Find the right office chair for you

It can make or break your work-from-home experience.

Here’s how to shop for an office chair that’s both stylish AND good for your back

Ah, the home office – we’ve seen a fair bit of it these past few years. When the pandemic kicked off, chances are your designated business space was nothing more than a cobbled together hotch-potch of furniture pieces and an old kitchen chair. But what a difference two years makes, it's the first time for many of us that we get to choose what our office looks like, so do we go practical or pretty? Here’s how to pick the right office chair for you.

1. Aesthetics or practicality?

The first thing to consider when choosing a chair is whether you want it for its look, or for its practicality. Is it for just you or a team of people? If its a team of people perhaps going for a traditional style chair is best to cover off everyone's different needs. It also means if you have invested in a number of chairs they will not date or quickly fall out of fashion.

These chairs offer a modern take on the traditional office chair whilst having all of the functionality to be able to provide the support you need. Shop the look here.

2.Think of your back

Look, we know it’s not sexy, but your main concern when choosing a chair should be whether or not it’s going to be a good fit for your back. Given we spend up to eight hours a day at our desks, making sure you have a chair that supports your lower back is an absolute must – especially if you are now working from home and not just sitting at your home work station occasionally.

Ergonomic no longer means ugly, your back has never been so supported, The Block Shop has an office chair for every style home office.

3. Consider your fabric choice

Fortunately, in recent years the humble office chair has had something of a style renaissance – you can now purchase pieces that look more like sumptuous velvet dining chairs than your standard, swivelly office chair. But a word of caution: if you like to dine ‘al desko’ make sure you stain treat the fabric before breaking it in.

Meet The Block Shop's best selling office chair from Satara, if the proof is in the popularity, this is your chair!!! As seen in Tanya and Vito's house.

And here we have The Block Shop's newest office chair the Casa Decor Arles office chair in Blush, the newest colourway based off the incredibly popular beauty, Casa Decor Arles Office Chair, if your're looking for a chic feminine option this is your chair, I think I just 'added to cart.'

4. Luxurious leather

Leather office chairs are not only a great durable option, they also add instant opulence to your home office space. Add a humidor and a fern or two, and oila! Gentlemens’ Club! But seriously, leather office chairs continue to be a big trend – have you read about the latest 2022 Furniture trends? Leather is big in 2022 and we are on board for it!

5. Why sit when you can stand?

These days stand-up desks are all the rage – you might find you don't actually need an office chair at all! If this is the case, consider adding a stool to your study for the odd sitdown break. Style your space with some artwork and a plant and watch your morale become sky high. Shop our stand up desk range here and don't forget a stool to perch on.

This desk from CLU Living, has adjustable height options, two USB, one USB-C charger port and a stationary drawer to help you stay organised. Check it out here.

6. Protect your floors

If you’ve got wooden floorboards, make sure you keep this in mind when shopping for your chair – if you opt for one on wheels, hot tip, use a decorative rug. Otherwise chances are you’ll gouge, scrape or dent your floorboards.

We found these beautiful home office spaces on Pinterest, shop The Block Shop Rugs to complete your work space. Pic via @pinterest.

7. Impractical and Pretty

Lastly, if your space is not for working, why not have some fun with the space? If we've learnt anything in the last two years it's that lifes for living, right? If we look back on the 2021 Block houses they made use of a spare bedroom with a desk and beautiful chair, this is a great place for paying bills and keeping your filing system in check and out of the way, think spare wardrobe..... oh and dont forget those times you need to escape the kids for a quiet zoom meeting. 

Ronnie and Georgia's spare bedroom is the perfect place for a quiet zoom and soughting the monthly bills in peace.

These pretty work set ups as featured in The Block 2021, in both Ronnie and Georgia and Mitch and Mark's Houses.

Lastly don't forget to keep your receipts for your home office purchases come tax time. 

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