If you’ve got a business where you’re dealing with clients in your own office, it’s crucial you set a professional scene.
However, all too often, business owners will cut corners when it comes to purchasing office furniture. This can have a hugely detrimental affect when it comes to sealing business deals and providing the right impression about your company.
The choice of material you use to furnish your office speaks volumes about your company. Oak is a traditional, fairly-priced material that has been used for centuries to furnish homes and offices. For many top companies, it’s their choice of material for the office.
So what are the key benefits of investing in this hardwood? Can you really impress your clients with real oak office furniture? Read on to find out what oak furniture can do for you and what it says about how you operate as a business.
You’re A Robust Company
Picture the scene: you’re looking to purchase a car, and head into the car dealership sales office. The salesman is leaning back in a plastic chair, whilst you flip though the sales literature on his cheap, flat-pack desk. The office is filled with mismatched veneer furniture, with the stripping coming off the edge of the desk and the filing cabinet drawers are misaligned. The office looks a mess.
Clearly, if the company can’t even look after its furniture, it’s certainly not going to look after you as a customer.
Now imagine heading into a professional looking office, with beautiful oak furniture and a solid and stable desk. You’re much more likely to think of the company as sound and trustworthy.
One of the main strengths of oak office furniture, is its durability. After all, the Latin name for the oak tree, Quercus Robur, means ‘strength’. Unlike veneers, plastics or even softwoods, such as pine, oak is one hundred per cent durable against bumps and office moves. It enhances any professional environment and is not only dependable, but aesthetically pleasing too, with beautiful knots flowing through the wood.
Your Business Values Tradition
Oak is our national tree and its prominence in the English woodland makes it stand out as the emperor in the forest. The oak tree features on the 1987 pound coin and the image of oak trees is synonymous with English heritage and woodland conservation. The Woodland Trust even use the image of oak leaves in their logo.
Oak trees can live for over a thousand years, so it makes sense that furniture made from oak wood will last a long time too. Furniture made from oak dates back as far as the 14th century, proving you will certainly get your money’s worth when you invest in this beautiful wood.
Choosing oak furniture will demonstrate to your customers that you value tradition and old-fashioned principles, strengthening your trade name as a trustworthy, safe and stable brand.
Your Company Offers True Value
Unlike other hardwoods, such as maple and cherry, which can be expensive, oak furniture doesn’t have to break the bank.
Oak isn’t a cheap option, but it does provide you with colour variations as it is very easy to stain. It is also semi-water resistant, so a clear finish will protect it from any spillages.
Another great benefit of oak is that it holds its value. Should you ever need to sell your furniture, you can guarantee a good price for it and its timeless appeal means you will always be able to find a buyer.
Your Business Is Adaptable
Oak is a timeless material and works well in a multitude of environments. From an old-fashioned solicitors’ office, adorned with rich red leather chairs and stacks of books, to a modern design agency, with lots of light and cutting-edge technology.
Oak pairs well with glass and metals and unlike lower cost alternatives, it won’t fade overtime. It actually improves with age. You certainly can’t say that about cheaper furniture. It’s also low maintenance as you only need to polish it once or twice a year.
If you want your business to come across as original and trusted, installing oak furniture in your office will go a long way to reinforce those values, so they become integral with your brand.
Opting for oak furniture is a decision you will not regret. And with so many styles of oak office furnishings available, you are sure to find something that fits into your office, whatever the size of office or type of business you are running. Oak is truly the heavyweight champion of office furniture.
Nick Halls is the co-director of Rustic Oak, specialists in crafting beautiful, bespoke oak furniture.