Office Furniture Buying Guide 2026: What to Check Before You Order
Short answer: Before ordering office furniture, fix four things in this order: the number of seats and rooms you need, a scaled layout of the floor, the specification (sizes, board, hardware, partitions, cabling) and the timeline. Only then compare prices. Most expensive mistakes happen when buyers start with price and work backwards.
This guide is written for the person who has been handed the job of “getting the office furniture done”, whether you are an admin head, a founder or an office manager. It follows the order in which decisions should be made.
Step 1: List what you actually need
Write down the people and the rooms, not the furniture. For example:
- Team seats now and expected in 18 to 24 months
- Number of cabins and who uses them
- Meeting rooms and the largest regular meeting size
- Reception and waiting
- Storage: files, samples, equipment, personal lockers
- Pantry or cafeteria seating
- Server or printer area
From this list a manufacturer can tell you what furniture is required. Starting from “20 tables and 20 chairs” skips the thinking that saves space.
Step 2: Get a scaled layout
A layout drawing shows where every desk, cabin and storage unit goes, with aisle widths. It answers the questions that matter: will everyone fit, is there a clear path to the exit, who sits near the window, where do cables come from. Ask for this before you ask for a final price.
If you have not decided how open the floor should be, read our comparison of open-plan and cabin layouts.
Step 3: Choose sizes that suit the work
| Item | Common size | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Workstation desk | 1,200 x 600 mm, about 750 mm high | Go wider for dual monitors |
| Manager or cabin table | 1,500 to 1,800 mm wide, 750 to 900 mm deep | Room for visitor chairs in front |
| Meeting table | About 600 to 750 mm of edge per person | Leave around 900 mm or more behind chairs |
| Mobile pedestal | About 400 mm wide, fits under the desk | Lock and drawer channel quality |
| Storage cabinet | Around 900 mm wide, low or full height | Shelf load and door type |
Details on desk sizing are in our linear workstation guide.
Step 4: Understand the materials
Most modular office furniture uses one of these boards:
- Pre-laminated particle board: economical and widely used for workstations and storage in dry areas.
- MDF: smooth and good for shaped or painted parts.
- HDHMR: denser and more moisture resistant, useful for pantry units and heavy-use areas.
- Plywood with laminate: strong and screw-holding, often chosen for cabin tables and reception counters.
There is no single best board. A sensible quote uses different boards for different jobs. Ask for the board and thickness of each item in writing.
Step 5: Do not skip the hardware and edges
Drawer channels, hinges, locks and edge banding decide how the furniture behaves in year three. Check:
- Drawers open fully and close smoothly
- Locks have different keys per seat, ideally with a master key
- Edges are sealed with PVC banding and feel smooth
- Legs have levellers for uneven floors
Step 6: Plan power and data with the furniture
Laptops, monitors, phones and chargers mean every seat needs sockets. Decide early:
- Where power and data enter each row (floor box, wall or ceiling drop)
- Whether sockets sit above the desk, below it or in the raceway
- How cables are hidden (trays, grommets, risers)
- Meeting table power: a flip-up box in the middle saves a lot of trailing wires
Step 7: Think about comfort
People sit at these desks for eight or nine hours. Basic ergonomic checks cost nothing at the design stage: desk height around 730 to 750 mm, enough knee room under the top, monitors at arm’s length and no pedestal where the legs should go.
Step 8: Set a budget the right way
Split the budget instead of setting one number:
- Workstations and partitions
- Cabins and meeting room furniture
- Storage
- Reception and pantry
- Seating
- Transport and installation
If the total is over budget, it is better to simplify finishes or phase the lesser-used rooms than to downgrade board or hardware across the office.
Step 9: Read the quote line by line
A good quote lists each item with size, quantity, board, finish and hardware, and shows transport, installation and taxes separately. When comparing two suppliers, line the items up side by side. Our 7-point checklist covers this in detail.
Step 10: Confirm the schedule and site readiness
Furniture is one of the last things to enter an office. Before installation, the site should have flooring, painting, electrical points and air-conditioning completed. Agree dates for drawing approval, production and installation, and tell the manufacturer about lift size, loading hours and building rules.
Seven mistakes to avoid
- Buying on photos without seeing a sample or a finished job.
- Planning seats for today only, with no room to add.
- Forgetting storage until people start stacking boxes on desks.
- Ordering before electrical points are final.
- Choosing glossy white tops in a dusty or high-traffic area.
- Ignoring the service lift size and stair access.
- Paying the full amount before installation is complete.
Buying office furniture in Pune
If your office is in Pune, a local manufacturer makes site visits, changes and after-installation service much easier. Our workshop is in Dhanori, close to Viman Nagar, Kalyani Nagar, Kharadi and Wagholi, and we also supply Baner, Hinjewadi, Hadapsar, Wakad and Pimpri-Chinchwad. See our office furniture range.
Frequently asked questions
What should I check first when buying office furniture?
Start with seat count and a scaled layout. Sizes, materials and price follow from that.
Which material is best for office furniture?
It depends on the item. Pre-laminated particle board suits most workstations and storage, HDHMR suits moisture-prone areas, and plywood with laminate suits heavily used tables and counters.
Should office furniture be bought ready-made or made to order?
Ready-made works for a few urgent pieces. For ten seats or more, made-to-order furniture fits the floor better and usually gives more seats in the same space.
Talk to Encore Interiors
Encore Interiors designs, manufactures and installs office furniture from its own workshop in Dhanori, Pune.
Address: Survey No. 19, 3/1, near Shard Lawns, Madhav Nagar, Dhanori, Pune, Maharashtra 411015
Phone: +91 89799 31695, +91 75076 17409
Request a site visit or a quote
