How to Brand Your Waiting Room

Waiting Rooms

Reception Area

Your reception area is the first point of contact that most people have with your physical office location. Whether it’s employees, investors, or customers, everyone should know exactly where they are when they step into your business, and your office design should give a positive impression. Here are a few techniques you can use to achieve brand recognition and shine the right light on your company via the design of your reception area.

Display Your Business Name

First and foremost, your company’s name should have a place of pride at the front and center of your reception area. Common places to display a company name or logo include behind the reception desk and on the front door, but the location will vary depending on the layout of your waiting room.

Incorporate Your Brand’s Colors

Your company probably uses color in your logo or on your website. While you may consider painting the walls in your brand colors, there are plenty of other ways to bring in a splash of your signature style. Try incorporating your company colors via the chairs in your waiting room, or pull in pops of color in the artwork or décor in the space. Remember that less is more, so be careful to add just the right touches without going overboard.

Add Items That Reflect Your Company Culture and Values

If your company emphasizes fun, reflect that by using bright colors and funky furnishings. If you’re strictly business, keep your reception area polished and pristine. You can even take a literal outlook on this technique by posting your company values or tagline on a board for all to see. This may also be a great opportunity to show your passion for the city in which your company operates.

Use Existing Features

You could cover up cement flooring with carpeting, but maybe you could work with it to create a unique look while saving a little money. Other great ideas include creating reading nooks in small, awkward spaces and using large blank walls to display branded artwork. Working with your waiting room’s existing architecture will create better visual flow and differentiate your space from competitors.

Remember that your waiting room branding serves multiple groups of people. Not only does it need to leave guests with a lasting, positive impression of your business, but it also needs to inspire employees every day when they come to work.

The Complete Guide to Waiting Room Seating

Whether you’re outfitting a small or large waiting room, your choices in reception seating are vast and varied. So, where do you begin? This guide to waiting room seating explains your choices in reception seating and will help you decide which options will work the best in your office.

Type

Guest chairs are standard-size seating options that are also referred to as side chairs. Guest chairs may come with or without arms.

Bariatric chairs are guest chairs that can accommodate more than the standard 250-pound weight capacity. Weight limits vary from 300 pounds to well over 700 pounds.

Club chairs are guest chairs that are more padded and plush. This type of seating is commonly used in a lounge or other area where visitors will be seated for longer periods.

Sofas are commercial-grade couches that are often added to a reception area to give the space a more homey feel. Sofas can typically accommodate up to 3 average-size people. They are similar to club chairs in that they are plush and commonly used in a lounge-type setting.

Loveseats are smaller versions of sofas and can typically accommodate 2 average-size people.

Benches are similar to sofas and loveseats in that they can seat multiple people in an area; however, benches have a lower profile and are not as plush as sofas and loveseats. Benches may come with or without a back and with or without arms.

Ottomans are plush single-user benches commonly used in combination with club chairs or sofas and can be used as tables or additional seating in a lounge.

Tandem seating includes 2 or more guest chairs connected by shared legs and/or arms. Tandem seating may also be referred to as multi-chair sets.

Beam seating is similar to tandem seating, but chairs are connected via a single beam that runs along the seats.

Special Features

Tablet arm chairs have a small, movable work surface attached to one or both arms. Tablets are often attached to lounge-style seating and are ideal for waiting areas where paperwork must be filled out or business professionals must get work done while waiting.

Motion back chairs have a backrest that moves with the user to provide additional comfort during extended waiting periods. This type of chair is commonly used in healthcare facility waiting rooms.

Armless chairs are chairs without arms. This type of seating takes up less space because it can be placed closer to other chairs in the room.

Green chairs are also referred to as eco-friendly. There are many different levels of eco-friendliness, including Greenguard and Level certified seating, but all chairs in this selection are designed to improve indoor air quality in commercial interiors one way or another.

Stacking chairs are guest chairs that can be stacked on top of one another. This type of seating is helpful for areas that need to be frequently cleaned or rearranged, as stackable seating can be quickly and easily moved and stored away whenever needed.

Nesting chairs are similar to stacking chairs, but instead of stacking on top of one another, their seats flip up to allow them to be nested into one another for quick and compact transport and storage. Nesting chairs are almost always mobile.

Mobile chairs are chairs with either 2 or 4 wheels. This type of chair is best for areas where seating needs to be moved around often.

GSA-approved chairs are part of NBF’s GSA contract. These chairs are approved for sale to the US government.

Upholstery

Fabric upholstery is a woven material that helps give furniture a homey look and feel. Fabric is available in many colors and patterns but is not appropriate for use in medical waiting rooms due to its porous nature.

Genuine leather upholstery is either full-grain or top-grain genuine cowhide. Full-grain leather shows its grains and natural imperfections and is as close to its natural state as possible. Top-grain leather is the most common type of genuine leather upholstery—it’s thinner and more flexible than full-grain leather. Top-grain leather is also sanded down to remove any imperfections, giving it a more polished look.

