With furniture increasingly becoming an important part of the breakroom landscape, Fixturelite has unveiled a collection that focuses on trending fashion characteristics and operator value. The new furniture collection rolled out on Nov. 1.
Jason Bowman, one of Fixturelite’s furniture consultants, said Fixturelite’s new collection has been carefully and thoughtfully selected to help operator’s meet the breakroom needs of their clients.
Dazzle the client
“Being able to provide the type of furniture that is perfect for today’s micro market and breakroom area can be the difference between closing a deal and losing a bid,” said Steve Orlando, cofounder of Fixturelite, the leading supplier of micro market retail displays, equipment and design tools. “The ability to provide furniture that will dazzle a client – no matter who is paying for it – can put an operator over the top.”
Underrated
Bowman believes that furniture is underrated when it comes to importance in the workplace breakroom. He said that employers are now asking, “How are we going to get our employees back to the workplace?” He pointed out that employers are now starting to realize the importance of having a great space.
“More than just a great space, you’ve got make it fun and attractive, because let's face it, right now, it is an employee's market. They can go anywhere and if they're getting paid the same amount with a better space, they're not going to be retained,” Bowman said.
“I'm not saying that furniture can control corporate culture, but furniture can attract and retain them in the workplace and contribute to a better environment, which certainly helps,” he added.
Bowman said that Fixturelite’s new offerings check the boxes on three key features that operators need to consider when creating an engaging workplace breakroom.
Feature No. 1: Acoustics
“Acoustics is trending as an incredibly important element of breakroom furniture,” said Bowman. “Acoustics are big. When working with architects and designers, they are very visual, but whenever I talk to them, I always remind them that you have two eyes, but you also have two ears – so let's not forget that. We need to make the room look beautiful, but acoustics and sound need to be kept in mind.”
Bowman said that today’s breakroom furniture needs to dampen room noise as part of being functional. “Phonebooths are popular. It offers a place to get away from the noise and work quietly or make a call,” he said. Bowman also pointed to a chair called “Twist ‘n Sit.” When you lean back, room noise in minimized. When you lean forward, you can hear the room. “Employees need areas to collaborate, but they also need some areas to hide in,” he added.
Feature No. 2: Comfort
“Comfort is important,” said Bowman. “You want to build a space that sets up for collaboration, but the main thing is using comfortable furniture to draw people in, make it attractive to them, and make them want to engage in that space.”
According to Bowman, it is important to offer a variety of spaces and places for people to relax in the workplace. A wide variety of soft seating will encourage micro market users to hang out, come back and, hopefully, spend more.
Feature No. 3: Durability
Bowman said that the furniture for a breakroom needs to be durable because of the amount of use it gets. He also recommends working with a company like Fixturelite to source your commercial furniture versus a big box store.
“I wouldn’t get my furniture from just anywhere for an office breakroom – it just won’t make it,” he said. “At the same time, we have seen plenty of durable but ugly furniture out there. That does not cut it anymore.”
Fixturelite’s new furniture collection combines comfort with durability to provide operators with a long-term solution.
“We are very excited about this new furniture collection,” said Fixturelite’s Orlando. “We have sourced the furniture from a number of directions with operator value combined with durability and function in mind. We are also fortunate to have Jason as a knowledge source partner, because he can find that special piece when an operator needs something specific – furniture that is a perfect fit for specific breakroom design.”
