Right now, in the world of office seating, customised upholstering is experiencing a wave of popularity.

“We’re seeing a large number of orders come through for our Konfurb Halo and Konfurb Block in custom upholstered fabrics for collaboration spaces,” notes Buro National Sales Manager, Shannon Crawford.

It seems an appreciation of the power of custom upholstered furniture in modern workplace design has emerged. Increasingly, specifiers attracted by quality furniture – such as the above-mentioned products – are choosing to complement them with fabrics from specialist upholstery producers.

“When looking to specify textiles, these are the key elements to look for – durability, fit for purpose, sustainability, longevity and recyclability,” says Liz Miles, Managing Director at Sustainable Living Fabrics, one such fabric producer, which works closely with Buro.

“At Sustainable Living Fabrics we aim to design quality Australian Made fabrics that will move with the trends but stand the test of time – fashion can change but quality and style endures,” says Liz Miles.

That said, while fabric is an important part of the equation, quality and style also involve various other considerations. As exemplified in the recently released Buro products – Konfurb Loop, Konfurb Saron, and Konfurb Nebu – it’s also about ergonomics, workplace productivity, consideration of employee wellbeing, and so on.

Ergonomics

An organisation with 30 years of experience, Buro leads the field when it comes to ergonomic design. Put simply, the company understands the importance of ergonomics in terms of employee comfort and wellbeing. Moreover, it understands the role these two factors play in company culture and business success.

Konfurb Loop, a playfully innovative office chair designed by Martin Ballendat, is a good example. Crafted for dynamic workspaces, the chair features a five-star base with castors and a height-adjustable tilting mechanism, which allows seamless movement to adapt to a range of tasks. As such, it is ideal for meeting rooms, collaborative hot-desking, educational spaces and even home offices.

Blurring boundaries

At the same time, as academics like Jeremy Myerson have noted, office workers have begun to value (and be motivated by) things like personal comfort and satisfaction in their workplace surroundings. For this reason, while the ‘office’ is likely to remain an important component of the work landscape, it needs to evolve.

Post-pandemic, in line with the fact that many of us have spent a lot of the past few years working from home, there has been a blurring of the distinction between ‘workplace’ and ‘home’.

Consequently, natural materials like timber are finding their way into the workplace, as are warm finishings previously more associated with the living room than the workplace. Similarly, designers are including ‘restoration spaces’ – areas to which staff can retreat and recharge their batteries – in their office fit outs.

Here Buro’s Konfurb Nebu deserves mention. This armchair presents as a blend of elegance and comfort. Featuring a deep seat and supportive backrest, and constructed with a strong steel frame, it’s perfect for relaxing, reflecting, and conversing.

Rounding off Buro’s newly released products is Konfurb Saron, an elegantly curved visitor chair with a distinctive lower back cutout, tilted arms, and fully wrapped upholstery. With its wide seat and foam-filled padding, it continues the ‘comfort’ theme. Available in a choice of upholstery options, it neatly illustrates the power of custom upholstered commercial furniture.

Buro

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