Modular Office Furniture: 5 Tips for Furnishing the Workplace

A flexible, scalable solution

Setting up a new office space can be overwhelming, especially if you’re just getting a small business off the ground. How can you meet your employees’ need for comfort while staying on budget? Is there a way to prepare for growth and ensure you have room for expansion? And how can you make the most of your floor plan and square footage?

The answer to all of these questions is modular office furniture. This smart solution makes it significantly easier to maximize space efficiency while leaving room for your business to grow. Here’s everything you need to know about modular furniture.

What is modular office furniture?

Modular office furniture refers to furniture that’s been designed as a system of interchangeable pieces. These pieces fit together neatly in a number of different configurations, giving you more flexibility when it comes to office decor. For example, imagine a layout with several groupings of desks when you’re just starting out. What happens when your headcount increases? If you’re using modular desks and shelving, all it takes is a bit of rearranging to fit in the new employees. That’s much quicker and easier than trying to find the space for bigger pieces of furniture—not to mention the floor space for them.

For small businesses, modular office furniture offers a number of benefits. It’s often a more budget-friendly option, as modular desks are generally more compact and don’t have unnecessary features that drive up prices. This furniture also offers flexibility and scalability, allowing you to add more pieces as the business grows without having to search for a bigger office.

That said, there are some strategies to keep in mind when searching for modular office furniture. With a solid game plan, you’ll be able to find exactly what you need without wasting time or setting yourself up for future frustration.

5 tips for choosing modular office furniture 

1. Determine the best setup

When thinking about how to arrange your furniture, consider both the work your employees will be doing and the office culture. If teams collaborate a lot, it might make sense to group desks together. Open floor plans work well for relaxed environments, but if day-to-day operations require a quieter environment, cubicles might be the better choice.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to organizing your office, and using modular furniture increases the number of available configurations. But before making a purchase, think about how you want that furniture to fit together and let that guide you.

2. Make the most of your floor plan

This goes hand-in-hand with determining the best setup for productivity, but if you’re in a smaller space, you may need put in a little extra work to figure out how to make the best of it. You don’t want your employees to feel cramped or crowded, but you also don’t want to waste any space when it’s in short supply.

Study your floor plan and look for opportunities. Maybe an awkwardly shaped nook would actually be ideal for a small grouping of desks—or perhaps it’s the perfect location for storage like shelves and filing cabinets. Don’t forget to dedicate some space to meetings and collaborative work. Measure your available square footage for each area, and use those numbers to guide your purchasing decisions.

3. Prioritize comfort and durability

Modular office furniture might be easier on your budget, but that doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your employees’ well-being. There’s often a fine line between efficiency and discomfort, and you should strive to be on the right side of it. If you’re looking for compact desks, for example, you should still make sure they have enough surface space for your team’s equipment—and a supportive chair.

One of the biggest benefits of using modular furniture is its scalability, but to fully enjoy that benefit, you need pieces that are built to last. It’s worth spending a little extra upfront for desks, shelving and chairs that can go the distance; otherwise, you’ll find yourself replacing these flimsy pieces every few years, which negates any savings you might have enjoyed.

4. Keep your business goals in mind

Speaking of scalability: think about the business plan you created when you first started building the company. Where do you want to be in a year? How about five years? Is rapid growth a major component of your plan? If so, you’ll want to take that into account as you furnish your workspace. Your current setup might suit your current headcount perfectly, but what happens when you start hiring again? Will you be able to accommodate more desks and chairs?

Before deciding on a floor plan, make sure you’ve included room for the future. If your current floorplan only works under current conditions, it probably won’t adapt to the addition of new employees. Don’t just plan for the immediate future; plan for your long-term goals, too.

5. Create functional storage space

It’s easy to focus on desks, seating and technology when furnishing an office, but don’t forget about storage space. Even if you’re a digital company without mountains of paperwork to file away, you’ll still need room for supplies—and the less cluttered the office is, the less chaotic it feels.

A useful hack is to prioritize pieces of furniture with integrated storage, such as desks with plenty of drawers. Stackable containers allow you to add more drawers without taking up extra square footage. You can even make use of furniture that has shelving and closed storage. Be sure to consider your storage needs at the same time you start laying out the work stations, rather than waiting to see if you have any space left over once everyone has a place to sit.

Walmart Business is your modular office furniture destination

Finding the right modular furniture for your office takes some planning, but Walmart Business makes the process easier. Our ever-expanding selection of office furniture includes plenty of modular models, providing you with the flexibility you need at low prices you love. Sign up today to get starterd and explore everything Walmart Business has to offer for the workplace.