Special event at Crate and Barrel for all you lovebirds
If you're getting married, or know someone getting married, be sure to tell them about Crate and Barrel's Wedding Party event. There will be experts on hand to help with registration, and free food,drink, and music! Crate and Barrel's quality is superb, and if you don't have the money for custom furniture, they are the next best thing! Attendees also get a free bowl.
Manufacturer Spotlight: Mayline
This is the first installment of a new segment here at Office Furniture Central - Manufacturer Spotlight. Each week I'm going to discuss one of the many manufacturers in the office furniture business. It's no accident I'm kicking things off with Mayline.
The Mayline Group, based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is one of the top manufacturers of commercial grade and home office furniture. Founded in 1939, Mayline has established a strong reputation over the years for quality and customer service. I've met many members of the Mayline team, and each member takes pride in working for such a successful and valued organization.
Mayline is successful for a number of reasons. First, they offer a strong value proposition - durable office furniture that looks great at a fair price. It's not the least expensive brand of furniture out there, but for what you're getting, the price point is fantastic. Second, Mayline offers excellent customer service. Their products leave the warehouse within days of the order being placed, and they have a network of installers all over the country to help alleviate some of the stress involved with buying furniture online - assembly. Third, they cover the full spectrum of office furniture, both in terms of the various pieces that make up an office suite as well as price points for every budget.
Each collection is targeted at a specific consumer, from the economical shopper to those with significantly larger budgets for outfitting their office. Each Mayline collection includes all the essential pieces of an office suite, such as the desk, credenza, filing, bookcases, as well as conference and reception furniture.
As you can tell, I'm a big fan of the folks up in Sheboygan. I've seen all of Mayline's office furniture collections in person, and they are top quality. Let me know if you have questions about Mayline or any other office furniture company you come across. They're not all as great as Mayline, so in future spotlights you're likely to see some negative information.
The Mayline Group, based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is one of the top manufacturers of commercial grade and home office furniture. Founded in 1939, Mayline has established a strong reputation over the years for quality and customer service. I've met many members of the Mayline team, and each member takes pride in working for such a successful and valued organization.
Mayline is successful for a number of reasons. First, they offer a strong value proposition - durable office furniture that looks great at a fair price. It's not the least expensive brand of furniture out there, but for what you're getting, the price point is fantastic. Second, Mayline offers excellent customer service. Their products leave the warehouse within days of the order being placed, and they have a network of installers all over the country to help alleviate some of the stress involved with buying furniture online - assembly. Third, they cover the full spectrum of office furniture, both in terms of the various pieces that make up an office suite as well as price points for every budget.
Each collection is targeted at a specific consumer, from the economical shopper to those with significantly larger budgets for outfitting their office. Each Mayline collection includes all the essential pieces of an office suite, such as the desk, credenza, filing, bookcases, as well as conference and reception furniture.
As you can tell, I'm a big fan of the folks up in Sheboygan. I've seen all of Mayline's office furniture collections in person, and they are top quality. Let me know if you have questions about Mayline or any other office furniture company you come across. They're not all as great as Mayline, so in future spotlights you're likely to see some negative information.
Amy Butler: Always a classic or already cliche?
There was a little bit of controversy when Amy Butler's fabrics became available to all manufacturers but were still labeled "For non-commercial use" on the selvage. Everything has been clarified now, and Amy Butler fabrics are now available for use by manufacturers. That being said, Amy's fabrics are showing up EVERYWHERE. An unfortunate side effect of anything that enjoys so much popularity is that it runs the risk of becoming cliche. Or, just the opposite can happen and the item in question can become a classic. Do you agree? Do you think Amy Butler is doomed to be cliche, good enough to be a classic, or would you love the products/hate the products regardless?
Images via Amy Butler
Serenity Now!
When I was a teenager, my bedroom was how I escaped from doing chores. Now, I want my bedroom to just be how I escape, period. Living in the city, one is constantly bombarded with people and stimulus, so it's great to be able to come home after a long day and just retreat for awhile.
These are some bedrooms I wouldn't mind coming home to. Let me know which bedroom you'd prefer!
