Office Furnishings FAQ

We can help you furnish your office space in a few days with rental furniture, a few weeks with in stock products or a few months with endless choices. The more time you have available, the more options we can offer you. The reason for this is that most all furniture is made to order. By having 3 months, or more, you will benefit by having time to select from a wide array of products, visit showrooms, visit project installations, and evaluate options and time to customize products to fit your specific space. We generally recommend a period of 2 to 5 months to program, budget, evaluate select, order, manufacture and install furniture. Many manufacturers have product lines that can be made to order in 4 weeks or less, however, industry standard lead times are generally 6 to 8 weeks for manufacturing and another week or two for shipping. Furniture is a large investment for any company. It is so large that many companies have this investment for 20 years or more. Taking ample time for this process will ultimately benefit you with the best product solution.

How much should I budget for my office space?

Furniture budgets vary considerably. It depends upon how much product, the type of furniture needed and the finish materials desired. It is not uncommon to invest $5,000.00 to $8,000.00 per person, on average for medium level quality new furniture product. A “per person” budget factor provides allowances that includes the person’s own workspace as well as an additional allowance for ancillary items such as the lobby, conference rooms, reception desk, filing, bookcases, seating, freight, tax, delivery and installation. Many people focus their budget only on their desk and they forget about all the other areas such as conference, break room, filing, lobby, etc. Ask for help budgeting for the entire office from a furniture dealer. Don’t forget tax, delivery and installation costs. There are heavily discounted workstations and seating products on the market, however, you should be educated on the risk vs. reward for these products and their limitations. See “Is there used furniture I can buy that is still nice?”

Is there USED furniture I can buy that is still nice?

When budget or schedule does not allow for new furniture, used can be a viable option. Make sure that whomever you buy from gives you a complete picture of all costs and risks when considering this choice. You will likely need to pay up front for design services if you want a firm budget. There might be a cube available for $700.00 per station but it doesn’t include the cost to tear down, move it, store it and reassemble it. Planning, inventory, tear down, new parts, temporary storage, project management, rebuilding and disposal of extra parts could add $500 to $800.00 a station easily. If there isn’t an inventory list available then a survey of parts and pieces needs to be made. The parts are then planned into your space to see if you can build what you need from the inventory or parts. If there are leftover parts there is an added cost to haul them away to be recycled or dumped. Many times you will have to make a commitment tobuying the “entire lot”. Used cubical systems are typically not sold in lots of less than 30 stations. In addition, used cubicles are only cost effective if they fit your needs regarding size and layout. In other words, don’t try to take a 6x8 cube size and make it into an 8x8 size. It will not be cost effective. Another risk with used cubicles is that many times the fabrics and finishes are discontinued. If one more panel is needed and the fabric is no longer made you will need to live with panels or surfaces or trims that don’t match the rest. Does it have a warranty? No, never. Used furniture is as - is. It won’t come with keys for the locks, drawer glides might be broken, overhead doors could be locked shut, and lights may not work. There will probably be sticky messes, paper clips, marker stains or food wrappers in the drawers. Trims could be missing, fabrics will be dirty and maybe torn, electrical circuits might not work. After all is said and done I’ve seen “$600.00” used cubes cost a customer over $1,500.00 each. Also, timing is critical for used inventories. The program is simple; “he with the check delivered first gets the inventory”. If you aren’t ready to buy on the spot don’t assume the inventory will wait for you. In addition, many used furniture brokers don’t own the inventory so they may not have control of selling it to you. It is usually set up as a consignment type of sale from the original owner of the furniture. Looking at the “entire picture” rather than only the product cost is important in evaluating your options. If you are extremely flexible on your expectations, if you have room to store extra parts for future growth and if you are in the market for approximately 30 to 40 cubes than used may be a good option. It is especially true if you need something “tomorrow”, can put the cash down immediately and will drive to where ever the inventory is sitting to see it in person and inspect what you are getting.

Are there other options to Used or New?

