Reception furniture
Reception is the room every visitor sees and the one most often specified at the end of a project with whatever budget is left.
What the room needs
- Somewhere to wait that is comfortable for ten minutes: sofas and armchairs or soft seating.
- A surface within reach of each seat, which is what coffee and occasional tables are for.
- Somewhere to put coats, which is where coat stands earn their place.
- A staffed desk if the role needs one, with a proper task chair behind it rather than a visitor chair.
Worth remembering
Reception seating takes coats, bags and weather. Check the rub count on the fabric and be realistic about cleaning: a darker fabric with a high rub count will look better in three years than a pale one that photographs well on day one.