Sales of home office equipment have surged in 2020 as many people buy flat pack furniture to improve their working from home environment.

Coronavirus took almost everyone by surprise. Professionals and office-based workers went from the regular commute to working from home. Some people are adapting dining tables or breakfast benches, while others are taking the plunge and creating new work spaces inside their homes.

Having a home office set up that works for you is essential, for your health and safety and for the look of your home. It’s something our founder Lauren Keenan has spoken about on Domain’s Property Unpacked Podcast.

Flat pack furniture can be a fantastic solution, especially if you live in a small home or you don’t have a dedicated office space. If you’re looking to buy flat pack furniture for your home, we’ve got some great information that can help you make the right decisions.

NEW OPTIONS FOR GREAT FLAT PACK AND SELF ASSEMBLY FURNITURE

Stage Kings is a Sydney business that builds staging and production for TV shows, major concerts and events like the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix. But large gatherings and events were cancelled when coronavirus reached Australia. It affected tens of thousands of people in the entertainment industry. 

In the latest episode of our interior design podcast, we find out how Stage Kings pivoted their business during the pandemic. Building their new brand Iso Kings, they’re creating functional and aesthetically pleasing flat pack furniture for thousands of people now working at home.

DEMAND FOR FLAT PACK FURNITURE

Jeremy Flemming from Stage Kings told us their new four piece birch timber desk is designed with form and function in mind.  

“We really wanted to make it simple. It had to clip together and apart very easily. People working from home probably don’t want to have desks up all of the time. So something that goes up very easily in the morning and down again in the afternoon if you need,” Jeremy told us. 

“They’re made of four parts and literally clip together in 30 seconds. For us it had to look great and go together very simply. Anyone can put it together – you don’t need any degrees to allen keys – and it works really well.” 

The home office product range at Stage Kings is made by locals put out of work by the economic impact of coronavirus. And Jeremy says the demand for buying their new flat pack furniture has been huge. 

“The first day we sold twenty desks and we sold more than 9,500 pieces in the first 12 weeks. We’ve been absolutely blown away – we can’t believe the response we had,” he said.

“No one had any desks left when we came up with the idea. Officeworks and IKEA were sold out. It was a real chink in the supply chain that we were able to fill quickly. And being able to fabricate and manufacture here in house we turned them around so quickly.” 

TIPS FOR CHOOSING FLAT PACK FURNITURE

There are a few key things to consider if you do want to buy flat pack furniture to use while working from home. 

Always read through the instructions. Before you get started, make sure you know how it is supposed to go together. There is nothing worse than getting to the end of the assembly and realising you’ve missed a step. Or worse, that you still have some pieces left over!

Elevate the look. Think about how you can take your flat pack furniture to the next level by customising it. For example, add your own handles to cabinetry and chests of drawers to personalise it to your style. It can also be a good way to connect these pieces with other existing furniture in your home. 

Go high and low. Flat pack furniture can be fantastic when you’re starting out in your own home for the first time. It’s also great for meeting a specific need like another desk or storage when working from home. 

If you can, try not to buy all of your furniture from one retailer (flat pack or otherwise). You want your home to feel like a collection by you, not necessarily like a look from a catalogue. So pair any flat pack or self assembly furniture with decor and investment pieces that will help give your home a more curated look.  

WHERE TO BUY FLAT PACK FURNITURE

You can of course buy some great flat pack furniture from Stage Kings in Sydney. And IsoDesk in Melbourne, including kids desks. We encourage you to consider buying local and supporting small businesses where you can.  

You can usually find good self-assembly and accessibly-priced home office furniture at IKEA. They have a range of home office products that you can mix and match. 

There are other Australian makers to consider like NOMI where you can customise home office furniture for your space. This can be beneficial for the space you have to work in and the look you want to create.

WHAT IS COMING UP ON THE PODCAST

Our award-winning interior design podcast, hosted by Sydney interior stylist Lauren Keenan, is now in its fifth year. 

Lauren and Producer Scott are back with new episodes to help you at home during the pandemic. Including conversations with interesting people to help you adapt during these challenging times. Ultimately we want to continue to help you create a home you love.  

Upcoming guests include Anneka Manning from Bake Club and Grace McBride from Spend with Them.   

Get in touch if you have a topic you want us to talk about on At Home with Lauren Keenan. And subscribe in your favourite podcast app like Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. 

Email us now if you want to hire Lauren to help create your perfect home. Lauren offers advice, shopping services and end-to-end project management for building, renovation or styling. Find out more our services at Lauren Keenan Home and check out Lauren’s portfolio of work for some inspiration.