A. Modern romance
B. Fresh and colorful
C. Transitional, soft palette
D. A little bit of everything
E. Black and White Bliss
F. Cottage Charm
G. Modern white
H. Art-focused with a grand bed
I. Modern feminine
J. Natural touches and wood tones
K. Bold and happy colors
These are some bedrooms I wouldn't mind coming home to. Let me know which bedroom you'd prefer!
A. Modern romance
B. Fresh and colorful
C. Transitional, soft palette
D. A little bit of everything
E. Black and White Bliss
F. Cottage Charm
G. Modern white
H. Art-focused with a grand bed
I. Modern feminine
J. Natural touches and wood tones
K. Bold and happy colors
Images via Better Homes and Gardens.
Aeron Chair Review
I found this review of the Aeron chair from Duncan MacIntyre at Office Chair Advice to be extremely helpful and informative. Duncan has spent 25 years in the office chair business over in the United Kingdom, so when he talks about chairs, I listen...and you should too!
The Origins Of The Aeron
The revolutionary Aeron chair from Herman Miller made its first appearance in 1994 and was the brainchild of designers Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick.
The Aeron was totally different to any other type of office chair and its revolutionary design made an immediate impact on the ergonomic office chair market.
It's fair to say that here was an office seat that truly was an ergonomic chair that put the chair user's comfort and posture first. Probably the most unusual feature of the Aeron ergonomic chair was its open mesh upholstery which Herman Miller named the Pellicle.
It's testimony to the Pellicle's success as an office chair upholstery that it has spawned a whole market for what has become the mesh office chair, that simply didn't exist before the Aeron.
What's Sets The Aeron Apart?
So, let's continue by looking at the Aeron chair and what sets it apart from so many conventional office chairs.
The first thing that impresses any user is the sheer build quality of the Aeron chair. You won't find any cheap or inferior components used in the construction of the chair, rather, high tech materials like carbon fiber, pellicle upholstery and aluminium.
When you consider that an Aeron carries a 12 year warranty, clearly the build and component quality can't afford to be anything but the best. Herman Miller, the chair's manufacturer makes the Aeron in three different chair sizes to cater for the diverse range of body sizes, heights and weights to be found in any organization. This article on Aeron Chair Size Selection will help you to work out the right sized Aeron model for you.
They also introduced an Aeron Work Stool option in late 2006 for people who work at higher than normal work surfaces. Finally, the range is completed with a side chair which is ideal for guest, visitor and meeting use, to combine with Aeron swivel chairs.
This is quite unusual as most chair manufacturers don't do this, so frequently for chair users at the extremes of the spectrum it is difficult to find the right model to fit them. Not so with an Aeron, there's almost certain to be the right model to fit your body's height, weight or size.
Adjusting The Aeron Ergonomic Chair
Depending on whether you select the basic Aeron or the highly adjustable version you may not get all the adjustment features detailed below.
Seat height adjustment is conventional and is by means of a lever on the right hand of the Aeron. If seated pulling the lever up will lower the user. Conversely, take your weight off the Aeron's seat pan and the chair height is raised when the lever is raised. Height should normally be set up so that your feet are firmly on the floor with your thighs roughly at right angles to your lower legs.
Kinemat® Knee Tilt Tension allows the user to set up the Aeron for their body weight and is controlled by a knob on the right hand underside of the chair. This is a most useful feature as it enables the chair user to adjust the Aeron to their exact weight. It's worth spending a little time on adjusting the tilt tension to your needs, when properly adjusted you should be able to lean back comfortably in your chair using your body's weight to do the work for you.
The Aeron's arms can be adjusted for both height and angle (note: this feature isn't available on basic model which has fixed arms).
To adjust the height of the arms, first the arm adjustment wheel located at the base of each arm is moved upwards, this allow the arm to be moved to the desired position when the wheel is locked down again. The height of the Aeron's arms should be set to support your lower arms whilst relieving the weight on your shoulders.
Arm angle adjustment (not included on the Aeron basic), enables the chair user to set the seat's arms in on of three positions, facing in, facing out or straight ahead.
It's simply a case of grabbing the arm pad and moving it to the position you want. Facing the Aeron's arms inwards can be great when you are working at your computer. Pointing the arms outwards let's you get closer to your desk. It's all down to individual preference and the Aeron allows you to position yourself comfortably when sitting at your desk or workstation.
