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Funky green chairs. Dark wood for the desks – no white melamine, definitely not. And it has to be wheelchair-friendly. <\/b><\/p>\n
That’s what Jane Brearley, chief executive and founder of start-up Intent Health, had in mind when she was setting up her firm’s new office in central London. <\/p>\n
Accessibility and aesthetics were key – but it didn’t matter if the desks and chairs had already been used by someone else. That just meant they came at a bargain price. <\/p>\n
“I probably saved about 19, 20 grand by kitting out with second-hand furniture,” she says. <\/p>\n
The pandemic caused a huge shift in working practices. While some have fully embraced working from home, others are returning to the office, perhaps part-time. As a result, many companies are downsizing central offices and that means a glut of second-hand desks, chairs and filing cabinets is available to those who want them. <\/p>\n
In Dr Brearley’s case, the new office is sometimes empty since her staff choose to work from home much of the time – but she argues it’s worth having anyway. <\/p>\n
“I have young people on the team who are working out of their bedroom or from their kitchen in a flat share, it’s really important that they have a place they can go,” she explains, adding that the office is useful for training, too. <\/p>\n
Some of Dr Brearley’s colleagues use wheelchairs so it was important to find furniture that would meet everyone’s needs and also allow for plenty of space in the office. <\/p>\n
She was able to source desks, chairs, meeting room equipment and personal lockers from multiple second-hand suppliers. The only thing she struggled to find was sofas, so those came new. <\/p>\n
A wide variety of organisations are in the market for second-hand office furniture these days. Even former Prime Minister Liz Truss turned to pre-used kit for her campaign office, according to the firm, external<\/span><\/a> that says it was the supplier. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n