As they say: first impressions are everything, and that’s often in the lobby. It’s important your office lobby furniture helps create a welcoming space, provides comfort and can withstand heavy use over time.
For those designing a lobby, it gives you a lot to juggle. These are some of the factors you should consider around the durability, layout, aesthetics and leasing impacts of furniture during the process.
| Key takeaways: |
|---|
| Commercial-grade materials and strong frames suit the more constant use of lobby areas. |
| Furniture should complement both the building and the business’s brand. |
| Clear walkways should be as much a focus as comfortable seating. |
| Leasing reception furniture may suit buildings needing refreshing regularly and more flexibility. |
What to prioritise: durability and foot traffic
In a lobby, people are going to be sitting, sipping drinks and maneuvering bags, with the addition of cleaning staff to consider. Every piece needs to consider how this may impact wear, as well as being comfortable for guests.
Materials That Can Handle Constant Contact
Being easy-to-maintain should be a big priority for commercial and corporate lobby furniture. Commercial-grade upholstery or tightly woven or treated fabric is typically easy to clean and repair, while any hard surfaces should be scratched and moisture-resistant.
Construction That Holds Up Over Time
For sturdy furniture, choose more robust steel or solid timber frames with reinforced joins and sturdy table bases to help reduce movement. Choosing replaceable covers and repairable components can also help you maintain or repair furniture for longer cost of life value.
Valiant’s commercial office furniture and styling service can help you select pieces that balance your lobby’s traffic, maintenance needs and expected use.
Aligning furniture with brand and building standard
If your lobby is your own, you have more freedom to make it look like part of the architecture. However, for a shared space, office reception design may need to work with the building requirements over specific branding.
Work With the Existing Architecture
Making sure furniture works with the existing floors, walls, lighting and permanent reception joinery can help it look cohesive.
Layer in the Tenant Brand
Weaving brand colours throughout the design, and using materials and shapes to tell a story can help tie in branding while still looking balanced. For example, timber and curves can add warmth and clean lines with darker finishes can have a more corporate feel.
Planning layout and flow for a busy lobby
Even if a lobby is busy, implementing the right lobby furniture ideas can help people easily find the reception, wait comfortably and move through the building without having to navigate around furniture.
| Lobby Area | What the Layout Needs to Consider |
|---|---|
| Arrival and check-in areas | Clear paths are important throughout, especially between the entrance, reception desk, lifts and exits, allowing room for luggage, deliveries and mobility aids. |
| Visitor waiting zones | Keeping guests happy with comfortable chairs or sofas positioned near reception that don’t feel in the way. |
| Informal meeting spaces | Group small seats and tables together with access to power, placed away from busy areas. |
Once you know the space and its needs, check the dimensions and space around each piece before ordering. This helps fit the layout and its use, as well as prioritising the flow.
A real lobby refresh: Australia Square, Sydney
When it came time to refresh two areas at Australia Square, Valiant was brought in to create a connected look across the spaces. As part of the lobby design, we added inviting, durable seating that could handle the high foot traffic while not competing with the existing architecture. The finished space gave visitors more places to sit and wait comfortably, also reflecting on the hospitality influence that’s been shaping commercial furniture trends.
Frequently asked questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Should lobby furniture be leased or purchased outright? | Leasing can often suit buildings that update their lobby regularly or prefer not to tie up capital in furniture. Purchasing may be a more suitable option for permanent lobbies with a set design, although it’s always worth comparing renting versus buying office furniture before making a choice. |
| How often should reception furniture be replaced in a high-traffic building? | Reception furniture should be replaced when upholstery can no longer be restored, the surfaces look worn or the frames are becoming unstable. Leasing puts review points in place, allowing for pieces to be assessed, returned or updated at the end of term as needed, rather than following an arbitrary replacement date. |
Refresh your lobby with Valiant
It’s easier to bring a lobby refresh together when the furniture selection, delivery, installation and collection are all one, easy process. Valiant provides this ease to facility managers, designers and building managers across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Speak with our commercial furniture specialists about your building’s leasing or purchasing needs.
