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Third Space Furniture There is no doubt that flexible working spaces are increasing in the office environment. Companies are reducing floor space by offering flexible working and hot desking. The focus on this agile approach has meant a greater demand for third space furniture. In the past third space furniture included coffee tables, side tables and may be the odd display case. Third space furniture in 2018 is something very different. Today it needs to facilitate meetings, hot desking, socializing, quiet working, town halls, dining, presenting and even broadcasting. So there are lots of exciting, new designs to be realized. Here are a few observations and considerations we have noted over the last few months when designing furniture for third spaces. 1. Third spaces often get moved around, the space is likely to change so keep the furniture flexible. 2. Whatever the intended function of the third space, it is likely to be used differently. A modular furniture design can help with this, third spaces often end up having a table or chair pulled up to allow for more people, designing this requirement to the furniture can be helpful. 4. Size matters, the idea of third space is to save on the square foot required, bear this in mind when looking at the size of the furniture specified. 5. Power, people using these spaces will need access to power. 6. Office flow, don’t forget to consider the space around these areas so users aren’t tripping over that low coffee table just out of their eye line, we know that sounds obvious but… 7 Acoustics, consider the noise generated in these spaces and the impact on rest of the office area. 8. Confidentiality, some third space furniture will need to offer the ability to work confidentially. 9. Food, many of these spaces are used for dining, bear this in mind when looking at materials and colour of material, tomato soup and cream fabrics don’t mix. 10. Fresh air verses a draft. There is great emphasis on office air quality, no one wants to sit is stuffy, cramped third space but equally no one will use it if it’s in a drafty corridor. The furniture specified can help combat both these issues. 11. Finally, maintenance, lots of third spaces have alternative furniture in them but do consider the maintenance of what you specify, no one likes a grubby bean bag.

Honest materials. Materials in their natural state, including man made materials, rather than trying to hide the limits of the material, product is being designed to incorporate it. The use of plywood, reclaimed timber, waney edge board, man made stone and mild steel lacquered rather than powder coated, will all be making their way on to the mood boards for 2018. Being Reflective, it is note worthy that many clients are putting emphasis on their company’s history by including a nod to it in the interior design. Several media company’s we worked with achieved this by re using old printing blocks to create the art work, rather lovely we think you will agree. In terms of the other reflective, the copper colours which have been a favorite for the last few years are now turning to gold, polished brass and gloss gold lacquers will be finding their way to the colour palettes in 2018. We love a bit of bling! Red Oak, this timber has dominated the interior of Bloombergs new European HQ, and it continues to be specified on interior projects. Soft touch laminate, it's going to be even more massive in 2018. Oh and the Pantone colour of the year is Ref 18 38383 Ultra Violet ( that’s Purple to you and me !)

We have been detailing up credenza designs over the last few weeks , so we thought we would share a few tips. Does the back need to be finished? If up against a glazed wall then yes, if against a solid wall then consider a lower cost, none decorative material for the back . We also try to keep costs down by using a high quality veneer to the external faces but a lower grade veneer to the internals which are largely unseen .Ifthe credenza it is being used for drinks then consider a durable top material that is less porous, laminate and glass are often good options. Consider the height and size the unit needs to be. If the credenza needs AV equipment the usual dimensions are at least 650mm deep and 750mm high, this allows for an average AV rack. Double check if there are any ventilation requirements around equipment/fridges etc. If equipment is going to kick off a lot of heat you may need to consider the material itself. Solid surface materials are often sensitive to temperature and can warp with heat build up. (Rather annoyingly this was a lesson we learned through experience with a Corian credenza door.) Cable management , it’s often a good idea to allow a cable way/grommet through the base of the unit to allow access to a floor box. Kick plates, if the credenza is not raised on legs, a kick plate can really help this vulnerable area getting damaged by vacuum cleaners, drinks trolleys, etc. Finally, if budget is an issue consider using a console table as credenzas do have a habit of becoming a glorified bin in a meeting room.

A quick recap on the do’s and don’ts of a chalkboard finish. We recently completed a five meter table with a chalkboard finish to the top. We supplied a sample of the finish for sign off before production and all was approved. The table was installed and looked amazing…… day one…… however once chalked several times the top behaved as a normal chalkboard does. A permanent chalk residue was left on the top , even more noticeable when a wet chalk was used. This was not what the client anticipated. If this ‘scruffy’ look is what is desired then great…. but if the expectation is to be able to wipe it down and return it to the clean, matt, even finish that was first supplied then expectations need to be managed. Chalkboard finishes behave like the old chalkboards some of us remember from school. What we should have done . Supplied the client with a bigger sample of the finish, (we supplied A4,) and got them to use as they intended to and then clean it so they knew what to expect. How we solved the issue . Supplied a new removable top that could be used for the more formal meetings and removed for the creative ones to reveal the chalkboard top. Quick tips. Chalkboard is a painted finish and porous, not as water resistant as lacquer. It’s not as durable as laminate/ veneer / lacquered surfaces and will scratch more easily. Chalkboard finish will always have a residue left on the top, even when cleaned. Think about users clothes , sleeves and cuffs, when using the table top . It’s better for a vertical surface than a horizontal one. Always supply a sample of the finish for sign off.