The two terms have been around the office furniture marketplace for a while and refer to desks or workstations that are set aside for workers who are not office based but need a facility to use a desk when they are in the office. Sales people are good examples of workers who may not need a permanent desk if they spend much of their time in the field. Hot desks can take the form of a mobile meeting tables or simple “touch down” areas with quick and easy access to power and data provided by Harmony cable management units. Mobile storage units can also be used and a convenient way of storing files and a simple surface to work on when in the office. Much depends on the amount of time spent in the office and the type of work and of course the available space. Good design in this case can not only help save space but improve staff efficiency and communication. There is a lot of office furniture available which comes under the banner of hot desking but these items seldom work without an overall appreciation of the office design and practices

Design tips
Introducing colour for very little or no cost.
Colour in the workplace can have a stimulating effect, just by brightening the workspace and increasing its identity can have the effect of increasing staff morale and giving them a sense of belonging. Vertical surfaces should be given the most consideration since these will be seen more. In terms of the office furniture the backs of the office chairs can be used to great effect, most office chairs can be specified with an alternative fabric on the back of the chair to the seat. Given that the back will receive less wear it is sometimes useful to have the seat in black and the back in a brighter colour. In addition office chairs that have upholstered backs with give a greater opportunity to introduce colour than the black plastic back chairs. Office screens provide another chance to introduce colour. We would recommend colours from the Lucia range of screens fabrics which have corresponding colours in the Xtreme range for office seating. Pedestal and cupboard drawer fronts are another possibility, the Kompass range of cupboards offers doors in a variety of wood finishes as well as blue and yellow.  

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Canadian  based Inscape Office Solutions formerly Office Speciality have a history that goes back to 1880 when they opened their first office on Montreal. The Company then specialised in filing cabinets and by 1903 was offering 39 different types including one with 64 drawers. Throughout the Great Depression and World War 2 the company survived by diversifying into metal desks, early versions of the office  photocopier and the Victorphone a inter office wireless communication device.  
Continuing expansion right up to the 90’s when Office Speciality changed its name to Inscape. Now known not just for office storage and filing systems but also for high quality system furniture solutions, landmark ranges include the Storwal lateral filing system and the Platform office furniture range.
 Inscape is an ISO9001 registered Company and has received the Greenguard certification for its manufacturing plant in New York

Hitch Mylius
Hitch Mylius specialise in design oriented upholstered seating to the commercial and contract  market place. They were formed in 1971 by designers Tristram and Hazel Mylius in 1971. From their factory in North London they work with many new designers producing exciting contemporary seating solutions that can be found in corporate reception areas and public spaces across the world. Of note is the HM 83 modular bench system, a dramatic design that can be used as a stand alone item or combined to form geometric shapes. Ideal for public spaces this system also has a bumper bar as an additional option to protect it against damage in busy spaces.
This highly successful range recently installed into the International Eurostar lounge at St Pancras station and was designed by Simon Pengelly
HM 61 the Oxo seating designed by Nigel Coates is a favourite for reception areas
Please contact us for further information on Hitch Mylius office seating

Office Cubicles Action office
These are semi open plan offices that are formed with the use of panels or office screens to create the feel of cellular offices in the open plan area. They have the benefit over office partitioning in being more flexible therefore allowing the space to become bigger or smaller. If you have a fairly dynamic office space and need to change the use of the work, meeting or rest areas then this sort of arrangement is preferable to the traditional partitioned office route. Office cubicles were pioneered by the US office furniture Company Herman Miller 40 years ago with their first range of system office furniture called Action office. Action office revolutionised office interiors in the US and was the main reason for Herman Milers growth, in fact Action office is credited in producing a whole industry in system office furniture that wasn’t there before, an industry that employs over 24,0000 people. The creators of Action office was a team that was lead by Robert Propst who died  in 2000 and ended up criticizing the office cubicles that he helped to create claiming they had become dehumanising and a method of cramming office workers into tight spaces. 
Action office is 40 years old today

