-desking.

Martin Bench RoomsetNot only that, in these offices, some people can still become attached to a particular desk, which can defeat the purpose of transitioning to a flexible workspace.

This type of issue can be mitigated by careful planning of the office layout to ensure that while there will always be desks people prefer for a variety of reasons, there is no one ‘bad’ workstation that everyone wants to avoid. Choosing the same standard of high-quality furniture for every workstation will also ensure every employee feels valued and content, wherever they end up working on any given day.

Our great range of bench desks, including the Martin Bench Desk, are a great option for the modern office. Not only do they provide a change from the traditional metal-legged office desk with their stylish solid timber leg frames, their intermediary legs mean they offer the option to grow with your team as they do the job of both a collaborative worktable and a solo workstation.

A change of scene

Although team members won’t sit in the same place every day, it’s still important to foster a sense of belonging in the workplace. This can be achieved by providing breakout areas for staff to socialise, take breaks and collaborate informally. An inviting and contemporary feel can be created by using soft furnishings like our stylish and contemporary Walter Sofa range.

When a more private setting is required for meetings, a meeting table is a must. Our Martin High Meeting Table creates a collaborative and contemporary atmosphere that blends seamlessly with the hot-desking environment. Or if space is an issue, why not create a striking statement with a meeting pod? Most of the meeting pods we supply, such as the stylish Brix-Up Meeting Pod are available in two, four or six-person configurations, and if you need a bigger meeting pod, take a look at our showstopping Ben Den meeting pod. 

Ben Den

 

Making hot-desking work for your business

Here at Lismark we use our expertise in office design and furniture to create the perfect workspace for your business, starting with a visit to your premises to advise on what will work best for your space. To find out more, please call us on 0116 251 7741 or email sales@lismark.co.uk.

Mar 3 22

How to place office furniture

IMC

Choosing good quality office furniture is fundamental in creating a comfortable and productive workplace. However, knowing how to place office furniture is also important to showcase the furniture and give your employees an office interior layout that works well for them.

A well-organised office makes it easier to move around, to store and retrieve important documents and to work without feeling uncomfortable or developing repetitive strain injuries.

Here are five top tips for how to place office furniture in a way that’s pleasant to look at, comfortable to work within, and maximises productivity and output throughout the working day.

1. A sense of space

Where not to place office furniture is just as important as where to place it. Open space is crucial to allow employees to move around, for safety in an emergency, and to give everyone a sense of comfort and spaciousness.

Keep entrances clear and avoid clustering large, heavy furniture such as floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets, in one part of the office. By dotting them around, you prevent any one area from feeling overly cluttered, and give everyone easier access to storage nearby.

Natural light can help offices to feel more spacious. In areas well away from windows, give employees a choice of bright overhead lighting and controllable task lighting, so they can give their eyes a rest over the course of the day.

2. Creating balance

You want your office layout to feel balanced, so extend the tip above to include the visual impact of different items of office furniture. Try to have roughly equal numbers of cabinets, cupboards, desks and shelves in different areas.

If you can’t balance items exactly, it’s not the end of the world. However, you may still be able to achieve a more balanced aesthetic, for example by placing a clock, notice board or wall art flat against one wall, to match the visual of a deeper piece of furniture placed elsewhere.

High-quality office furniture is designed to look great, as well as to be ergonomic during use, so choose some statement pieces and make them focal anchor points for your overall office interior design.

3. Plan for change

Office environments are rarely static for long, so be ready to reconfigure your office furniture layout to accommodate changes in team size, management hierarchy, or anything else that affects where your employees and line managers need to sit and work.

Modular office furniture is a fantastic way to achieve this. Just add more segments to modular seating to extend it, or to add a different configuration of arm rests and side tables. Modular office sofas can have optional back rests, or can be bench-style to allow seating access from both sides.

By using modular office furniture, you can create comfortable breakout areas, divide larger spaces into smaller ‘virtual’ rooms, and make the best use of open-plan office floors without having to put up any stud walls or temporary partitions.

4. Cater for privacy

Although open space can make offices feel comfortable and healthy, sometimes employees need privacy, whether that’s to discuss confidential business, or just a personal desire to work away from the noise and hubbub of the rest of the office.

If your office layout is dominated by open-plan or you’re still deciding how to arrange office furniture in a new workplace or refurbishment, consider whether private work booths could be the key to your office productivity.

