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Omaha OfficeFurniture.com-Furniture Style Guide

When shopping for office furniture, you may think mostly about the type or types of office furniture you need. But you should also give some thought to the style of office furniture you plan to buy. While type of furniture refers to the way you will use the piece of furniture (function), style refers to its physical appearance (form). Although function is more important than form, form is what attracts the eye and lets you make a statement to others about yourself, your employees, and your business.

The Omaha office furniture market features sellers who deal in different office furniture styles. A partial list of available office furniture styles is given below. The style names come from periods of history or from the names of furniture craftsmen who developed or adapted the style.

Contemporary: “Contemporary” refers to the style of furniture developed around 1980 and continuing to the present day. Contemporary furniture can employ the look of wood or metal, either separately or in combination, and may mix natural wood colors with white, black, or other colors to suggest a look of today or of the future as envisioned today.

Mid-Century Modern: Mid-century modern furniture encompasses the years from 1933 to 1965. Its influences include architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his concept of “organic architecture” and Walter Gropius of the Bauhaus school. Chairs featured curved surfaces and cutouts: the plastic “tulip chair” of Eero Saarinen and the “egg chair” of Arne Jacobsen are both designs developed during this time. The mesh-back office chair with padded seat is considered to be derived from the designs of Charles and Bernice “Ray” Eames.

Queen Anne: Named after and originally developed during the style of the British monarch who reigned from 1702 to 1714, although the style was in vogue historically until 1760. Queen Anne furniture is noted for its cabriole legs (curve outward at the top, inward at the bottom) with pad feet, C-and S-shaped curves, and plush seat cushions. (Leather or vinyl seat cushions typically feature gathers and decorative buttons.) Woods used in the original furniture included cherry, maple, poplar, and walnut; modern furniture in this style will mimic the appearance of these woods. Some Queen Anne furniture features a black lacquer finish known as japanning.

Rustic: Rustic furniture is primarily made of woods like pine or oak, although some parts can be made of metal. The wood or veneer is finished in a fashion that suggests either freshly-hewn or distressed wood to create either a vintage or backwoods feel.

Scandinavian: An offshoot of mid-century modern furniture that features low-cost materials such as pressed wood, pressed steel, plastic, and anodized or enameled aluminum. It plays to the belief of modernism that good-looking, functional items should be affordable by everyone, not just the wealthy. Scandinavian design pieces have a simple, functional look.

Traditional: Traditional describes furniture with a style that is neither modern nor contemporary.  It typically features the look of wood and leather, whether those materials are used or laminates, veneers, and vinyl instead.

When choosing for your Omaha office, furniture should be selected according to both your budget and the image and values you want to represent to your employees and your visitors. Creative businesses may want to choose a furniture style that suggests youth and energy, such as Mid-Century Modern or Contemporary, while more conservative businesses may want to choose a style that suggests tradition, such as Queen Anne or Traditional.

For assistance, check with one of the sellers on OmahaOfficeFurniture.com or a design professional specializing in office design.

Contemporary         Mid-Century Modern        Queen Anne         Rustic        Scandinavian        Traditional