Self-contained meeting cubicles, elliptical seating to maximise ambient light, sleeping pods for those who quite literally need to sleep on the job – the future of office furniture looks varied and increasingly about minimising space whilst maximising collaboration. However, whether these new office furniture designs being touted by companies across the world really will change the face of the office environment, or whether they will ever be anything more than fanciful prototypes remains to be seen.

Glass-walled meeting cubicles seem to be the way forward for many businesses that wish to have privacy on a small scale without the potential for claustrophobia. With sofas complete with roofs being pushed on the other side of the spectrum, it seems both transparency and its opposite are equally the order of the day so long as one thing is consistent – size.

The executive office furniture of the future is all about maximising the space available in an office whilst at the same time increasing the amount of privacy that can be experienced. And running through all this is of course a sense lavish style.

For most, these state of the art furnishings will not be necessary or indeed affordable, and therefore whilst looking at the prototypes for new luxury furniture may be fun, speaking to smaller office furniture suppliers may allow you to see more easily exactly which types of furniture will be right for your own business.

Ultimately, the majority of business will not need to splash out huge amounts of money on the newest and fanciest pieces of furniture. Instead, simple, versatile and minimalist furniture will be all that is needed so long as such items can be easily moved and adapted to suit changing needs.

Comfort remains at the forefront for most businesses when choosing contemporary office furniture. After all, the more comfortable employees are, the higher morale will be, and it is also far less likely that poor posture will lead to physical problems if the solutions chosen are comfortable and ergonomic.

Of course, style will still be important, and desks will only be practical so long as they can be laid out in the right way. Should staff have to stretch too far to reach important items or have to use the likes of tablets in a way that is not wholly practical, the same injuries and repetitive strain issues are likely to raise their heads.

The perfect office furniture of the future is therefore not necessarily going to be the fanciest or most space-age solutions. Instead, it will be the furniture that allows your workforce to remain productive and healthy, without taking up too much space.

So don’t be drawn in by the most lavish furnishings. The very newest and most technologically advanced items of furniture will have a dramatically higher price tag, without truly offering benefits to justify their cost. By setting your sights on more reasonably priced, but equally as versatile and modern pieces, you will not only get the same great benefits, but the pieces you buy will also no doubt pay for themselves in almost no time at all.