PostureFit® adjustment is an optional extra and only available on the highly adjustable model. By no means essential it's a neat little feature that is intended to let you set the chair up to suit your spine's natural alignment as well as giving your lower back a comfortable seating position.
The Aeron lumbar support (optional extra on basic model) is adjustable for height by gripping each end of the support whilst seated and moving it up or down as necessary. You may find it easier to do this standing at the rear of the chair. The depth of the lumbar support can be adjusted to give either a thick or thin lumbar support depth.
To change this the built in lumbar support on the Aeron chair is removable and reversible, so it's just a case of undoing it turning it and re-fitting it to suit your needs.
Forward tilt and tilt limiter (highly adjustable Aeron only) are the final two adjustments included with an Aeron chair. Forward tilt can be great if you work a lot at your computer as it allows you to get into a good comfortable position for screen and keyboard input work. As you are effectively lowering your leg height when using forward tilt it's best to raise the height of the Aeron slightly to compensate for this.
If you do plan to use the forward tilt function on the Aeron it's probably a good idea to limit the rear tilt of the chair. Just lean back in your Aeron to the position you like and move the rear tilt limiter lever upwards. Remember, you can always remove the limit by simply leaning forwards in your Aeron and pressing the lever down.
Although all these adjustments on the Aeron chair may sound complicated in reality they are not. Bear in mind that a lot of the chair settings won't need to be altered once you have adjusted your Aeron to your exact needs.
Nonetheless, it is worth spending a little time going through all the settings to get the chair exactly as you want it.
Many people will look at the cost of an Aeron chair and decide that it isn't worth paying that much for an office chair, especially as there are loads of cheap chairs available.
However, when you consider the importance of being comfortable and reducing the stresses and strains on your body. The humble office chair is arguably the single most important investment you or your staff can make for long term productivity and comfort.
The fact that the Aeron carries a 12-year warranty is indicative of the anticipated life you should expect from this great ergonomic seating product. Think of how many cheap office chairs you would get through over this time, notwithstanding the aches and pains that cheap chairs inflict on their users.
The Origins Of The AeronThe revolutionary Aeron chair from Herman Miller made its first appearance in 1994 and was the brainchild of designers Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick.
The Aeron was totally different to any other type of office chair and its revolutionary design made an immediate impact on the ergonomic office chair market.
It's fair to say that here was an office seat that truly was an ergonomic chair that put the chair user's comfort and posture first. Probably the most unusual feature of the Aeron ergonomic chair was its open mesh upholstery which Herman Miller named the Pellicle.
It's testimony to the Pellicle's success as an office chair upholstery that it has spawned a whole market for what has become the mesh office chair, that simply didn't exist before the Aeron.
What's Sets The Aeron Apart?
So, let's continue by looking at the Aeron chair and what sets it apart from so many conventional office chairs.
The first thing that impresses any user is the sheer build quality of the Aeron chair. You won't find any cheap or inferior components used in the construction of the chair, rather, high tech materials like carbon fiber, pellicle upholstery and aluminium.
When you consider that an Aeron carries a 12 year warranty, clearly the build and component quality can't afford to be anything but the best. Herman Miller, the chair's manufacturer makes the Aeron in three different chair sizes to cater for the diverse range of body sizes, heights and weights to be found in any organization. This article on Aeron Chair Size Selection will help you to work out the right sized Aeron model for you.They also introduced an Aeron Work Stool option in late 2006 for people who work at higher than normal work surfaces. Finally, the range is completed with a side chair which is ideal for guest, visitor and meeting use, to combine with Aeron swivel chairs.
This is quite unusual as most chair manufacturers don't do this, so frequently for chair users at the extremes of the spectrum it is difficult to find the right model to fit them. Not so with an Aeron, there's almost certain to be the right model to fit your body's height, weight or size.
Adjusting The Aeron Ergonomic Chair
Depending on whether you select the basic Aeron or the highly adjustable version you may not get all the adjustment features detailed below.
Seat height adjustment is conventional and is by means of a lever on the right hand of the Aeron. If seated pulling the lever up will lower the user. Conversely, take your weight off the Aeron's seat pan and the chair height is raised when the lever is raised. Height should normally be set up so that your feet are firmly on the floor with your thighs roughly at right angles to your lower legs.
