We all know the adage: a change is as good as a holiday. When it comes to office fitouts, whether at home or where colleagues gather, changing up the meeting rooms or even the office kitchen can offer endless benefits – it can help to improve your mood, increase productivity and spark creativity, according to some experts. This handy guide takes you room by room, sharing tips and tricks for updating your office space. 

And there’s no better time than at the end of financial year, as you may be eligible to receive a tax deduction for items you buy specifically for the workspace or home office. 

The Reception Area

Give your entryway a new lease on life with some fresh furniture and a few thoughtful decorative touches. Artificial plants, like a potted plant or succulent, are a good idea – they’re low maintenance, but create a calming and welcoming atmosphere. Sturdy padded visitor chairs, like the Cardinal Single Armchair, ensure your guests are comfortable. Add a coffee table or side table and you’ve got the perfect spot to leave books, magazines or marketing materials. Complete the space with a bookcase; a piece of furniture that’s functional but also makes a statement, especially when it’s carefully curated with a collection of books, art or trinkets.

What to Try

An assortment of products for office reception areas shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds. Products include things like artificial plants, visitor chairs and side tables.

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Refreshing Communal Office Spaces

‍It’s time for the old, uncomfortable chairs with ripped upholstery to go. Instead, invest in ergonomic chairs that are fully adjustable and offer proper lumbar support. The J.Burrows Halifax Ergonomic Chair Grey/White provides both comfort and support throughout your work day with its height-adjustable arms and automatic weight-balanced mechanism. If you're looking to inject some modern pieces into your space, a stylish yet functional chair like this Pago Sky Ergonomic Chair Blue may be your perfect fit. With its many adjustability options, you get optimum setup flexibility wrapped up in a sleek design.

Pair new chairs with office desks that are equal parts stylish and practical. Working at the ergonomic Stilford S2 Electric Sit Stand Desk will help improve posture and eliminate neck and shoulder strain, and it goes from sitting to standing height with the push of a button. If you have a bit more space to play with, the stylish Ashton Executive Desk could make a great addition to your workspace. Belonging to a range, you can pair this desk with other pieces in the Ashton collection for a cohesive, themed look.

Seek out special accessories to make workstations even better for workers’ bodies with other ergonomic equipment, including a footrest with a non-slip base, a memory foam backrest and seat cushions. An anti-fatigue mat is a must-buy for anyone who has a sit-stand desk. It’s designed to support you while you stand for long periods, cushioning the feet.

What to Try

An assortment of products for refreshing communal office spaces, shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds. Products include things like ergonomic chairs and sit-stand desks. 

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Transform Meeting Rooms

Here’s a clever idea: populate meeting rooms with office furniture that’s easy to shift around or stack up allowing you to transform the space in an instant. The Moon Electric Sit Stand Flip Table has electric height adjustability and can even be flipped and used as a whiteboard, making it the ultimate in furniture options for brainstorming or training sessions. The Stilford Flip Table is another great option that can be easily packed away whenever space is needed for an unexpected photography shoot or yoga session. Ditto these visitor chairs – they’re lightweight and stackable, but stylish and comfortable enough to use anywhere in the office as needed. 

Brighten meeting rooms with a few finishing touches, like an elegant Dylan LED Floor Lamp, which features a dimmer and an adjustable neck, and a few well-placed artificial plants, such as this potted donkeytail plant.

What to Try

An assortment of products for refreshing meeting rooms, shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds. Products include things like flip tables, lamps and artificial plants.

Spruce Up the Office Kitchen

The space where people gather to eat lunch or make a cup of coffee can feel like the heart and soul of any office space. The key with an office kitchen is to keep things light and bright, with lots of simple furniture that’s comfortable and easy to clean. Newbury Padded Chairs are not only stylish but they can be wiped down with a damp cloth. Pair them with a Lifetime Light Commercial 4 Foot Bi-fold Table that can be used both indoors and out, and conveniently folds up when you need more floor space.

What to Try

Products that can help with refreshing office kitchens, including a white padded chair, shown on a purple background, and a black foldable table, shown on a yellow background.

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A Home Office Setup

Before tax time, update your home office design with special pieces that match the look and feel of the rest of your home. The Scandi-style Copenhagen corner desk is modern and minimalist, but still offers a roomy workstation. Add a high-quality ergonomic chair and your back (and bottom!) will love you forever. The Pago Zeke has been specially designed to adjust to individual needs. With a Posturesure synchro mechanism, tension control and adjustable armrests, you’re able to customise this chair to best suit your needs and ensure maximum comfort day in, day out.

Create some ambience, especially on gloomy winter days, with luxe desk lamps. The Flick LED Desk Lamp is super clever – it not only features four different shades of white light, you can also juice up your devices with the USB charging port. To add style and practicality to your home office design, you can’t go past a wall clock to keep things ticking along nicely.

A smart filing cabinet and drawer combo will keep work documents safe and sorted while offering much-needed storage solutions for stationery and other desk essentials. The Stilford Pro Slim Filing Pedestal is lockable and moves around on castors, or try the slightly larger Stilford 3 Drawer Mobile Filing Pedestal, which boasts a sleek black design and a 15-year warranty. 

A bookcase is a great option for keeping important books and files together, opt for slimline versions in tight home office setups. You could also use one of the shelves to house technology, including docking stations for your smartphone and tablet. 

Got more stuff to store? Plastic storage tubs could be the answer – they keep moisture out and can protect your valuables from insects, dust and mould. Stack them in a cupboard or the garage – it’s the perfect storage solution for files and equipment you don’t need to access regularly. Try J.Burrows 40L File Tub or the Ezy Storage 30L File Box Clear.

What to Try

An assortment of products that can help with setting up home office spaces, shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds. Products include things like filing drawers, lamps and clocks.

Can You Claim Office Furniture as a Small Business Expense?

When you upgrade office furniture and equipment before the end of financial year, you may be able to claim all or part of the cost in your tax return. 

This is general information only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Other requirements under the law apply. Seek professional financial and/or legal advice to determine the right outcomes for your business.

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This article was originally published in 2022 and has been updated.