Private work booths and individual office pods create cubicle-style spaces for employees to work in privacy and confidentiality and can be conducive to productivity when individuals need to focus on demanding or time-consuming tasks.

5. Consider hotdesking

Not all of your workstations need to be assigned to a designated individual. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more offices are allowing employees to work flexibly, and even when the pandemic is no longer a health concern, remote working can save on overheads and keep employees happy by reducing the daily commute.

Modular office furniture is again a great way to make sure you still give everyone the workspace they need, with comfortable hotdesking areas that can adapt to the changing nature of your flexible workforce in the years ahead.

Give your employees good quality office furniture and they will feel valued, even when they do not have an assigned workstation of their own. When you factor in the added bonus of reducing your office operating costs and capitalising on the positive lessons learned over the past few years, it’s a no-brainer.

Mar 16 20

The pros and cons of hot-desking

IMC
employee hot desking drinking coffee

employee hot desking drinking coffeeHot desking is becoming an increasingly popular choice for employers, offering high levels of flexibility enabled by advances in tech that allow us to work from anywhere at any time. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution for every workplace, and before employers take the plunge, some careful planning is a must.

 

Why hot-desk?

There are significant advantages to hot-desking. One of the largest is that it generally leads to a more efficient use of the space you have, thereby saving on rental and utility costs.

Designed in the right way, hot-desking can also create a friendlier environment where staff benefit from the opportunity to mix with different colleagues every day. It also means that employees aren’t tied to sharing a space with someone who they may not enjoy working with. Ultimately, when it’s done well, hot-desking can result in a more collaborative way of working and a happier team.

The aesthetics of the workplace can also benefit, making it an attractive option for business owners keen to create a modern, pared-back environment to reflect the values of their brand. When people don’t have their own individual spot, they have no option other than to keep their surroundings tidy and streamlined – no more stacks of paperwork and stained coffee cups!

 

Why hot-desking isn’t for everyone

For every pro, there is a con and hot-desking just doesn’t suit every personality or business type. Generally, this new approach to working tends to be favoured by millennials who may be more comfortable with using mobile technology and working flexibly, whether it be from home or a new spot in the office each day.

There is also the risk that hot-desking can depersonalise the workplace, making it feel more transient. Many people feel more comfortable creating their own working space with belongings such as plants, photographs and stationery around them. This can also offer a sense of permanence, with some people arguing that hot-desking could give employees a message that they are not valued enough to have their own desk.

It’s also important to carefully consider any potential challenges around how hot-desking will affect access for employees with reduced mobility or other physical impairments such as poor vision.

That said, many people who are initially resistant to the concept are won over when they try it out and begin to feel its benefits.

 

How you can make hot-desking work

Ultimately, the success of hot-desking largely depends on how well the available space is laid out and how the concept it is presented and implemented. It is also usually a prerequisite that at least some staff are partly home or field-based and/or able to work flexible hours to ensure that there is enough space for everyone who is working in the office at any one time.

In a hot-desking environment, it’s also important to provide alternative spaces for meetings and other tasks that need to take place away from the main hub of activity. For example, people will require higher levels of privacy when dealing with confidential or controversial issues, taking important phone calls or collaborating with others.

 

Design solutions for effective hot-desking

With the above in mind, here are our recommendations for office furniture options that can make hot-desking work for you.

Work stations

Choose from single desks, bench-style work stations and moveable desks with built-in cable access. Whichever style, it’s important that they are stationed near power points and can facilitate working on laptops and other mobile devices.

Sit-stand desks and meeting tables

Provide a hot-desking space and an opportunity for employees to tackle the risks of prolonged sitting with a sit-stand desk or sit-stand meeting table.

Work pods

Individual work pods and meeting pods for groups offer enclosed and private working spaces.

Break out areas

A break-out area with comfortable seating is a must in a hot-desking environment to give employees an alternative space to work and relax in.

 

As an undeniably attractive and cost-effective option for the modern workplace, it’s well worth giving some thought to whether hot-desking could be just what you need to breathe new life into your workplace whilst reducing your outgoings.

If you’re looking to implement hot-desking in your office, get in touch today to discuss the best furniture options for your space.

Lismark Office Products Limited,
Unit D, Magna Road,
South Wigston, Leicestershire, LE18 4ZH

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