Kinemat® Knee Tilt Tension allows the user to set up the Aeron for their body weight and is controlled by a knob on the right hand underside of the chair. This is a most useful feature as it enables the chair user to adjust the Aeron to their exact weight. It's worth spending a little time on adjusting the tilt tension to your needs, when properly adjusted you should be able to lean back comfortably in your chair using your body's weight to do the work for you.
The Aeron's arms can be adjusted for both height and angle (note: this feature isn't available on basic model which has fixed arms).
To adjust the height of the arms, first the arm adjustment wheel located at the base of each arm is moved upwards, this allow the arm to be moved to the desired position when the wheel is locked down again. The height of the Aeron's arms should be set to support your lower arms whilst relieving the weight on your shoulders.
Arm angle adjustment (not included on the Aeron basic), enables the chair user to set the seat's arms in on of three positions, facing in, facing out or straight ahead.
It's simply a case of grabbing the arm pad and moving it to the position you want. Facing the Aeron's arms inwards can be great when you are working at your computer. Pointing the arms outwards let's you get closer to your desk. It's all down to individual preference and the Aeron allows you to position yourself comfortably when sitting at your desk or workstation.
PostureFit® adjustment is an optional extra and only available on the highly adjustable model. By no means essential it's a neat little feature that is intended to let you set the chair up to suit your spine's natural alignment as well as giving your lower back a comfortable seating position.The Aeron lumbar support (optional extra on basic model) is adjustable for height by gripping each end of the support whilst seated and moving it up or down as necessary. You may find it easier to do this standing at the rear of the chair. The depth of the lumbar support can be adjusted to give either a thick or thin lumbar support depth.
To change this the built in lumbar support on the Aeron chair is removable and reversible, so it's just a case of undoing it turning it and re-fitting it to suit your needs.
Forward tilt and tilt limiter (highly adjustable Aeron only) are the final two adjustments included with an Aeron chair. Forward tilt can be great if you work a lot at your computer as it allows you to get into a good comfortable position for screen and keyboard input work. As you are effectively lowering your leg height when using forward tilt it's best to raise the height of the Aeron slightly to compensate for this.
If you do plan to use the forward tilt function on the Aeron it's probably a good idea to limit the rear tilt of the chair. Just lean back in your Aeron to the position you like and move the rear tilt limiter lever upwards. Remember, you can always remove the limit by simply leaning forwards in your Aeron and pressing the lever down.
Although all these adjustments on the Aeron chair may sound complicated in reality they are not. Bear in mind that a lot of the chair settings won't need to be altered once you have adjusted your Aeron to your exact needs.
Nonetheless, it is worth spending a little time going through all the settings to get the chair exactly as you want it.
Many people will look at the cost of an Aeron chair and decide that it isn't worth paying that much for an office chair, especially as there are loads of cheap chairs available.
However, when you consider the importance of being comfortable and reducing the stresses and strains on your body. The humble office chair is arguably the single most important investment you or your staff can make for long term productivity and comfort.
The fact that the Aeron carries a 12-year warranty is indicative of the anticipated life you should expect from this great ergonomic seating product. Think of how many cheap office chairs you would get through over this time, notwithstanding the aches and pains that cheap chairs inflict on their users.
Lazy Sunday
Well, I talked a lot about Humanscale in yesterday's blog about ergonomic office furniture, so here's a video with a little more info on the company:
And an ergonomic video from Herman Miller:
And this video was too funny to not pass along:
Have a great Sunday everyone!
And an ergonomic video from Herman Miller:
And this video was too funny to not pass along:
Have a great Sunday everyone!
5 Ergonomic Products that Work at Work
It's amazing Saturday here in Boston - 75 degrees, sunny. Not sure why I didn't head to the beach today! I figured I'd take this opportunity to present five products that will make your work life more comfortable. Everyone could use some ergonomical improvements at work. There are the slouchers, the perchers, the phone-on-shoulder crowd, the feet danglers, and many more ergonomic offenders out there. These products should help most of those problems.
