Interiors Catalogues

The evolution of modern workplaces is something we often reflect on here at Bizquip. We will be 40 years in business next year, and as workplace specialists, our team have seen such significant changes in workplace design and office environments over the past 40 years. We are lucky to have an experienced and knowledgeable team here at Bizquip, almost half of whom have worked with us for over +20 years.

Having reflected on the latest trends in the modern workplace over the past few weeks, we are all in agreement that privacy booths remain in strong demand. Originally, they grew in popularity pre-pandemic, mainly as companies adopted an open office layout, noise and lack of concentration came to the fore as two key concerns for companies. Couple this with the insurgence of remote working and hybrid models now the norm, privacy booths remain in demand as they offer employees a quiet and private space for concentration, focus and confidential conversations.

The key reasons why companies are investing in privacy booths include:

Flexibility: Privacy booths allow for flexibility, ideal for private conversations, hybrid meetings or brainstorming sessions, if a larger booth is available. Our team of Fitters can relocate the booths for you as required, they are typically modular units so can be re-assembled in alternative spaces as needed. There is a great range of variety available to accommodate the various booth requirements. Did you know that over 80% of office meetings host an average of 4 people? The Maggie Q from Framery is a very popular solution for this reason. Both privacy pods and privacy booths offer sound absorbency, ventilation, a motion sensor to activate lighting, air con and a range of furniture features that can be tailored to your specific requirements.  

Privacy & focus: Sound disruptions and distractions in the office have an immediate impact on our ability to function and are a very common concern for our clients. Privacy booths enable concentration through their acoustic performance, giving people the comfort and confidence to participate in a confidential meeting, phone call or focus on a task that requires minimal interruption. Privacy booths are often considered “do not disturb” areas in an office.

Space utilisation: Privacy booths are compact, for example the 4-person Maggie Q by Framery has a footprint of 220cm x 120cm. They can be placed directly next to workstations without the worry about being overheard. As such, they are an efficient use of space, accommodating a variety of work styles and preferences.

Cost: Privacy booths are a more cost-effective alternative to dedicated meeting rooms with glazed partitions. They typically tend to be mobile so can be moved to alternative locations in future, if required. Typical features also include automatic ventilation, motion sensor to activate lighting and integrated power outlets and personal device charging units.

Privacy booths have become the norm in modern workplaces. They play a crucial role in creating efficient and productive work environments in a hybrid work setting, catering to the ever-evolving needs of employees and companies alike.

We are full steam ahead for 2024, reviewing new products that have launched recently and identifying new furniture to display in our showroom. In this article we lead with visuals and have collated a selection of images that appeal to us and feel illustrate the trends we see set to continue in workplaces in Ireland throughout 2024 and beyond. Key points we are illustrating here through images include:

Privacy requirements to continue – both acoustic solutions and private / focus spaces to minimise interruption and distractions.

Collaboration as important as ever – break out furniture to accommodate and encourage socialising in the workplace, enhancing collaboration amongst colleagues and providing a welcoming and comfortable environment to engage informally.

Sustainability – continued focus to prioritise our environment and ensure that the furniture chosen for workplaces is aligned to our sustainability values. Sustainable across manufacture, design and material selection through to the selection of modular, re-configurable furniture to extend its typical lifecycle.

Technology – the seamless integration of technology & furniture, from bookable meeting and desk spaces to videoconference enabled collaborative environments, all focused on enhancing productivity and improving communication within the workplace.

We are now embedded in the era of hybrid offices, combining both remote and in-office work to offer employees flexibility while maintaining in-person connection to achieve results. A considered and well-planned workspace, tailored to your company’s vision, goals and values can create a truly positive working environment, driving innovation, creativity, and efficiency. Our latest article highlights the key considerations in which office interiors can positively impact a company’s culture to drive innovation and efficiency.

Multiple work settings: Quiet spaces for focused tasks, height adjustable desks for sit-stand requirements and project spaces for collaboration enable employees to choose a specific work setting to best suit their task at hand when in the office. Acoustic booths and privacy pods are now commonplace in workspaces, provided to facilitate personal calls, private or confidential meetings or act as a quiet space in an open floor plan when a deadline looms. Comfortable, relaxed zones for research of cross-collaboration assist with knowledge sharing, thus driving innovation and creativity in the workspace.

Flexible spaces: Flexible spaces that can be reconfigured to accommodate different tasks and encourage collaboration amongst colleagues are very popular. Think agile furniture such as folding tables, tables on castors, extendable tables, height adjustable tables, mixed height seating, stackable seating, poufs and swivel chairs. All of these options can be easily reconfigured to accommodate different tasks in the same space.

Social spaces: It is now common practice that in-office work centres around collaboration, socialising with colleagues and participating in formal meetings in person. Social spaces have heightened in demand in workspaces, with many companies seeking to incorporate informal break out spaces into their office design. The hospitality sector is having a growing influence in workspace design, with lounge chairs, sofas and informal seating now commonplace in the office.

Leveraging technology: The right technology infrastructure is critical to the success of a hybrid working model. Effective communication is key to an efficient workplace and hybrid models will not function without technology such as video conferencing systems, interactive screens, docking stations and power & charging solutions for personal devices. All of the above make for a seamless transition when moving from remote to in-office working.

