The Executive Desk

The right executive chair is the next step in having the perfect executive office furniture after you choose your executive desk. There are two main things to consider when choosing your desk chair. First, you want the chair to have the right presence and aesthetic appeal. It has to go with the desk furniture you already have and have a personality that complements the professional image most executives desire for their workspace. Secondly, you must consider the ergonomic and comfort aspect of the chair. Most executives will spend a considerable amount of time at their desk and you want to make sure that you are comfortable and that there are no adverse health-effects because of your sitting arrangements.

Four attributes make any desk chair ergonomic. The first is a pneumatic seat height adjustment, which should allow you to change the height of the back of your chair so that the contours fit properly in your body. The adjustment for this feature is usually located on the back of the chair. The second is the arm height adjustment. The placement of your armrests can be key for comfort and proper posture. If the arm rests are too high you might not be able to pull your desk chair close enough to your workspace and if they are too low you might have to slouch to rest your forearms on them. The third key adjustment is the seat depth adjustment. This feature will allow you to sit your feet flat on the floor whether you are petite, average or tall. The final must-have feature is the adjustable tilt tension knob. This is usually found under the chair and can help to improve your posture while working at your desk.

While every ergonomic chair should have these features, executive desk chairs often have other extras such as a dual wheel coasters, lumbar support and a thickly padded seat cushion. Another option that is common on executive desk chairs is the “big and tall” size. The executive desk chair manufacturers seem to recognize that people in power often are of greater stature than the average worker. Therefore, they have created chairs that come in sizes and with adjustments that would not be appropriate for the average sized person. One final benefit you can find on some executive chairs is the incorporation of a massage feature. Executives will often enjoy models that include the ability to recline with tapping, kneading, rolling and vibration massage techniques. Watch out though! Too much relaxing could lead to lying down on the job.

In terms of the look of your chair, there are many options for executives. Typically, you will choose a wood frame that matches that of your executive desk with a plush leather seat covering to match the decor of your office. However, there are also steel frames and other more modern looks that could be incorporated into an innovative workspace. If today’s style of straight lines and minimal ornamentation doesn’t mesh well with your tastes, then you should consider a retro desk chair. Combining a modern office theme with a splash of yesteryear will give your work environment the personality that you crave. Because of the fancy materials and the extra feature described above, executive office chairs are often more expensive. But as they say, if the boss is not happy, then no one is!

As the name implies, an executive desk is for an executive. As a result, executive desks are usually large, regal looking, of high quality, and have tremendous functionality.

While the typical desk is usually 6 feet wide and 30 inches deep, this would be a very small executive desk. Executive workspaces are typically eight to nine feet wide and can be as wide as ten and a half feet or more. The depth is usually around 40 inches. Executives have a lot of work and many responsibilities and the larger workspace gives them room to spread all the necessary paperwork out to see the whole picture. An average size desk used by other employees could be limiting to an executive who needs to view multiple reports to make decisions. In addition to the workspace, a larger desk has a bigger personality and can give the executive an edge when meeting others in his office. I would recommend that an executive get a desk as large as can comfortably fit in the office space available.

In addition to size, other attributes of the executive desk give it a regal and strong presence including the materials used. Executive desks are usually made with real wood veneer. You would think that solid wood would look better than a veneer, but the opposite is often true. Because of the way the veneer is cut you can often get a much more beautiful pattern out of the wood than if you used solid wood pieces. In addition, solid wood boards can warp and split with changes in humidity and a veneer covered medium density fiberboard, or MDF will not. Veneers for executive desks are often made from hardwoods and exotic woods like cherry, walnut, maple, ash, oak, sapeli pommele or birds-eye maples. You can choose the wood depending on the color and personality that you want your desk to have.

Because of the use of MDF rather than particleboard and hard or exotic woods for the veneer, executive furniture is usually of high quality. To add to the quality there are usually top coats on the desk surface than will protect the desk from absorbing moisture and even to prevent scratches or marks being put into the desk by metal or heavy objects.