How office chairs and seating have progressed within the design world.

Design: Moving the Future Forward


'Our way of life is inflicting damage on the natural environment.  A designer's key concern should be to modify the destruction of the environment.' -Robin Day

There are so many different elements that designers consider when designing new products, including aesthetics, ergonomics, function, materials, manufacturing processes and environmental impacts.  


Designers have the difficult task of producing ideas which are innovative and set their products against the rest, whether it be through the experimentation with new materials or providing a vastly different aesthetic design.  They are always looking for ways to drive the design world forward.


How do designers move design and manufacturing processes forward?


One particular example of how an invention paved the way within the design world was the invention of the Polyprop chair.  I know that these chairs don't look like much to look at, but they were extremely influential to the design world when they were first introduced.

During the 1960s, Robin Day developed a one piece moulded polypropylene seat, which combined relatively new materials, new manufacturing technologies and had great potential for mass production.  The product is designed for its cost effectiveness and extreme durability rather than its aesthetic appeal, but if you have a look in public places you will find examples of the Polyprop chair everywhere.  


When it was launched, the product was received brilliantly- particularly by the public sector; over 14 million Polyprops have been sold worldwide, and are still used consistently today.  The polypropylene chairs and bench systems are most often seen in schools, canteens, hospitals, restaurants and train stations due to their extreme durability and functionality.


Given today's current climate, there is an immense pressure upon designers and manufacturers to produce ideas which are environmentally friendly and sustainable.  One of the most recent achievements in terms of environmentally friendly furniture is that of the 'Is' chair.  


The 'Is' chair was designed in 2008 as a solution to the need for an ergonomic, affordable chair but it went a step further- as well as being designed to accommodate its user comfortably for long periods of time, the chair is 100% recyclable.  The chair is composed from 65% recycled materials, and comes with all of the mod cons you would expect from a good ergonomic operator chair. These include:

• Height adjustable arms as standard.
• Width adjustable arms option.
• Standard black base / polished base option.
• Black moulded back / fully upholstered.
• Synchro (with forward tilt mechanism) / dynamic mechanism.
• Headrest option.

The creators of the 'is chair have now launched a new version of the 'is' chair with a mesh back.  The special mesh back provides ultimate lumbar support for the user whilst also offering complete ventilation.  


The low environmental impact of these wonderful chairs makes them extremely useful within office environments.  They are remarkably easy to use with fully adjustable features, simple to refurbish if you want a change, and can be fully recycled when you want to get rid of them. This would prevent an enormous amount of office waste from ending up in a landfill.

Environmentally Friendly Office Furniture

How to Create a More Environmentally Friendly Office

In today's energy-conscious society, there are increasing pressures to make both homes and businesses as energy efficient and environmentally friendly as possible.  


It is important to consider ways in which to conserve energy and to reduce the carbon footprint, not only to protect energy sources, but because it often helps to save your business money.  We've come up with a list of ideas about how to make your office greener- why not get everyone in the office involved?






Let's start at the basics- your office furniture.  


Office furniture manufacturers are also very conscious of the environment, and are constantly looking to reduce the environmental impact of their operations.  


Most manufacturers generally adhere to ISO14001 standards- an internationally recognised standard which ensures that manufacturers identify elements of business which impact upon the environment and produce achievable objectives for continuous improvement.  One of our factories actually uses its material offcuts in order to heat the factory, rather than adding to waste!


Most manufacturers also adhere to FSC (the Forest Stewardship Council) standards, which ensures that any wood used to manufacture the furniture is harvested from sustainably managed forests.  

If you are choosing office furniture, and are conscious of the environmental impact of products, you should also think about product miles.  Rather than choosing a product which has to be imported from places like China, why not choose products which are manufactured within the UK?  As well as supporting British manufacturers, it dramatically reduces the carbon footprint of the product.


An Answer to Environmentally Friendly Desks!

There is also a rather amazing new desk which has been produced, made entirely out of cardboard!  The product is completely sustainable and recyclable- it comes flat-packed, and  can be assembled within around 5 minutes!  The desk is assembled without the use of any nuts and bolts, and is extremely strong and practical.  


The Paperweight desk is made of special single walled clay coated corrugated board, with a solid board, water varnished top which is capable of repelling all spills.  Its design integrates a deep cable management tray and an under-desk 'secret' shelf.  There are cable outlet slots and twin access points with covers that can be found on the top of the desk.  The legs of the desk can be positioned inset or outset as required.  I know that you wouldn't expect a desk made of cardboard to be strong, but it really is- it's strong enough for you to even stand on!


Other Tips for Reducing your Office's Environmental Impact:-

• Why not encourage communications via email rather than paper?  Emails make communication a lot quicker, more cost efficient, less easy to lose and can also cut down paper usage dramatically.  Only print off communications which are absolutely necessary.

• When office equipment is not being used- say at the end of the day- have a quick check and make sure that it is switched off.  That way, you are not draining unnecessary power overnight.

• Make an effort to recycle all of the waste paper that culminates in your office- we all know very well how quickly waste paper can build up!  Make sure that you shred documents which contain important information such as addresses or client names before you recycle them, however.

• When purchasing paper, try and buy brands which use a good proportion of recycled paper fibres.

• Wherever possible, try and print double sided documents, in order to save further on paper usage.  

• Use energy efficient light bulbs around the building- they typically use 80% less energy than normal light bulbs, and are safer because they don't get as hot!  They will reduce your energy usage and your electricity bill!

Introducing the Paperweight Desk

Looking to a Cardboard Future
Introducing the 100% Recyclable, 100% Sustainable PAPERWEIGHT DESK.

In today's society, cardboard is so common in daily life, that we tend to overlook its potential as a highly versatile material. In fact, if we really think about it, cardboard has made a revolutionary contribution to the worldwide packaging and shipping industries. But beyond that, what can cardboard be used for?

Well, an astonishing new range of furniture products has been developed, made entirely of cardboard. These products have been designed to be highly functional both for use in the home and in the office. They are composed of 74% recycled paper and 26% virgin fibres, which come from fast-growing sustainable sources, making these products extremely environmentally friendly and cost effective in today’s commercial society.  All of these cardboard products are fully certified, and meet UK and European legislation, making them fit for purpose for demanding contract and commercial use, as well as in the home and small office.


Our favourite product from the range, is the Paperweight Desk. Like other products in the range, the Paperweight Desk has a simple, clean and highly functional design, combined with clever engineering which makes it extremely lightweight, immensely strong, and excellent value for money.

1500 mm (w) x 750 mm (d) x 720 mm (h)

The Paperweight Desk is made of special single walled clay coated corrugated board, with a solid board, water varnished top which is capable of repelling all spills.  Its design integrates a deep cable management tray and an under-desk 'secret' shelf.  There are cable outlet slots and twin access points with covers, which can be found on the top of the desk, and the legs of the desk can be positioned inset or outset as required.  The desk is available in bespoke colours or designs on demand.  It is supplied half assembled, with an easy-to-follow instruction sheet for quick assembly in under five minutes.

Hidden Cable Management

For more information about this exciting new range of furniture, please visit our website.