Having the above spaces and considerations in place in the workplace facilitates productivity, encourages collaboration and fosters creativity and positive interactions. Incorporating biophilic design and ergonomics will further enhance a sense of well-bring among employees, which in turn will positively impact a company’s culture.

Get in touch here with our team of Interiors specialists to understand how you can implement the above changes in your workspace.

Our Interiors team travelled to the renowned Clerkenwell Design Week in London last month to observe the key workspace trends emerging for the rest of the year and into 2024. The key trends we observed included:

• Sustainability
• Collaborative & break out furniture, such as modular sofas and lounge chairs
• Privacy booths
• Room dividers with biophilia incorporated into all
• Natural & warm colour schemes

Sustainability

We were pleased to observe a strong focus on sustainability, which is an ever-growing focus in our industry. The furniture manufacturers we work with and represent here in Ireland have a very strong commitment to sustainability in how they operate, manufacture and design and this was apparent in all showroom displays at CDW. Additionally, commercial upholstery fabric manufacturers, Camira launched their newest collection, “Revolution”, a recycled wool fabric made from their own wool yearn waste. This came about from Camira’s focus on circularity, demonstrating how textile waste can be turned into new products.

We loved Abstracta’s new collection of sound absorbing panels featuring contemporary art. With a strong focus on sustainability, each motif is mounted on an effective sound absorber made of recycled textile material. We felt this was a visually impressive product with dual functionality of improving acoustics in spaces that require privacy.

Collaborative & break out furniture

Proof that hybrid is here to stay! Every showroom was showcasing new break out furniture solutions. Modular, curved sofas were on display in virtually every showroom we visited. We were inspired by the modular sofas in Icons of Denmark, Muuto and Allermuir in particular. The new FourAll Lounge collection from Ocee Design stood out as a welcomed new addition to soft seating, we admired the curved back with tapered steel leg frame, along with the mix of materials, with the choice of oak, steel and upholstery. They are available with mid-back and high back options to give versatility.

Privacy

Privacy solutions were of equal prominence, with manufacturers meeting the workspace demand for quiet and private space in a busy, open-plan office. Some new privacy booths that caught our eye included the new Qyos booth collection by Actiu and Abstracta. The usual suspects also had their acoustic booths on prime display, such as Spacestor and JDD.

Grid dividers

Grid dividers continue to be a key feature of commercial interior design. Utilised to create or “zone” areas in a workspace, grid dividers are a multi-functional solution for injecting biophilia, creating visual privacy and offering storage solutions. The Outline Collection by Bisley was eye-catching, along with Bamboo by Frovi. The Bamboo collection is manufactured with eco-friendly materials including recycled ocean plastic, recycled PET felt and pressed bamboo. As mentioned, biophilia was a common theme in all showrooms, bringing nature indoors for its restorative and calming effects. It is proven that visual greenery calms the senses, focuses concentration and natural plants purify the air.

Warm colour schemes

Warm tones were a key theme across many of the showrooms we visited, with muted colours such as salmon, brown, green and aubergine. Pockets of soft colours, in pink hues were popular also. Black steel and natural wood materials continue to remain, not necessarily a new theme, its one we saw emerge a few years ago now, and it continues. We saw a huge amount of white and cream boucle material and do wonder how this is practical in a workplace setting but we admired this textured material nonetheless. There was lots of tonal neutrality, with textured materials used for creating softness and warmth. Some showrooms injected bold colours for statement pieces, colours such as mustard and blue, with coloured RAL finishes on steel including burnt orange, which was a welcomed contrast to the above. The Allermuir showroom was a highlight for this, along with their strong focus on sustainability, their showroom was a work of art!

In summary, the trends we observed are in line with what we are experiencing locally here in the Dublin office landscape, a continuous demand for the re-design of office space to meet the needs of hybrid working, incorporating more breakout, collaborative space whilst also ensuring that there are dedicated, quiet spaces for privacy to encourage employees into the office. Interestingly, we noted that there was little focus on desks and workstations, with most showrooms mainly exhibiting new collections of loose and break out furniture for social interaction, collaboration and privacy.

Lastly, we grasped the opportunity to spend time in Muuto’s London showroom and we loved their outdoor Linear Steel Collection. So much so, we have ordered it for our new outdoor seating area at Bizquip. We hope to reveal this collection in July, once the manufacturing process is completed.

We are delighted to announce our latest partnership with the award-winning furniture designer and manufacturer, Parla Design. Our partnership with Parla Design means that we are their representative and local point of contact in Ireland and we are really excited to extend our portfolio to encompass their furniture collection.  

With an extensive range of their furniture on display in our Sandyford showroom you will immediately recognise the quality and craftsmanship in their designs which is why their designs have won many awards.  

As part of our selection process for our showroom, we have honed in on specific pieces including the Hug sofa, Rimo armchair, Oyster, Tofu V, and London coffee tables in addition to the Arven bar stool and Remus armchair, which are all included in the images below. Each item was specifically chosen by us to showcase Parla’s extensive range at its very best.   

Parla Design specialises in the manufacturing of sophisticated high-quality furniture. Their designers create collection pieces that represent heritage crafts and materials that stand the test of time. 

In addition to this, Parla Design is a family-owned business like ours here at Bizquip, and therefore our partnership with them comes with a variety of synergies.  

To understand the beauty and quality of the Parla collection, we invite you to visit our showrooms at any time we are open daily from 8.00 am – 5.30 pm Monday – Friday and through lunch.