2011 February | San Diego Cubicles Blog

Archive for February, 2011

How Do You Top Your Cubicle’s Walls?

Friday, February 25th, 2011

Some office workers use their cubicles’ walls as a place to display a nice potted plant or a favorite picture. Others reserve their decorations for holidays when they add a garland or a few balloons. Then there are people who get really serious about displaying their technical skill and passion for a particular hobby. Check out the fully functional electric model train set Allan Gartner affixed to the top of his cubicle.

The track took quite a bit of customization to make it fit around the perimeter of the cube. Allan took pains to create brackets that hold the track in place without damaging the panels – a plus for his employer who probably doesn’t want to have to repair the company’s cubicle systems. He also went out of his way to make the train run as quietly as possible to keep from disrupting coworkers. That’s the perfect approach to being individualistic without being obnoxious!

Tags: cubicles walls
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Office Furniture For Sale - San Diego Cubicle Typicals

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

Cubicles and workstations are some of the most commonly listed items you’ll find online if you Google refurbished office furniture for sale. San Diego Cubicles Office Environments has a broad range of these from different manufacturers. There are some workstation designs that are considered more “typical” than others. They’re the ones that are most likely to be in stock in large quantities. A standard office worker cubicle these days is generally 6×6 with a single overhead bin and two filing sections with 2-3 drawers apiece.

A manager’s workstation has similar features but larger dimensions – such as 8’x11’. Another difference is how the worksurface is positioned within the panel system. Managers often need to communicate face to face across a desk to interview applicants and provide instructions for employees. So, their primary worksurface isn’t usually facing an interior corner or wall. Instead, it faces outward with space available along the opposite edge for a side chair.

While these sizes and layouts may be typical, they don’t have to look uniform. These pieces of office furniture can be refurbished with fabrics and colors handpicked by each customer.

Tags: office furniture for sale San Diego
Posted in Refurbished Cubicles | 2 Comments »

Teknion Cubicles: Partitions Like Lyft Stand Apart

Monday, February 21st, 2011

Sometimes, an organization needs more flexibility than what’s available with traditional panel systems and cubicles. Partitions that are freestanding provide a higher level of configurability. This is especially true when there are multiple sizes and styles of panels from which to choose. Teknion’s Lyft collection has a full series of universal space dividers in varying heights and widths. These can be used to expand the number of design options available for their Transit, T/O/S, and Leverage cubicles.

Thin profile partitions are a cost effective alternative to traditional panel components. They can feature a combination of opaque and translucent materials to control light penetration. Freestanding versions can be used to augment workstations from any manufacturer to repurpose them for a new environment. The ease of installation and reconfiguration makes these dividers particularly appealing for workspaces that are remodeled frequently.

Three Styles Provide a Multitude of Options

Floor based panels can be connected to workstations on two or more sides to create individual office spaces. Or, they can be added between desks to divide areas while maintaining a more open plan. Screen heights are available from 42”-66” making these useful for both seated and standing applications. Multiple screens can be linked together at a variety of angles (up to 270 degrees) to make the most efficient use of space and support non-traditional layouts.

For a business that already has cubicles, partitions can be added to the top of existing panels. These short, semi-transparent screens add height without blocking interior light. Their 15” profile is designed to match other Teknion panel segment elements for a cohesive look.

Desktop screens can be used to outline the edges of a workspace or serve as a central spine between adjoining worksurfaces. Again, sizes are available to match the height of surrounding panels if desired. These can be added to all workstations or used selectively based on employee preference and position.

Tags: cubicles partitions
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Affordable Office Furniture Should Also Be Functional

Friday, February 18th, 2011

When you shop for affordable office furniture, there’s sometimes a fine line between cost-effective and poor-quality. Buying uncomfortable or inadequate furnishings isn’t a good investment even in the short term. From a business perspective (and the viewpoint of your employees) what are the bare minimum requirements for each piece of furniture? Here are a few to start with:

Seating

As the folks over at chworkspace point out, when you have a limited budget you definitely want to spend more on seating than you do on any other item. That’s because chairs have the greatest impact on ergonomics, productivity, and satisfaction for your workers. Leather upholstery isn’t necessary, but you do need to find chairs with enough padding or a properly contoured mesh seat to provide good support and keep pressure off the backs of the thighs. A stable base and a height adjustable cylinder are necessities. Preferably, seat and back tilt features will be included as well. Adjustable arms and a head rest are nice – but you can get by without these for a while if the chairs are otherwise fairly comfortable.

