Upholstery and Office Productivity

Business is all about productivity. The more productive your team, the bigger your results. So how can upholstery play a part in that? Acoustics.

When you think of an office space you most likely think of an open plan office. They have a smaller footprint, and on average, are easier on the budget when it comes to fitting it out -  when compared to individual offices. But open plan offices are noisy and distracting. 

There has been a lot of debate recently about what these open-plan spaces do to productivity. If you are trying to get something done, the chances are you are listening to; your co-workers talk about their kids, someone arguing with their teenager on the phone, people fighting with the printer or the constant whine of the coffee machine!  It's no surprise then, that productivity is down (and that is not even taking into consideration, email, social media, non-urgent requests, 'drive-by chats' and all the other interruptions people deal with day to day.)   

To help with the frustration and to increase productivity, some businesses are installing small enclosed comfortable 'caves' for any employee to use, so that they can help focus. These are managed by using a sign-up policy. Other inventive ways are to provide 'phone booths' so that employees can take phone calls in privacy without bugging their neighbors.

Office space is often designed without considering the acoustics of a 'full house', which exacerbates the distracting background noise. This is where upholstery comes in. By using sound-dampening materials such as upholstered seating and upholstered feature walls, along with installing carpeting and sound-absorptive ceiling tiles, you will help minimize the impact of a noisy office environment.

A lot of grumbles coming from employees is that 'management doesn't get it', by providing a few well placed caves, and using as much upholstery and sound absorbing materials as possible, it may help the happiness of your team, and in turn boost the productivity of your company.

Do you have an open plan office and would like some help with minimizing noise, then feel free to call or email and I'll be more than happy to help. 0800 698 746 or email