Can solid wood furniture work well in my office?
Wednesday, 27 June 2012 3:13 PM
Do you usually purchase self-assembly desks, bookcases and cabinets for your office and are fed up of them being wobbly, easily chipped and a hassle to put together? If so, consider buying reproduction Georgian office furniture.
There are many reasons why this type of furniture can work well in your office. Do not be put off by the grand-sounding title of these items, as they can be a lot more affordable than you think. As they are not actually from the Georgian period, and are instead made in the style of pieces from back then, you will not have to pay auction house or antique dealership prices. You might even find your budget allows you to buy a Georgian-style desk, bookcase and cabinet!
Georgian office furniture is often defined by its sturdiness and simple - but impressive - design. A desk made in the style of this era will usually have a wide base that sits on the floor and plenty of drawers. This is perfect for clearing away your papers, stationery and any other bits that might get in the way of an organised and efficient working environment.
If you decide to go for a Georgian reproduction bookcase or cabinet, again, the piece of furniture will be wide and offer plenty of cupboards and shelves. They will certainly look majestic when in your office and will be a talking point for your colleagues, friends, family and clients.
Of course, there are many other periods from which you can draw inspiration for your new office furniture. Chippendale is another popular era with impressive craftsmanship. If you decide to go for a desk made according to this style, the piece will be more intricate with standout features. Some of these include brass swan-neck handles, ball and claw feet, abriole legs and acanthus-carved knees. Rather than the base sitting on the floor, like Georgian ones, Chippendale-style desks have long elegant legs.
The same can be said for cabinets inspired by this period. They are not as wide and imposing as their Georgian counterparts and often come with a serpentine moulded cornice. Whichever era you would like to emulate in your office, make sure the furniture you buy is crafted from mahogany and stained and waxed. This will help you keep the items in a good condition, which is essential if you want them to retain their grandeur.
Should you really want to go all out and make an impression, a George III reproduction mahogany triple-fronted bookcase will do the job nicely for you. This piece of furniture will usually come with glazed doors, a broken arch, finial pediment and brass swan-neck handles and be fixed on a plinth base. This will certainly provide enough space for your office essentials, and will work well if you run a legal or financial firm. This is because there is plenty of room for folders, piles of paperwork and any books you might need to refer to.
While it might be tempting to purchase cheaper self-assembly furniture made from materials like MDF, you could find these tricky to put together and not the best at keeping all of your books and files in order. For a start, if you happen to build your desk incorrectly, it will slant to one side and not be very useful at holding your computer and folders. You may also end up forking out sooner than you imagined for new pieces if the ones you buy turn out to be of poor quality.