Tsunami reception and breakout seating
Designed by Steven Smith and manufactured in the UK Tsunami is a modular seating solution with single, double and four seater bench combinations. The range derives its name from the wave like shape of the backrest. Tsunami is especially effective in larger reception areas and atrium type receptions where is can provide a very clear focal point and has a clean aesthetic from all angles. We have also found this range equally stunning when specified with contrasting fabrics on the back and the seat.  The chairs come with a silver frame as standard and are also available in brushed chrome for a small surcharge. A complementary coffee table with a 25mm top in Light oak, Maple or Cherry is a very useful addition to this range
Tsunami modular seating is available in a comprehensive choice of fabrics, vinyl’s and hides on a lead time of 4 week from order
Please contact us for further information on this range of reception seating

Wilkhahn are a design orientated German office furniture manufacturer with a pedigree that dates back over 100 years. In 1900 Friderich Hahne and Christian Wilkening took over a chair factory near Hanover. The name Wilkhaun is a combination of their surnames. Early collaborations with designers who were heavily influenced by the Bauhaus School of Design included Herbert Hiche and Geoge Leowald. The Company has always believed passionately in success through design and by the mid fifties were widely recgonised as the pioneers of German industrial design. In 1955 one of the first stacking chairs the 224 was in production from a design by Georg Leowald.
The 60’s saw the Company take the lead on social responsibility with much of their products designed to emanate from sustainable sources. In the 70’s considered even more socialist than the Trade  Unions Fritz Hahne CEO, announced a 50% profit sharing scheme with their employees.
The 1980’s saw the launch of the FS line of ergonomic office chairs a range that has sold in excess of two million and still form part of the chair portfolio today.
Wiklhaun have won many design awards for their ranges of conference tables, office chairs and furniture. They are also recognised as being one of the most forward thinking and socially responsible companies within the office furniture sector

Morris Office Furniture is a part of the Morris Furniture Group and is possibly the largest independent furniture manufacturer in the UK. Based in Glasgow the Company was started in 1904 the Company still remains in the hands of the Morris family headed up by Robert Morris. The newly enlarged group includes Roc office furniture in Birmingham who specialise in te manufacture of office furniture and associated products top the Health and educational sector, Morris Contract Furniture in Campsie north of Glasgow. Diamik Solutions have been rebranded as Morris Education as the mane suggests this division is a specialist in the education sector and in particular FF&E projects. Domestic furniture production is spit between G Plan cabinets, Morris Home Syle and Relax at Eaze.
Morris office furniture are best known for the B4 beam  and M100 cantilever office furniture ranges. Recent additions include Prism a bench system with sliding desk tops, Fusion an elegant linear desking range with stylish tapered legs and a minimalist feel. Status a contemporary range of executive and open plan furniture and a further range of bench desks called Connect
Please contact us for further information

Conference centre for Sidhu Pharmacy
Office Reality have recently completed a major contract to supply office furniture for the new conference centre for Sidhu pharmacy in Walsall. Product supplies included Flight flip top tables in Maple veneer, Convoy nesting conference tables and Sonic mesh back chairs . In the reception with provided a Bono reception desk in Light Pear with Arc modular seating.
Installed in October 2008 this project was a follow on from previous work completed by Office Reality for the client.

Orgatec is Europe’s office furniture fair held in Cologne on alternating years. This year’s fair held last October has bee n reported as a great success with the number of visitors at over 62,000 up by 9.0% on the previous event. Visitors came from across a broad spectrum of occupation and geography with a big increase of attendees from the Far East and Australia. As always Architects, Designers and Facility managers were well represented.
Notable exhibitors included the German/Swiss design based Company Vitra who were showing their new height adjustable desks Playns designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec as well as the executive office furniture range Ace manufactured in a white homogenous mineral material. Walter Knoll presented products ddesigned by the Norman Foster Pearson Lloyd partnership which heralded the K510 Club reception chair.
B&B Italia are very much in vogue and called on the services of the British designer David Chipperfield who has designed the Posa chair a slim line series of soft seating for use in public spaces. 
Please bookmark for further reviews of the Orgatec office furniture fair.