Every business, no matter the industry, needs a conference table. These pieces of furniture create a central hub in your workplace that facilitates meetings, brainstorming sessions, formal client meetings, employee interviews and much more, so it makes sense that a lot of consideration needs to go into choosing the right one. Here are some tips from our contemporary office furniture team.
The Best Shape Conference Room Table for your Space
The right shape conference table is more than just a design choice – it changes how flexible and easy the table is to use. Round tables are the most flexible as it is easy to add or remove chairs without making the table too cramped or widely spaced, as no one gets stuck on a corner. This is also the best shape for smaller meeting rooms or tight spaces.
Square tables work best in smaller spaces too, and provide a larger workspace than round tables. Square tables can also be joined together easily to expand the table surface. This shape doesn’t generally work well for large gatherings, as the bigger the square table, the further away people are from the other sides of the table.
Instead, larger, more formal conference spaces benefit better from rectangular conference tables, as you can seat more people more easily while still making communication or the sharing of documents etc. easy to do.
Another option that is popular with larger conference settings is a boat-shaped table, which is a rectangular table that has curved rather than sharp corners. This gives them the adaptability of round tables without taking up as much space.
What is the Best Size Conference Room Table?
Because conference rooms are often multi-use rooms, this can be a tricky question to answer. Generally, you should keep the rule in mind that says each person you expect to seat needs one foot of space. The size of the conference room chairs you choose can also affect this, as wider chairs will take up a lot more space than narrow chairs, and will determine how many people can fit around the table in comfort. The last factor here is the size of your conference room. The rule for this space is that you should have at least 3 feet of space forming the perimeter around your table that is clear of other furniture such as bookcases, AV equipment or filing cabinets. This allows people to walk in and out easily.
BE Furniture is a full-service corporate office design and contemporary office furniture company, offering a wide range of environmentally-sensitive and innovative products and services in line with contemporary office interiors. For more information, please contact us today or visit our website.