Yes, there is also”refurbished” product. This is essentially used furniture that has been rebuilt. It has much more flexibility than used furniture. You can order exactly how many stations you need. You can have the exact size and specific storage components you need. You even have the ability to pick your own colors and materials. We have interior designers on staff to help color selection for you if you need assistance. Be aware that refurbished is still formerly used product so it doesn’t look brand new and you shouldn’t expect it to look brand new. Most refurbished cubicles price out between $1,400.00 and $2,300.00 each and cost another $300.00 to $350.00 each to deliver and install. Keep in mind that many manufacturers are heavily discounting cubicle systems. New furniture comes with full warranties and the highest level of quality. The choices are almost endless. So many features and enhancements are now available that people who used to buy 8x8 stations are now able to order 6x8 or even 6x6 size stations and get the same functionality out of them. That difference in square footage can save you in real estate costs by increasing your head count and efficiency. We’ve seen new cubes (6x8 size with one file and overhead storage) sell for under $2,000.00 each. Consider buying new furniture if you feel you can afford a cube in the $1,800 to $3,000.00 range. Both refurbished and new product usually takes about 4 weeks to make. Extra “volume” discounts on new furniture usually are triggered at the point of a purchase for about 80 stations or more.

I’ve heard of Steelcase, Herman Miller, Knoll, Kimball and Teknion? What is the difference between manufacturers? Is one better than others? Does one cost more?

Here is the bottom line, truth be known, lay it on the line reality. Every major manufacturer makes similar things. They all have their “high end” products, their “value end” products and their “quick ship” products. Each has their own unique benefits and drawbacks. Many are insignificant. There are some products that could be very parts intensive so you want to watch out for those.

They could be a real bargain on product cost but they will probably significantly increase your labor and installation costs. The more important issue is the dealer that you work with. Manufacturers don’t sell direct to you. They have a network of dealers that sell their products. It would be like wanting to buy a car from the Ford factory. It won’t happen. You’ll buy from the car dealership. You can Google these manufacturers and look at their websites to get an idea of what their furniture looks like. Most people quickly realize that most furniture starts to look the same. The key is usually not the manufacturer’s product but finding the right dealer to give you the best service. Finding someone who is knowledgeable, creative, and responsive. Help find someone who focuses on your goals regarding budget, timing and function. Our job as a dealer is to educate you and provide you with options so you can make the right decision for your business.

What should I look for when buying furniture?

First and foremost look for a good dealer to help guide you through the process. Get referrals from your real estate advisor, a property manager or another business owner that you know. Understand what your own priorities are and verbalize those to the dealer early on. The key factors are usually focused around timing (when do you need it), budget (cost for product delivered and installed) function (the size, shape, height and storage needs) and aesthetics (colors and materials). Do you need to see and touch the exact piece you will buy or are you okay looking at pictures in a catalog? If you aren’t sure what your budget is, ask your dealer to help you create a high and low end budget range. Does your dealer help you visualize the product you want in the exact finish you will get it in? We have rendering tools to help people visualize their furnishings. Does the dealer handle more than one manufacturer? If someone only sells Reebok tennis shoes they will clearly find a shoe that fits you from Reebok. Why not find a dealer that sells both Reebok and Nike so you have even more options to choose from? Is the product made domestically or is it imported from overseas? More and more furniture is being made overseas. Some of it is good and some is not so good. Most import furniture has very little options. Some import centers “stock” furniture. Just be aware that if the furniture is coming from oversees it could take up to 4 months to get into the US. We have seen and heard of boats that have 80% damage of product and the client had to wait 4 months for furniture that was due to arrive on the boat docking “this Friday”. Also, quality control is important. A chair that looks and feels good for $175.00 probably will not last more than a few years. If it’s under warranty, the warranty is probably for “parts only. If the chair cylinder breaks, you may have to pay $60.00 or more in labor to have it replaced. A good quality chair might cost $500.00 or more but it can last you a long time. Why replace a chair every few years? Remember that financing options through furniture leasing brokers are available and can help you with monthly payments.

Do you have a showroom that I can see?

Our office is a “working showroom”. What that means is that our staff does their day to day work using the products we sell. We represent literally thousands of products from many manufacturers, so we only have a very small percentage of the products we sell in our office space. We work with catalog pictures initially to show you product lines. After that, we can visit a formal showroom to see the product in person. For smaller items, such as chairs we can obtain a sample for you to try out. Whenever possible, we encourage you to see and feel the products in person.