Worksurface

Fortunately, in modern offices you don’t need nearly as much worksurface space as you might have 10 years ago when boxy CRT monitors were the norm. However, employees do still need a little elbow room. A worksurface 3 times the width of a standard flat screen monitor is typically plenty of space for desk jobs. Most affordable office furniture in the desk and work table category is covered in laminate. Check the seams and corners to make sure the surface material isn’t prone to peeling. Check metal components to verify that they are welded rather than just riveted together.

Storage

At least a little bit of filing and personal storage space is a must for office jobs. It’s better to buy a couple of extra cabinets than have employees overload the units you have with too much stuff – that’s the #1 way to damage the drawer mechanisms and turn a piece of affordable storage equipment into useless junk. Be willing to pay extra for lockable overhead bins or personal storage towers. Avoiding the hassle of dealing with just one workplace theft will be worth the money.

These tips apply whether you are buying new or used office furniture. To find out how to evaluate the quality of pre-owned cubicles, check out this previous blog post.

Tags: affordable office furniture
Posted in Office Furniture | 2 Comments »

Office Furniture Stores: San Diego Is Bursting With Choices

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

According to a quick Yellow Pages search for office furniture stores, San Diego has over 850 businesses vying for your dollars. These companies fall into a number of different categories:

Authorized Dealers – These stores typically carry new furniture from a limited number of manufacturers. They specialize in filling mid to large sized orders for companies that are setting up a new office space or refurnishing an old one. A high level of customization is typically available with these dealers. Delivery, installation, and follow up services (such as assistance ordering replacement parts) should be provided.

Retail Centers – These locations typically carry either a blend of office equipment and office furniture or mainly home furnishings with a small selection of office furniture for individuals and small businesses. Customers typically have to pick from available stock items or from a limited range of options that can be shipped in from various manufacturers. Delivery and other services may or may not be available.

All Purpose – This type of business specializes in providing new, used, and refurbished office furniture. Customers can choose new furniture from an extensive catalog or buy deeply discounted pre-owned furnishings – including models from top manufacturers. These dealers can handle all order sizes from single pieces to workstations for an entire company. When refurbishing is done on-site, customization is often possible. Full service including installation of new pieces, removal of old office furniture, space planning, and other types of assistance are readily available.

Tags: office furniture stores San Diego
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Have You Considered A Curved Cubicle Panel?

Monday, February 14th, 2011

A flat cubicle panel is definitely the norm – whether you go for a box shaped or hexagonal “honeycomb” layout. However, there are also a few manufacturers offering panels that are gently curved to give workstations a softer contour. These can make an employee’s workspace feel more like a cocoon and less like a cage. The materials used in curved panels are typically semi-translucent which makes them a good compromise between clear and opaque options. You get privacy and ambient light penetration in the same package with curved office cubicles.

The roll down screens from Herman Miller’s Resolve collection pictured in the diagram above are just one example. Their Canvas Office Landscape design has flat panels with rounded corners for a more traditional look. You can also assemble RiZe curved cubicle panels made from polycarbonate in steel frames. Or, you might choose lightweight aluminum and PVC partitions. These can be connected end to end to create an S shaped wall and divide a large office area into smaller quadrants.

Tags: cubicle panel
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Second Hand Office Furniture - San Diego Charities Want Yours

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

Sometimes, it’s not really worth trying to arrange a sale when you’ve got only a few pieces of second hand office furniture. San Diego charities can take them off your hands – and give you a tax write off. The key to convenient donation is to choose a non-profit organization that will pick up your gently used items. Whatever type of community cause you like to support, you can find a charity that’s right for your business.

Author Lillian Webster at eHow has compiled a list of well known NPOs in the local area that may be willing to send a truck to your office building. Click through to read about the services that are made possible by companies like Goodwill, Jewish Family Service, the San Diego Rescue Mission, and more. Call ahead with a list of the items you wish to donate since not every organization takes all kinds of office furniture. For example, the JFS will accept office chairs but not metal filing cabinets.

Tags: Office Furniture
Posted in Used Office Furniture | 2 Comments »

Why Can’t You Buy Office Furniture Direct From The Big Manufacturers?

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

When your business is ready to invest in name brand office furnishings, you generally get directed to a local authorized dealer or showroom. This means there’s a middle man between you and the manufacturer. There are advantages to having a dealer nearby to help you with things like material and item selection and space planning. You can also rely on a good dealer for follow up services like installation and help with any warranty issues.