1.) Let's start with the most important product - the chair. A chair is a chair, right? Wrong! Ergonomic seating didn't start with the Aeron, but it did bring ergonomics into mainstream consciousness. There are a lot more ergonomic chairs than the Aeron - I personally like the Freedom from Humanscale, the Leap from Steelcase, the Chadwick from Knoll, and the lesser known sibling of the Aeron, the Mirra from Herman Miller. None of them are cheap (prices range from $518 to over $2,000 fully loaded), but these will save your back and rest of your body in the long run.
2.) Number two is a keyboard tray. There are several benefits of using a keyboard tray. Most importantly, they keep your arms and wrists in the most healthy, comfortable positions. Most keyboard trays are pretty straight forward to install, and they free up lots of desk space once reserved for the keyboard and your mouse. Humanscale and Workrite are the top two manufacturers in the keyboard tray space, and both have an extensive selection depending on your individual needs.
3.) Next up is a monitor arm...or for those lucky multiple monitor folks out there, monitor armS. Not only do monitor arms free up desk space, but they also allow you to position your monitor in a position that is comfortable for your neck. Your monitor should be slight below eye level. Not surprisingly, Humanscale, the ergonomic experts, also rule the field of monitor arms, but there are also great monitor arms from Workrite, Peerless, Chief, Ergotron and others.
4.) The fourth product is a lumbar support. If you don't have the best ergonomic chair, and can't fit one into the budget, you should at least consider a solid back support to maintain proper posture. Back supports tend to range from $20 to $100, so it won't break the bank!
5.) Last up is a footrest. From the Humanscale website: "Studies have shown that 70% of all women and 40% of all men have health issues such as blood clots, varicose veins and pressure on the Achilles tendon due to pooling of fluids in the lower limbs — the result of prolonged, inactive sitting." Wow - I don't currently have a footrest at my workstation, but that is pretty powerful information. I may have to pick one up. Like back supports, footrests are fairly inexpensive (prices are $30 to $150). Humanscale and Safco are the top two manufacturers of footrests for the work environment.
I'm off to the gym - something has to combat my "prolonged, inactive sitting"! I hope this information is helpful, and please feel free to shoot me any questions you may have.
1.) Let's start with the most important product - the chair. A chair is a chair, right? Wrong! Ergonomic seating didn't start with the Aeron, but it did bring ergonomics into mainstream consciousness. There are a lot more ergonomic chairs than the Aeron - I personally like the Freedom from Humanscale, the Leap from Steelcase, the Chadwick from Knoll, and the lesser known sibling of the Aeron, the Mirra from Herman Miller. None of them are cheap (prices range from $518 to over $2,000 fully loaded), but these will save your back and rest of your body in the long run.
2.) Number two is a keyboard tray. There are several benefits of using a keyboard tray. Most importantly, they keep your arms and wrists in the most healthy, comfortable positions. Most keyboard trays are pretty straight forward to install, and they free up lots of desk space once reserved for the keyboard and your mouse. Humanscale and Workrite are the top two manufacturers in the keyboard tray space, and both have an extensive selection depending on your individual needs.
3.) Next up is a monitor arm...or for those lucky multiple monitor folks out there, monitor armS. Not only do monitor arms free up desk space, but they also allow you to position your monitor in a position that is comfortable for your neck. Your monitor should be slight below eye level. Not surprisingly, Humanscale, the ergonomic experts, also rule the field of monitor arms, but there are also great monitor arms from Workrite, Peerless, Chief, Ergotron and others.
4.) The fourth product is a lumbar support. If you don't have the best ergonomic chair, and can't fit one into the budget, you should at least consider a solid back support to maintain proper posture. Back supports tend to range from $20 to $100, so it won't break the bank!
5.) Last up is a footrest. From the Humanscale website: "Studies have shown that 70% of all women and 40% of all men have health issues such as blood clots, varicose veins and pressure on the Achilles tendon due to pooling of fluids in the lower limbs — the result of prolonged, inactive sitting." Wow - I don't currently have a footrest at my workstation, but that is pretty powerful information. I may have to pick one up. Like back supports, footrests are fairly inexpensive (prices are $30 to $150). Humanscale and Safco are the top two manufacturers of footrests for the work environment.
I'm off to the gym - something has to combat my "prolonged, inactive sitting"! I hope this information is helpful, and please feel free to shoot me any questions you may have.
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