Spotlight on the Role of a Furniture Consultant

A furniture consultant advises on the selection, placement, installation, and management of furniture to optimise space and output. This role involves a wide range of responsibilities, and furniture choices need to meet certain demands in productivity, health, sustainability, and accessibility (to name a few).

A furniture consultant might be faced with a refurbishing project where a used-up space needs to be audited and improved on a restrictive budget. They could be challenged to fit a team of 20 hybrid workers into a space with a capacity of 10. They could be involved in the initial space planning and strategy workshops when a new office building is being constructed.

Flexibility in this role is key, and the furniture consultant must be ready to work with myriad teams and professionals to provide a functional furnishing solution. Many skilled professionals, with nuanced roles, are involved in workplace interior projects. Furniture consultancy crosses over with lots of these professions, and consultants must be able to work with all these specialists to achieve a successful result, sourcing the right experts for the right components of the project to bring it together.

Here are some examples of professions that cross over with furniture consultancy.

Including a furniture consultant in workplace design is a worthwhile investment. The business benefits of furniture consultancy are wide-ranging. Here, the experts at Sketch Studios list the pros of hiring the right furniture consultant.

Optimising Space

Office space is at a premium, and even in the hybrid working world, making the most of your space can be the key to optimising output. It’s generally thought that you should provide 100 square feet of space per employee, but we know this isn’t always possible as the cost of office space continues to rise. Hiring a consultant means you can make efficient use of your space with design choices of experts that put wellbeing and safety at the forefront so you can benefit from significant cost savings and enhanced output.

Cost-Efficiency

Speaking of cost-saving, space planning isn’t the only benefit furniture consultants can provide to help with your overheads. There are numerous money-saving advantages to holistic furniture consultancy. Here are some examples of how you get your ROI on workplace furniture consultancy:

• Optimising space utilisation

• Reducing the need for future renovations

• Purchasing discounts

• Selecting durable and long-lasting furniture

• Ergonomic furniture to reduce health costs

• Energy efficiency improvements

• Minimising waste through sustainable practices

• Efficient layouts to enhance workflow

• Access to industry discounts and deals

• Lower maintenance costs

• Improving employee productivity

• Using multi-functional furniture

Ergonomics and Wellbeing

Ergonomics and wellbeing (under the umbrella of health and safety) are always a priority for furniture consultants, and a top-tier furniture consultant will be trained and educated in exactly how to meet these types of requirements with furniture. Selecting furniture that promotes good posture, reduces strain, increases comfort, and adapts to the unique needs of each individual can result in higher productivity, elevated mood, fewer sick days, improved company loyalty, and overall, a better brand image.

Aesthetics

We talk a lot about what happens under the surface of the workplace. Posture-supporting furniture, sustainability drivers, and social interaction are just some of the elements that make up a good workplace furnishing solution. But we never overlook the one factor that might be the first thing anyone notices about the space: the look.

Workplace furniture aesthetics play a vital role in brand perception and employee mood. The design of the furnishing solution should not only align with the brand’s identity but also build an atmosphere that perpetuates positive feelings, helping employees feel happy, relaxed, and comfortable; inspiring and impressing clients and stakeholders; and providing anyone who enters the space with a lasting positive memory.

Execution strategies can vary depending on your consultant's approach and the nature of the project. Does it demand collaboration between specific specialists or departments? Is the design centred on wellness, sustainability, or technology integration?

At Sketch Studios, we focus on holistic design: integrating all factors that impact the space and designing with all these perspectives for a well-rounded, high-functioning space. Here’s our process.

1. Brief and Discovery

Information gathering, observation, getting to know you. We set strong foundations by collaborating with your internal teams to gain a deep understanding of the current situation. This is where we build a picture of your brand and day-to-day business operations, taking stock of your space and all of its potential for transformation.

We observe and gather information on:

• What you do in day-to-day business

• How the space is used (what is the current layout? Are there essential items of equipment? Etc.)

• Accessibility needs

• Where bottlenecks and pain points are in the workplace

• What you want to gain from the furnishing project

2. Analysis and Surveying

Now, we need to establish objectives, opportunities, and limitations—the guidelines within which we can develop a concept. We analyse the data we gathered in the discovery stage to determine specific requirements for the function, safety, sustainability, and costs of the furniture solutions. IT requirements, ergonomics, accessibility, brand image, space planning—our auditing enables us to understand your priorities and our priorities.

3. Developing a Concept

This is when your new workplace furnishing concept takes shape. We take all your requirements, together with our ideas, and transform them into real solutions. We apply a holistic approach to furnishing your space. This means we focus on not just one aspect of business needs but every factor that impacts how you work. Our concepts always consider:

• Accessibility

• Sustainability

• Health and safety

• Ergonomics

• Aesthetics

• Functionality

• Flexibility

• Inclusivity

• User experience

• Cultural relevance

• Environmental impact

• Cost-effectiveness

• Energy efficiency

• Social interaction

• Technological integration

• Privacy

• Comfort

• Acoustics

• Lighting

• Materials and finishes

4. Implementing the Project

After we get your sign-off, it’s time to start executing our plans. We take on complete responsibility here, managing the process of selecting and sourcing, customising, installing, and adding the finishing touches. Thanks to our wide network of expertise and resources, we make this process extra smooth and seamless. We act as a central point of communication to keep you updated on your project and ensure everything gets your mark of approval as we go.

5. Review and Handover

A final review ensures our solution meets your expectations and best interests. We’re a B Corp-certified company, so it’s important we ensure we’re meeting certain quality markers. Specifically, we need to know our work has a net positive impact on not just your company but the environment and communities it impacts, from those geographically close to those at the source of our materials.

Our handover leaves you with a fully functional workspace completely controlled by you. That means we provide:

• A complete walkthrough of the space and all furniture and related fittings.

• Training on how to use certain equipment like height-adjustable desks and IT-integrated units.

• Support during the transition into the new space and in the weeks and months afterwards to help with any bedding-in issues.

We can also provide moves and relocation services to help you transfer existing furnishings into a new space.

Managing Client Expectations

As with any professional service, it’s important to manage expectations. We always strive for transparency in our projects, opting for increased communication, honesty, and discussion wherever possible. Through this approach, we can build better relationships of trust with clients, better understand exactly what they need, and truly align with their visions.

Here are some of our techniques for managing client expectations.

If you see the merit in hiring a furniture consultant to truly optimise your workspace, you’re in the right place. Book a discovery session with us. We’re Sketch Studios, the experts in furniture consultancy. We put the extraordinary in your workplace.