What geographical areas do you cover?

We are located in Northern California and the majority of our clients are located between San Jose and Sacramento, San Francisco to Modesto. However, we have corporate clients that utilize our services for locations all across the country. On an annual basis it is not uncommon for us to do business in over 40 states.

Do you work with small orders?

What do you consider small? We’ve helped people who needed a key replaced. The answer is YES, we work with any size of project from a single chair to an entire corporate building campus. We firmly believe that “from little acorns grow large oak trees”. If you are starting out a business and only need a single desk we can help you. We want to service your needs and show you that when you move again and need 10 desks or 20 desks we are there for you again and again. The benefit we offer is we have highly experience staff members who have been in the industry a long time and can find furniture solutions that meet your needs.

Will you help me in selecting my furniture fabrics and colors?

Yes. We have interior designers on staff with years of experience in color and material selection. Not only can they assist in the selection but they will look for materials that will provide the durability & clean ability required. Bring in your carpets, paints and other construction finishes and we will help select the furniture materials that enhance your interiors. We can also assist with artwork, area rugs, desk accessories or other decorative elements.

What is the process?

Part of our job is walking you through the process step by step without overwhelming you with too many details too quickly. The process is like the layers of an onion. We can’t get to the heart until we peel the skin. Each onion is slightly different. Our job is to help in asking the right questions, gathering the proper information from you, providing you with recommendations and choices based upon our years of experience so that you can make educated decisions for your business needs. You know your business better than anyone. We know how to select office furnishings since we specialize in doing this every day.

Will you move and/or reconfigure my existing furniture?

We are firm believers in adding value to the process. We have highly skilled project managers who can evaluate what you would like to accomplish. We will describe our recommended methods and describe options on how to approach your specific needs. If we do not feel we can add value, we will help point you in the right direction to someone who can assist you.

Do you help us if we want to reuse our existing furniture?

Yes. Many of our clients need some new furniture but want to also reuse furniture that they already own. We can inventory your furniture and help determine how it will fit the new location. If you’re seating fabric is old and worn or your files are a myriad of colors we can reupholster or repaint to make everything feel new. We clean furniture panels and refinish wood. Often times existing furniture needs to be relocated concurrently with the new furniture arrival. Working with one company can save you time and headaches from coordinating multiple vendor schedules. There are occasions when liquidating your furniture & replacing it with new or refurbished can be accomplished for a fractional difference in cost compared to moving and refinishing.

Will you buy our used furniture?

We are not in the business of purchasing used furniture. We do have connections with used furniture brokers and recycling brokers that we can refer you to talk with. Most of the brokers will want to have a list of your inventory and have digital pictures sent to them before they will come look at the furniture. Depending on the quantity and type of furniture you have available you may be fortunate to find someone who will haul it away at no cost. The risk and cost to tear down move and store furniture until a new buyer wants it is quite high and the demand for used furniture is not the same as it was five years ago. Prices for new furniture have become so discounted that most people are not buying used furniture unless it is sold in the space they are moving into.

Can you help us with other office needs?

Yes. We have an interior finishes group that can provide flooring, wall and window finishes. We also can provide plants and lighting options to enhance your space and provide an ideal working environment.

Can you replace carpet in our busy office?

Yes. We specialize in replacing carpet in occupied offices with very little disruption to your employees, customers and operations. We can replace your old flooring with new carpet by strategically lifting office furniture. The work is completed during off hours so disruption is minimized and we use a patented technique that does not require carpet adhesive. This reduces the “new carpet smell” and any corresponding indoor air quality and health issues.

How do I get started?

Call us. Interform Commercial Interiors (925)-867-1001. We are here to help you. Don’t feel intimidated or worry about needing to have specific information in hand before you call. We are here to make this as easy as possible on you. Tell us you saw us on ROFO.com.

"Interform's high standard of performance provides us the tools to effectively manage our space for existing and future tenants. They are a great team player."

Office Furnishings FAQ

"Interform's high standard of performance provides us the tools to effectively manage our space for existing and future tenants. They are a great team player."

Crosspoint Realty