Using Existing Office Furniture. It’s a Smart Approach to Interior Design
At Tengo Design, we specialize in commercial interior design and always aim to meet our clients' expectations. While a complete redesign (like changing the layout) isn’t always necessary, sometimes we incorporate existing furniture owned by the client into our projects. We take care to integrate these pieces into the design so that the entire space looks fresh and attractive. But what should be considered when reusing furniture in an office design? What benefits, beyond saving money, does this approach offer?
Office Interior Design with Client’s Existing (Used) Furniture
Tengo Design is a company that designs both residential and commercial spaces, including offices, hotels, restaurants and public spaces. We understand that buying new equipment and completing necessary renovations can be both expensive and complex. That’s why we help our clients smoothly navigate every stage of the process, managing the work and overseeing the project. We also look for cost-effective solutions to help ensure sustainable growth for your business.
We know many ways to make the most of our clients’ budgets when designing and equipping a space. One option is reusing existing office furniture. If the client already has furniture in good condition that doesn’t need replacing, we incorporate it into the design. At the same time, as authorized dealers of many leading furniture brands, we can easily find complementary pieces that blend perfectly with the existing ones. This ensures the final design is cohesive and meets our client’s expectations.
The Benefits of Using Existing Office Furniture
For many of our clients, the biggest advantage can be the significant cost savings. After all, there’s no need to purchase new furniture if the company already owns it. However, it’s important to consider transport costs if you're moving to a new office and possibly storage if renovations are taking place.
Reusing existing furniture is also environmentally friendly. Many of our clients prioritize sustainability and Tengo Design is eager to support their eco-friendly initiatives. Keeping furniture that’s still in good condition reduces waste and helps lower the carbon footprint associated with producing and transporting new furniture.
In some cases, using existing furniture is simply more convenient. This is especially true when employees are already comfortable and familiar with their furniture.
Advantages of Reusing Furniture in an Office Design:
- saves money;
- supports environmental sustainability and growth;
- retains familiar and comfortable furniture that users are accustomed to;
- allows space customization while maintaining the functionality of existing furniture.
Challenges in Reusing Existing Furniture
Unfortunately, reusing furniture can sometimes present challenges. At Tengo, our designers do everything possible to incorporate existing pieces into the new office design. However, the results may not always be as flawless as when opting for entirely new furniture since we have less flexibility in selecting pieces.
Sometimes, limitations arise from the size and shape of the existing furniture, which could be too large or too small for the new space (e.g., desk width, crucial for work comfort). Additionally, outdated or low-quality furniture may not meet modern health and safety standards (especially office chairs).
Another issue could be the condition of the used furniture. Not all pieces may be in good enough shape to justify reusing them. Fortunately, we have solutions for this problem.
Repairing Worn Pieces
If necessary, we can replace worn components of used furniture, particularly for brand-name products like those from Profim, Narbutas, Noti, or Framery. Scratched desktops or worn parts of office chairs (such as wheels or height mechanisms) can often be repaired or replaced, which is far more cost-effective than buying new furniture.
How We’ve Used Existing Furniture in Recent Projects
Recently, we reused office furniture in several of our projects. In the Kraków office of EPAM Poland, we repurposed 100% of the desks and office chairs. In designing the new headquarters for WK Dzik, we incorporated 50% of the existing workstations.
In both cases, the companies benefited from cost savings and responsible growth. Meanwhile, employees continue to work at desks they enjoy, but in a brand-new, Tengo-designed environment.
Designing for the Future. Creating Spaces that Grow with the Company
Sustainable growth in commercial interior design is one of the latest trends in our industry. More and more businesses are willing to go the extra mile—even at a higher cost—to care for the environment. Reducing environmental impact can also boost a company’s image in the eyes of clients and business partners.
At Tengo Design, sustainability is always top of mind. We choose durable, high-quality furniture that can be repaired and we work with local suppliers and businesses, which benefits local communities.