In today’s day of age, a business can get a deal on seemingly anything ranging from hardware, software and office supplies. Often than not though, businesses forget that there are fantastic deals on used furniture which can save thousands of dollars in total costs.
A Mix of Used and New
With the way the economy is today, businesses need to be extra careful on where they are allocating their resources and investments to. One investment that shouldn’t be looked over is office furniture as investing in bad furniture can lead to bad physical health for employees that can linger. The argument many businesses make when it comes to office furniture is that it is too expensive, and it will need to be replaced in only a matter of years due to the heavy wear and tear it will succumb to. However, when buying used, the argument is then made that the furniture already has a small shelf life and an office will need a furniture refresh sooner than buying new.
This is where the term “blending” comes into play. Simply put, blending is when an office takes used and new furniture and mixes the two together to create a “blend” within a space. With this method, this will ensure that a business can allocated the necessary resources.
According to AOI Expert Gary McIntosh, “Blending new and used products in a project can not only significantly reduce costs but can provide a pleasing design aesthetic for your space.” Creating a pleasing design aesthetic is important to note here. Taking advantage of blending will allow a business to create a space that meets their design needs, both visually and financially.
No Worn Down Furniture Here
The biggest misconception when buying used office furniture is that since it is used it’ll be worn down with lots of visible wear and tear on it. However, with blending, this misconception can be put at ease.
“Blending gives the ability to provide low cost options that have the aesthetic of high end furniture by combining our used furniture inventories with new pieces from the manufacturer.” Says AOI expert Nicole Wynkoop.
Limitless Possibilities
There are an unlimited amount of possibilities that a business can achieve with blending, in fact, think of it like Chess. Within a game of Chess, there are an unlimited amount of possible outcomes that the game can take, and the same methodology can be applied to blending. For a new office move for example, a business can buy brand new chairs and workstations in order to future proof their employees environment for years to come, and then allocate the rest of their resources in buying used furniture to outfit a lunch room.
To give an example of how exactly blending is accomplished, William Reid of AOI explains “We (AOI) often blend new and used products on the same installation. There are certain times where the installation requires a sharp focused area such as a conference room, or a collaborative area that could not only be new but even higher grade if desired. Then, the rest of the installation like the back end of the office could feature used workstations.”
AOI Can Help
To summarize, blending is a fantastic and economical solution for any business looking to conserve resources but also get high quality office furniture that will last for years to come. Want to learn more about blending for an upcoming project you have? Then give AOI a call today at 630-784-7730 and one of our experts can walk you through the process.
