Introducing our designer, Lucy Bartlett

Lucy has been working in the world of office furniture for over 20 years.

In 2020 she joined Furniture Forum, founded by Mark Bessant, Michael Potter and Andy Wilkinson in 2019 as a standalone furniture business following the rapid growth of their fit-out business Curve Workplaces. Mark himself has been in the workplace furniture sector for over 30 years as both a manufacturer and a dealer.

We caught up with Lucy this week to find out more about her daily passion for the world of office furniture.

How did you get into the industry?

“When I finished my Interior Architecture degree at Middlesex University, I was not sure which direction I wanted to take my career – was it domestic or commercial interiors? An opportunity came up to work at a furniture consultancy within a design and fit out company, I grabbed it, and loved it. 20 years later I am still passionate about working for a furniture company that is the sister business of a design and build company.”

If you had to pick one significant achievement?

“I have been fortunate to have worked on many projects, for a variety of organisations, that I have thoroughly enjoyed and been super proud of.

The standout was working for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, designing and fitting out their family lounge and dining area. The biggest challenge was to get all the materials, and contractors to do the work, for free for me; they were all so fabulously accommodating. To see the result was particularly rewarding – especially the reaction from all the staff, children, and families. I could just feel that the space we had created was going to make a real difference to them.”

Last question Lucy. What are your top tips to ensure that furniture is put at the centre of workplace design?

“There is no doubt that lockdowns during the Covid pandemic have accelerated employees’ aspirations and expectations of the comfort, amenities, and enjoyment of their workplaces. At Furniture Forum we are finding that our client briefs increasingly focus on replicating home and hospitality venue comforts – for workstations and general furnishings; many employers are respecting that hybrid flexibility means that their people should look forward to the all-round benefits of their offices.

My 8 tips would be:

1.????Always think about bright and natural light when designing a space

2.????Properly placed desk – the best placement (according to feng shui principles) is one that puts your back to a wall and gives you a view of the door; the ‘commanding position’ which has been shown to create the best energy to be in charge of whatever comes your way

3.????Create community spaces – as more people move to working in flexible and co-working spaces, they’ll prioritise the ones that provide a sense of – traditional – community

4.????Create a seating area for work and relaxation – seating beyond a desk chair is also crucial, whether it’s a bench for when visitors inevitably pop in or a table and chairs to review documents with clients or for internal meetings with colleagues

5.????At the same time providing up privacy booths is equally important

6.????You should try and ensure that desks, seats and their armrests – and there are some fabulously designed pieces out there – are adjustable

7.????Focus on built-in tech storage. Cloud storage means that file cabinets and general document storage have become less of a priority in offices. Instead design storage to hold computer equipment, printers, and shredders; you don’t have to have these things on display, but you do want them to be near you

8.????Finally … don’t forget plant life. It not only contributes to wellbeing but also indoor environmental quality by stimulating circulated air

To talk about your office fit out ambitions, find out how Furniture Forum can deliver for you, and get a chance to do some great work with Lucy, please contact Elliott at [email protected]

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