New Desks and Private Meeting Pods for Modern Offices
The way we use office space has changed.
Hybrid working, video calls and flexible teams mean businesses need workplaces that support both collaboration and focused individual work.
As a result, office furniture has evolved too. Traditional rows of desks are being replaced by more flexible workstations, acoustic furniture and private meeting pods that give employees more choice over where and how they work.
At Readshaw Interiors, we manufacture bespoke furniture for commercial interiors, helping designers, contractors and workspace specialists create furniture that fits both the space and the way it will be used.
Why Office Furniture Is Changing
Modern offices need to support several different activities within the same space.
Employees may need somewhere to:
Work independently
Join a video call
Hold a private conversation
Collaborate with colleagues
Work away from noise and distractions
Meet clients
Take a short informal meeting
This has increased demand for furniture that creates different working zones without always relying on permanent walls.
Flexible Desks and Workstations
Desks remain an important part of office design, but there is now much more focus on flexibility.
Modular Workstations
Modular desks and workstations can be arranged around different team sizes and layouts.
They can be particularly useful in offices where departments change, teams expand or desks are shared between employees.
Bespoke manufacturing also allows workstations to be designed around the exact dimensions of the space.
Privacy-Focused Desks
Open-plan offices can sometimes make focused work difficult.
Desk screens, acoustic panels and surrounding furniture can help create more defined individual work areas without completely separating employees from the rest of the office.
These features can also become part of the overall interior design rather than looking like an addition made later.
Integrated Technology
Power and technology are now an important part of furniture design.
Desks and meeting furniture can be designed to include:
Power sockets
USB and charging points
Cable management
Monitor mounting
Integrated lighting
AV equipment
Planning these details during the design stage helps create a cleaner and more practical finished workspace.
Private Meeting Pods and Acoustic Spaces
One of the biggest changes in office design has been the rise of meeting pods and acoustic spaces.
These provide employees with somewhere quieter and more private without requiring a traditional meeting room.
Meeting Pods
Meeting pods can create dedicated spaces for small meetings, discussions and video calls.
Depending on the project, they may include:
Built-in seating
Tables
Lighting
Power
Acoustic panels
Screens or monitors
Storage
They can also be designed as part of the wider furniture package so that finishes and materials match the rest of the office.
Acoustic Booths
Smaller acoustic booths are useful for phone calls, video meetings or focused individual work.
In busy offices, they provide an alternative to taking calls at a desk or occupying a larger meeting room.
Collaborative Pods
Not every pod needs to be completely enclosed.
Semi-enclosed furniture can create informal meeting and collaboration areas while still giving employees some separation from surrounding activity.
This can work particularly well in breakout areas and open-plan offices.
Designing Pods Around the Interior
Meeting pods do not have to be standard products.
Bespoke furniture allows designers to create solutions that fit the available space, interior concept and project requirements.
This can include custom:
Dimensions
Shapes
Seating
Tables
Storage
Acoustic finishes
Laminates and decorative boards
Upholstery
Lighting and electrical integration
Working with a furniture manufacturer during the design stage can also help ensure the concept can be manufactured, transported and installed efficiently.
Acoustic Performance Matters
Privacy is not only visual.
Noise is one of the biggest challenges in open-plan offices, particularly where people regularly take video calls or hold informal meetings.
Materials and construction methods can therefore play an important role.
Acoustic panels, upholstered surfaces and carefully designed enclosures can help absorb sound and reduce distractions in the surrounding workspace.
The exact solution will depend on the level of privacy and acoustic performance required for the project.
Making Better Use of Office Space
One of the advantages of bespoke office furniture is the ability to make use of areas that may otherwise be difficult to use.
A meeting pod, booth or workstation can be designed around:
Structural columns
Alcoves
Existing services
Unusual room dimensions
Sloping walls
Limited floor space
Instead of designing the room around standard furniture sizes, the furniture can be designed around the room.
The Future of Office Furniture
Office design will continue to become more flexible.
Rather than creating one type of workspace, businesses increasingly want a mix of environments that employees can choose between throughout the day.
We expect to see continued demand for:
Acoustic furniture
Private meeting spaces
Flexible workstations
Integrated technology
Bespoke storage
Collaborative furniture
Multi-purpose breakout areas
For furniture manufacturers, this means working closely with designers and contractors to create practical solutions that also support the overall design vision.
Bespoke Office Furniture From Readshaw Interiors
Readshaw Interiors manufactures bespoke furniture for office and commercial fit-out projects.
We work alongside interior designers, fit-out contractors and project teams to manufacture furniture from drawings, specifications and design concepts.
From desks and workstations to meeting pods, breakout furniture and bespoke joinery, we can help turn commercial interior designs into accurately manufactured furniture ready for installation.
Planning an Office Furniture Project?
If you are designing an office or commercial workspace and need a manufacturing partner for bespoke furniture, speak to Readshaw Interiors.
We can work with your project team to develop and manufacture furniture that fits the space, specification and overall design.
Contact Readshaw Interiors to discuss your next office furniture or commercial fit-out project.