Typically, you can find a variety of different types of woods to choose from when selecting office furniture. Two of the most prominent types are particle board and solid wood.
Particle Board
Much of today’s furniture is made from particle board. Particle board is composed of compressing wood particles, ranging in size from sawdust to wood flakes, with a suitable adhesive to form sheets of wood. The adhesive may be a plastic resin of sorts. After the wood sheets are formed, a laminate or veneer is added. A laminate is simply a paper-type wood design, heat-fixed to the particle board. Over time it easily peels off the particle board. Many office sets have this kind of design. A veneer is a thin slice of real wood that’s attached to the particle board. The veneer gives added strength to the particle board and makes the finish look better, too. You can find both laminate and veneer on most of the furniture available.
Solid Wood
Office sets made from solid wood is obviously stronger. Many of the solid woods used to make furniture include oak, pine, maple, mahogany, rose wood and walnut. The nice thing about solid woods is you can buy them without any stain. You can do all the staining yourself, and that’s how you keep all the pieces looking identical—especially if you’re going to be collecting pieces over time.
There are different kinds of desks and cabinets you can get with each office furniture collection. You can buy executive desks, L-shaped desks, hutches, file cabinets and credenzas.
Executive Desks
These pieces are generally 60-70 inches long. Most desks have two box drawers for office supplies and two file drawers for hanging files on each side of the desk. This is typically the desk clients or customers will sit at in your office, so make sure you have a nice executive desk.
L-Shaped Desks
An L-shaped desk is a great piece to have in an office collection. The L-shape allows the desk to fit in any corner. Depending on space requirements in your office, you may want to go with an L-shaped desk.
Hutches
A hutch is a piece of furniture that attaches to the top of a desk to give more storage. Most hutches will have additional compartments to store files, binders and other office materials. It’s a nice addition to any office, especially if you need to have some storage space.
File Cabinets
Every office needs to have file cabinets. You need a place to store all your important files. There are two types of file cabinets. One is a vertical file cabinet and the other is a lateral file cabinet. Most file wood file cabinets are lateral files. They usually have locks on them, and if not, locks are easy to install.
Credenzas
Credenzas are kind of like executive desks except they usually have a pull-out keyboard tray in the middle and storage drawers on the side. They too are usually 60-70 inches long. It is a great place to put your computer and other electronic devices. Plus you have plenty of storage space.
Most office furniture purchased at retail outlets will be made of particle board. Most retailers will allow you to special order any solid wood furniture pieces. Just make sure you shop around for a good price and know the space requirements for your office.
By John Ivie