Faux leather and vinyl upholstery are manufactured alternatives to genuine leather. Faux leather and vinyl are made of either polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), both of which give the look of leather at a lower cost.

Mesh is a textile that provides more breathability than any other type of upholstery. Mesh is durable but can be trickier to clean due to its porous design.

Seat Type

Pocketed coil systems are made up of a number of individual pocketed coils that help evenly distribute weight for user comfort. The coils are usually outfitted with a layer of foam on top and bottom, with the top layer being less dense to create a cushioned feel.

Fabricated foam is one of the most common materials used in upholstered office chairs. This type of foam varies in density; the denser the foam, the firmer it will feel.

Molded foam is formed when a liquid foam material is poured into a mold—hence the name. This type of foam offers more consistent support and can hold its shape for longer than fabricated foam. This allows for more contour and a more comfortable feel.

Memory foam has a unique chemical makeup that allows the seat to adjust to your body temperature. The seat retains more heat than others, which allows them to mold their shape as the user moves. Memory foam seats are well known for providing superior customized support. In addition, this material is hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites.

Healthcare Considerations

Furnishing a healthcare waiting room involves additional considerations for the safety and comfort of your guests:

Seating must be covered with Crypton, vinyl, or IC+ upholstery.
Provide 15–20% bariatric seating—more if your practice commonly sees patients with these needs.
Select chairs with a clean-out space between the back and seat. This will ensure that each chair can be cleaned safely and completely.

The Complete Guide to Waiting Room Furniture

Outfitting a waiting room is easier said than done. Whether it’s a small reception area or a huge lobby, you’ll need to cater to your guests’ needs as well as the needs of your front desk staff. Here’s what you should consider before selecting your new waiting room furniture.

Reception Desks

The receptionist desk is the centerpiece of the waiting room. As such, selecting a desk that will make a positive first impression on your guests and employees is important. The right reception desk should be beautiful, functional, and durable enough to last you several years. Not only do you want to make a positive impression on guests, but you also want to make sure your receptionists have the space and tools they’ll need to work effectively, including a large enough work surface space and plenty of storage. For a full look into how to select the right centerpiece for your waiting room, read our complete guide to reception desks.

Reception Seating

Keep the seating in your waiting room comfortable and mix it up. Offer guests chairs that they won’t mind sitting in for several minutes at a time or longer, depending on your typical waiting room flow.

In addition to the support of the chair seats and backs, you’ll want to offer a mix of different seating types for added comfort. You should provide guest chairs with and without arms, some bariatric seating, and potentially sofas, benches, and hip chairs if your typical guest requires it. Learn everything you need to know about adding seating to your reception area by reading our complete guide to waiting room seating.

Décor

Though it may not be as obviously functional as desks and chairs, décor plays a huge role in the overall look and feel of your waiting area, and it can impact how your guests perceive your business overall. By incorporating the right wall décor, area rugs, plants, and light fixtures into your space, you can make your waiting area feel more like home, which guests will certainly appreciate. Get a glimpse into how to decorate your reception area by reading our complete guide to office décor.

Accessories

While décor makes the waiting room more aesthetically pleasing, accessories assist in the overall flow of the space. Adding waste receptacles, floor mats, signs, coat racks, and crowd control tools will make your lobby easier for visitors to navigate and for front desk staff to manage.

How to Set Up Modular Waiting Room Seating

The benefit of modular guest seating for waiting areas is the ability to configure and reconfigure the chairs in tables in a seemingly endless number of ways. How do you decide which configurations will be best for your reception area? Take a look at the most common configuration types to determine what style will work best for your needs.

Against a Wall

A straight or L-shaped configuration is commonly located against a wall or pushed into a corner. This arrangement of reception seating shapes is the most common and especially ideal for use in small waiting rooms that don't have much extra floor space. Whether configured as individual armchairs, sofas, or something a little more unique, modular seating used up against the wall is a smart choice for reception areas of any size. It can also make guests feel more comfortable as they will not need to look behind their backs when waiting to be called for an appointment.

Dual-Sided

Best used in large reception areas, dual-sided seating configurations are used in the middle of a room and can accommodate guests on either side of the unit. Although being out in the middle of the waiting room does not save space the way seating up against a wall does, it does help maximize the reception area by seating twice as many people in one space. Plus, this type of seating is most commonly used in conjunction with against-the-wall reception seating, meaning it's only really used when all or most of the waiting room's wall space is full. Don't forget to leave at least a 3-foot walkway between the seating in your waiting area so the space does not become a fire hazard.

Staggered Dual-Sided

This configuration style is closely related to the dual-sided style, but seats are arranged in a zigzag pattern. Not only does this add visual interest to the waiting room, but it serves a more practical purpose as well—the zigzag design of this configuration with high-back chair options provides privacy to guests who may not want to get overly close to strangers. This is particularly helpful when used with seating that has built-in charging, as the staggered design makes it easy to tell which charging port is to be used by which user.

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