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10 Flexible Furniture Options for Any Modern Office

Contract furniture tends to be fairly expensive and costs can add up for small businesses every time they add an employee or two or need to reconfigure their setup. Plus, with more companies moving towards open plan offices and some on the move frequently as their businesses grow, it’s important for them to invest in furniture that’s flexible or multi-functional. That said, we went out on a hunt to find some practical furniture options for the office that can either pull double duty or are flexible so they be used in different ways.

Heartwork’s SQUARE desk system can be reconfigured into endless variations of workstations, conference tables, and even as a ping pong table. It’s designed so that it can easily be put together or taken apart with only a quarter – so, if you don’t need it for a spell, it can be stored flat. You can also choose from a bevy of fun colors to customize the look of table’s base even more.

The Kona Collection, by Hightower, is composed of a series of modules that can be set up in a variety of configurations and colors. The modules are simple and streamlined to work in any setting and can be mixed up when a new layout is needed.

We can’t do a roundup of flexible office furniture without including a sit/stand desk and we happen to like the Loft Single Desk from Poppin. With studies showing that sitting all day is not good for your health, having a desk that gives the user the option to stand up throughout the day is a smart choice.

Designed by Turnstone, the Campfire Paper Table inspires a person or several people to circle around it to collaborate on ideas. It’s topped with either a circular stack of paper or glass where ideas can be shared or doodles can be drawn.

Patricia Urquiola designed the Openest Chic Pouf for Haworth to be up for anything. The design converts from a chair with a back to a stool/pouf, both of which are easy to move around the office when or wherever extra seating is needed.

The Zones Enclosures for Teknion are the perfect semi-private spots to sneak away and get work done without being distracted. The enclosures reduce noise and also make for the perfect spot to carry on a meeting with a coworker.

Notes is a series of five acoustic panels hung from the ceiling that slide back and forth and can be rearranged for a new look. Designed by Luca Nichetto for Offecct, the panels not only reduce sounds in the office, they also act as a privacy screen when needed.

ThinkingQuietly, from DARRAN, offers a practical solution when multiple workstations are needed as it features plenty of surface space for each worker, as well as a central privacy system to help productivity by reducing peripheral noise.

Studio TK has a range of flexible Qui Ottomans that are designed to be moved around and reconfigured as needed in any environment. The comfortable ottomans can be used as seating or tables for meetings, collaborating, or as an additional spot to get work done.

And lastly, BuzziPleat LED is a series from 13&9 for BuzziSpace that pulls double duty. The large-scale designs are suspended lamps emitting powerful LED light and while the pendants are illuminating what’s underneath, they’re also helping with sound control as the pleated felt absorbs sound.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.