PRESENT PERFECT: WHY THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR CONTEMPORARY HOME OFFICE FURNITURE
Staying up to the minute is a vital part of business success, and nothing says right now more than contemporary home office furniture and décor. With its edgy style, contemporary furniture signals that you’re mindful and centered in the present moment, but with a keen eye toward the future and all its opportunities.
Unlike modern decor, which refers specifically to design from the early-to-mid 20th century, contemporary design continually changes with the times. Contemporary furniture communicates, “I’m totally cool and current right now, but I know the best is yet to come.”
Contemporary home office furniture says you’re never behind the times and always slightly ahead of the game. That’s a great position to be in!
Like modern décor, contemporary furniture tends toward minimalistic shapes and simple forms, but with a different, sleeker flair. Instead of the earthy color palette of modernism, contemporary furniture is built around a more neutral but high contrast color palette – think bright whites, grays and grayish tones, and the ultimate neutral, black – with occasional pops of pure, saturated color as accents.
Contemporary home office furniture mixes in state-of-the art (or even futuristic) materials – chrome, steel, nickel, concrete, lacquer, glass and composites – often in striking or contrasting finishes. The starkness of contemporary home office decor is typically softened by including organic materials and natural textures, such as canvas, hemp, jute and polished woods.
This complementary combination of simple but tactile elements emphasizes the clean lines and modular shapes for which contemporary furniture design has become recognized.
The first and foundational piece of contemporary home office furniture you’ll want to find is your desk. Many manufacturers of home office furniture take the modular design aesthetic, allowing you to select from a range of tabletop materials and pair your choice with a contemporary base in a different material for a uniquely customized look. Even though this design aesthetic uses substantial, substantive materials, the net result is not at all heavy. Instead, the vibe is light and airy.
Once you settle on the size, shape and style of desktop and base you like, use its style characteristics to guide the selection of the rest of your home office furniture plan. Measure carefully to make sure the space you have available will accommodate your desk and any other contemporary pieces you plan to use.
Obviously, you will need an office chair. The number of styles, features and price ranges of chairs in the contemporary category is virtually infinite, so plan to do lots of research, testing and comparison shopping, both online and in person. Your office chair’s comfort is key to good posture and performance, so this is not the place to skimp. Even if it has the look of contemporary home office furniture, don’t compromise on the chair’s fit or function. Your neck and back will thank you.
Next, consider storage. The contemporary home office furniture market probably offers more storage options that any other category, which is one reason so many commercial spaces are outfitted with contemporary office furniture. From horizontal consoles to vertical armoires to rolling file cabinets to bookcases, shelves and ledges, contemporary office furniture has a storage solution that works for your space. Take a hard look at how much floorspace, wall space, and ceiling height you have to work with.
If floor space is tight, consider an under-desk cabinet with doors or drawers, maybe even mounted on casters for mobility. If your office has high ceilings, a tall armoire or full height bookcase or cabinet might be just the ticket. A blackboard (or whiteboard) wall would look dramatic in contemporary home office furniture setting. Wall-mounted shelves and stackable containers are other versatile options.
Some home office furniture manufacturers offer modular office systems, which allow you to choose coordinated components that meet your specific space and operational requirements.
Why not take advantage of today’s cutting-edge design trends to take your office to the next level of performance? There’s no time like the present to outfit your workspace with beautiful, functional contemporary home office furniture.
