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How to furnish a small space for a working-from-home office

Working from home has become increasingly common in recent times, and as more people move towards remote work, the need for comfortable and functional home office spaces has increased. However, finding the right furniture for a small home office space can be a challenge. When working with limited space, finding furniture that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing can be quite difficult. Fortunately, there are now tools and resources available to help make the process easier, such as Furniture Ferret.

One of the biggest challenges when looking for furniture for a small office space is finding pieces that fit. In small rooms, every centimetre counts, and you need furniture that is not only functional but also sized appropriately. This is where Furniture Ferret comes in. Furniture Ferret is a website that lists desks, shelves, and other furniture by size. This means that you can easily search for furniture that is the perfect fit for your small office space, without having to sift through countless options that may be too large.

Another challenge that comes with furnishing a small office space is budget. Many of us have a limited amount to spend on an office setup, and getting reimbursement from the workplace may be difficult. Furniture Ferret understands this need and allows searching and sorting results by price, also displaying the usual price of each group of furniture.

One of the benefits of using Furniture Ferret is that it saves you time and effort. Instead of spending hours searching for the right furniture, you can easily browse through a curated selection of pieces that are the perfect fit for your small office space. This means that you can focus on other important aspects of setting up your home office, such as choosing the right equipment and getting organised.

In addition to its size-based search feature, on Furniture Ferret you can also narrow down your search by material or colour, making it easy to find furniture that meets your specific needs and taste. This level of customisation and flexibility means that you can find the perfect furniture for your small office space without having to compromise on quality or style.

Overall, finding the right furniture for a small office space can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. With tools like Furniture Ferret, you can easily search for and find furniture that is the perfect fit for your small office space. By taking advantage of this resource, you can save time and effort, while also ensuring that your home office is comfortable, functional, and stylish. So if you’re struggling to find furniture for your small office space, give Furniture Ferret a try and see how it can help simplify the process.

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Q&A

How hard are different types of wood?

To determine how hard a certain type (species) of wood is, the industry has developed a scale called Janka. A small steel ball is pushed into a sample of the wood up to half its height, and the force needed to do so is measured. The harder the wood, the higher the rating. It helps to determine how long a piece of furniture or flooring will last; how well it will be able to withstand everyday use.

The units of the measurement can cause confusion: in America, pounds-force (lbs) is used, while in Europe and Australia, kilogram-force (kgf) or Newton (N) is more usual. In the tables below, we note both lbs and N.

First we list wood species that are very hard (usually above 1,000 lbs) – but as you can see, their hardness varies significantly in this category.

SpeciesJanka (lbs)Janka (N)
Ebony (Brazilian)3,70016,000
Brazilian walnut3,68016,400
Ebony3,20014,300
Bamboo3,00013,000
Red mahogany2,70012,000
Golden teak2,30010,400
Tigerwood1,9008,200
Satinwood1,8008,100
Rosewood1,8008,100
Highland beech1,7007,500
Maple1,4506,400
White oak1,4006,000
Ash1,3005,900
Teak, English oak1,1005,000
Black walnut1,0004,500
Very hard wood species

Between 500 and 1,000 lbs, wood is usually classified as hard or suitable for hard. These are easier to work with, but still reasonably resilient.

SpecieslbsN
Cherry, Red maple9504,200
Paper birch9004,000
Mahogany8003,600
Silver maple7003,100
Fir6502,900
Larch6002,600
Chestnut, Poplar5502,400
Hard suitable wood species

350 to 500 is the semi-hard category, while woods below this are soft.

SpecieslbsN
Pine (different variants)200-4001,100-1,900
Fir, Lime, Poplar, Willow200-350900-1,600
Balsa70310
Semi-hard and soft wood species

Balsa is so soft and light that it is suitable as a material for model aeroplanes.

While the Janka scale is a good measure of hardness, it does not directly test resilience to scratches or scuffing. Engineered or composite wood boards will also have different characteristics. Nevertheless, these measurements are a good guide to how long your cabinet, desk, shelf or flooring can serve you.

What about softwoods and hardwoods?

The definition of softwoods and hardwoods is based on biology, and while it is true to most hardwoods are actually harder than softwoods, it is not necessarily so. Hardwoods are from dicot trees, whose seeds have two embryonic leaves. Softwoods are, on the other hand, are species whose seeds are not enclosed, e.g. in pine cones (angiosperms).

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Q&A

What is melamine?

Melamine is a nitrogen-based plastic that is used to create a variety of products from utensils, plates and cups to dry-erase boards, and, most importantly for furniture, countertops and as a finish on MDF, particle- and chipboards. (MFC, in particular, stands for melamine-faced chipboard.)

It is scratch- and moisture-resistant and hard enough to withstand everyday use, so boards with a melamine veneer are used to construct shelves, cabinets, desks and more. It protects the board, especially MDF, from spillages, that would otherwise damage it. Melamine can also be coloured, giving it great versatility, or patterned to imitate solid wood.

Explore furniture made with melamine veneer here.

Health concerns were raised regarding melamine when it was illegally added to milk formula in 2008. It is known to be a health hazard when ingested, and studies have shown that it can leak into hot or acidic foods (e.g. orange or tomato juice) when used as a container. However, this leakage was well below any levels of concern, and used as part of furniture, even in the kitchen, melamine should be perfectly safe. (Source)

Image by Laidler139 on Wikimedia Commons