The Downside

However, there’s also a price to pay for not buying office furniture direct from the source. Each dealer has to make a profit – and they do this by marking up the price of the goods they sell. The manufacturers rely on dealers to assist in marketing their products. Limiting the number of authorized dealers in each region keeps the competition from getting too steep and ensures pricing remains healthy for both manufacturers and dealers. The manufacturer can focus on what they do best (developing innovative, high quality office furniture). The dealers can put their energy into selling product and providing customer service. This system protects the profits of both parties – so it isn’t likely to change any time soon.

Of course, a government agency with a juicy contract to offer will have no issue cutting a deal directly with corporate headquarters. On the other hand, people who just need one or two pieces can often shop at local outlets or online for items from these manufacturers (at retail prices). For example, you can get a Steelcase Think chair at Crate and Barrel. However, most employers fall somewhere in between these two extremes. They need to outfit a small to mid-sized business and don’t have the bargaining power to buy office furniture direct from the manufacturer.

Choose a Different Middle Man

This doesn’t mean you can’t save money and still get the name brand furniture you want. Buying refurbished office furniture (complete with a warranty) lets you bypass the authorized dealer system and source deeply discounted items that have been restored to “like new” condition. You can even specify textiles and laminates just as you would from the original manufacture to create a look and feel that is customized to your workspace.

Tags: office furniture direct
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Knoll Unveils Antenna Office Furniture System

Monday, February 7th, 2011

Knoll had quite a few items to show off at the 2010 NeoCon event. Among the pieces showcased was the ultra-modern Antenna Workspaces office furniture system. The pieces in this collection are designed for open office spaces with an emphasis on mobility and collaboration. Connections, boundaries, and transitions are the buzz words that float around in discussions of how these pieces function. If you missed the NeoCon event, that’s OK – you can take an interactive tour here (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Antenna desk clusters are not contained in cubicles, but they do feature screens to reduce distractions when necessary. The collection also includes a “big table” for team meetings and work that requires joint effort. The floating effect of table and desk tops (which can be laminate, wood, or glass) adds a hint of airiness to an otherwise sharp-edged, down to earth design. Antenna office furniture is definitely designed to draw attention to functionality while still offering an astonishing array of wood veneer and textile finishes not usually seen in an office environment.

Tags: office furniture system
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What To Look For In Used Cubicle Partitions

Friday, February 4th, 2011

How can you tell if you are getting a good deal on used cubicle partitions? Knowing what a high quality panel looks like is one way to evaluate its worth. Here are several features to check:

Basics

Generally, higher quality cubicle panels are thick. A 2.5- 3” cube wall is very stable and sturdy. The panels should feature small leveling devices at the base. These allow adjustment to keep the partitions level even if your floor isn’t completely flat.

Panels that can be connected at more angles than just 90 and 180 degrees offer greater flexibility and can be used to save space. If your cubicles need to be wired, it’s worth it to pay more for panels with one or more raceways to hold cabling and multiple points of access to data ports.

If noise reduction is important, you’ll need to ask your office furniture dealer about the acoustic ratings for each set of panels you are considering buying. That’s because you can’t really tell just by looking how well a panel absorbs or transfers sound.

Fabric

The quality of fabric used on cubicles varies a lot from one manufacturer to the next and from one model to the next. Sometimes, customers will choose their own fabric and have the manufacturer apply it to the panels during assembly.

A highly textured fabric, one with a design that appears raised from the surface, or one that is woven from fibers of multiple colors is usually more expensive. These textiles are often resistant to wear and may also be stain resistant. Cheaper fabrics are usually slightly fuzzy to the touch and come only in basic blue, grey or beige. With high quality cubicle partitions, you will usually be able to feel a thin layer of padding under the fabric.

Stackable Tiles

Some of the better cubicle brands have panels that can be outfitted with different facades. These consist of tiles that slide onto the surface or are attached to the top of the panel to change its look and function. Used cubicles that contain glass tiles are very popular right now. They add value to the work environment by allowing more light to penetrate into individual workspaces.

Laminate tiles are another common option in high-end cubicles. These may be brightly colored to complement the surrounding fabric tiles. Or, they may look like wood grain to match the top of a worksurface.

Some specialty tiles include corkboard and whiteboard. These can be useful if they are in good condition but may suffer wear and tear faster than other materials. If you can remove and install new tiles without taking the used cubicle partitions completely apart, you can change the look of these panels easily.

Tags: used cubicle partitions
Posted in Used Cubicles | 3 Comments »