Choosing upholstery and furniture for business reception spaces

Many businesses and companies choose furnishings for their office areas with great care… but may not remember the value of a reception area. This is where you can have your interior design make that all-important first impressions for you, which is vital as this is the first 'in person' experience that your clients, visitors, and potential employees will have of your company.

A well-designed reception area can make them feel comfortable, relaxed, and confident in your brand.

Today we explore some ways to use your business interiors to your advantage and create a welcoming reception area for your headquarters, focusing on putting people first and how to choose fabric and furniture to fit your needs (and theirs).

What reception areas can you remember, and why do they stand out?

Think about the best reception experience you've ever had. What made it stand out?

Now think about the worst. How did that space influence the interactions you had in that building?

Keep your experiences in mind as you advance in the design process.

The most important features of a business reception area

What are the most important things such a space needs?

1. Clear signage: Signage should be clear and easy to read, displaying the company name, logo, and any important information such as office hours or directions to other areas of the building.
2. Branding: The reception area should reflect the branding of the company, with colours, logos and messaging consistent with the overall brand. The reception area should be clean and well-maintained, giving visitors a positive impression of the company and its attention to detail. Are things like furniture and decoration important in a reception area? Absolutely. This will go a long way towards building your brand for you.
3. Reception personnel: A professional receptionist can help create a positive environment for visitors. They should greet visitors warmly, provide any necessary information, and direct them to the appropriate person or area. If the reception area is also a security checkpoint, it should have appropriate measures in place to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants.
4. Seating and lighting: The reception area should have comfortable seating that is arranged in a way that allows visitors to sit and wait comfortably. It should also be appropriately lit, so that visitors can see and read any signage, as well as feel comfortable in the space. Keep reading for more on comfort!

Putting people first: the secret sauce for commercial interiors

The central principle of user-centred or human-centred design is to place the customer at the heart of a product's or service's offering. In terms interior and special design for offices, this message is clear: focus on human needs in order to create spaces that are as welcoming and hospitable as possible.

“Human-centred design basically means as you go through the design process for an experience, you include research with your users along the way. So rather than the team designing what they think should be right for everyone, the design is focused on solving customer pain.” ­– Amy Buckner Chowdhry, CEO and founder of user experience research firm AnswerLab. Read more: The 3 things FibreGuard's social media audience love the most

FibreGuard fabrics are a great example of how human needs can be seamlessly meshed into the design process. From homes to hotels, our products meet everyone's demands for comfort and care in their day-to-day lives.

What upholstery fabric textures do we recommend for relaxing reception areas?

Our recommendation? Choose beautifully soft fabrics! The feeling of soft fabric against your skin is an enjoyable sensation that can lower stress and blood pressure levels. It's a bit like taking deep breaths, which release endorphins and makes people feel good when they are relaxed. Perfect for a busy reception area with people constantly on the go: you'll be providing them with a moment of relaxation in their hectic day.

• Upholstery with cotton blends. Upholstery made of cotton blends offers the best of both worlds—the tactile softness and subtle colouring that comes with cotton, as well as the ease-of-maintenance associated with synthetics.
• The luxurious quality and enveloping cuddliness of a bouclé fabric makes it one of the most popular choices among our customers. Our FibreGuard line is currently in high demand due to its many benefits: durability, stain resistance, easy care and style!
• Velvet upholstery is an indulgent choice. Soft to the touch and beautifully textured, it will be a prized addition to any reception space. Velvet is a very popular upholstery fabric, but some people shy away from it because of the high level of maintenance involved. FibreGuard’s easy clean velvet fabrics are the perfect way to enjoy all that beautiful luxury without worrying about cleaning stains and splotches off your furniture!

FibreGuard Pro: the perfect textiles choice for commercial reception areas

Our stain resistant fabrics are soft and inviting to the touch, but don’t let that fool you: they’re also tough and resilient. A match made in practicality.

Our upholstery fabrics are woven to protect, meaning that the stain-free technology makes for easy to clean furniture. Ideal for high-traffic spaces, where you rely on durable furniture and materials that will last and support you throughout your day.

FibreGuard Pro fabrics in a reception area: a case study

Nonsuch Interior Consultants chose FibreGuard fabrics for the upholstery of the reception area. After selecting beautiful hues from our Peak, Octavia and Emoji collections, they created this tranquil space; closely connected to the idea of tenderness in design - a very current interior design trend. Learn more: FibreGuard fabrics at Mediclinic Denmar Mental Health Services