Does your waiting room reflect the ethos of your business?

 

Row of 3 flip-up waiting room chairs upholstered in different shades of blue antimicrobial vinyl

There are a wide range of client facing businesses where visitors are required to spend some time waiting. All types of establishments from beauty salons to corporate offices provide some form of waiting area and waiting room chairs for their patrons.

As reception and waiting areas are usually situated within the immediate vicinity of a building entrance, they are often what clients see first when visiting an establishment. It is here where they will form their first impressions of an organisation, and the aesthetic of these spaces will be a key influence on this.

Waiting rooms should be welcoming places with clear access, comfortable seating, pleasant lighting, and attractive décor. Whilst the style adopted can differ greatly, the core principals are the same. If your waiting room does not meet these criteria, it may be time to give it an overhaul.

A good place to start is to look at your waiting room from a visitor’s point of view. Follow their journey into your premises and look closely at what they will see. Sit in one of your waiting room chairs and take a good look around.

When you see a space every day you can become so over-familiar with it that you stop noticing issues that others will see. Take time to assess the surroundings in your waiting room and the comfort afforded by the seats, bearing in mind that initial comfort can start to diminish if waiting for a long time. Once you are aware of where there are issues, you can ensure these are addressed when undertaking any redecoration or upgrading of furnishings. If appropriate, you could also ask for feedback from clients or acquaintances.

 

The Importance of Waiting Room Chairs

Whilst waiting room chairs are a functional item, they are also integral to the image portrayed. Aside from a reception desk, they are usually the most prominent features in any waiting room and not only do they need to look good, they also need to be comfortable to sit on.

The type of waiting room chairs you choose will be dictated by the amount of space available, the number of people you need to accommodate at any one time, the style you want to create, and of course the budget you have at your disposal.

In terms of comfort, some form of upholstered seating is usually always going to be the best choice as it will feature integral cushioning. For high end establishments where you want to project an image of luxury, you may look for plush sofas or armchairs whilst in busy barbers shops where space may be tight, you could be looking for something compact and economical like wall-mounted flip-up seating.

Even where budgets only allow for low cost seating, you can still make this have an impact through the use of colour. Multi-coloured seats can have a striking effect, or you can contrast neutral seats against the backdrop of a bold wall colour. If you don’t have the luxury of an interior designer, look on social media sites such as Pinterest or Instagram for design inspiration.

When choosing waiting room chairs you also need to consider the needs of those who will be using them. Elderly or infirm visitors may require the use of arms to aid sitting and standing whilst junior visitors could benefit from smaller or lower height seating more relevant to their age. If children are regular visitors then it may be appropriate to incorporate a separate waiting area for them and their parents/carers where space allows.

You may also take the opportunity during upgrade works to reconfigure the space in your waiting room. Ensure seats are adequately spaced and that there is clear access for wheelchairs (and prams, where relevant).

Why Choose Beam Seating Instead of Individual Waiting Room Chairs?

Hospital Corridor With Row Of Waiting Room Beam Seating

For those responsible for furnishing a waiting room or waiting area, there’s a wide choice of seating available. Whilst individual waiting room chairs are commonplace in many establishments, beam seating is becoming ever more popular as a waiting room seating solution.

Beam seating is most widely available with 2 to 5 seat positions and offers many benefits over traditional waiting room chairs.

Your Waiting Room Remains Accessible And Uniform

Beam seating is generally available with a choice of free-standing or floor-fixing legs. Choosing the floor-fixing option means that your beam seating will always remain in position, keeping your waiting room accessible at all times. Even with free-standing legs, beam seating is not easy to move around, thanks to its sturdy metal frame, so walkways should always remain clear. In contrast, individual waiting room chairs can easily be moved around, potentially blocking walkways and making your waiting room look cluttered and untidy.

Beam Seating Makes Your Waiting Room Easier To Clean

Beams with up to 4 seats will usually only have 2 legs, compared to up to 16 legs on individual chairs. This makes them much easier to clean underneath and around. 5-seat beams will generally require 3 legs for stability, but this is still much fewer than individual chairs.

In addition to this, the open space under beam seating also helps make a waiting area look more spacious.

Hospital Waiting Room With Rows Of Waiting Room Beam Seating And Waiting Room Chairs

Tailored To Your Requirements

Most beams offer the option of integral tables with the ability to replace any seat position with a table. This flexibility allows you to tailor your waiting room seating to your requirements. With a wide choice of fabric and vinyl colours and a range of table laminate colours, you can create an individual look for your establishment.

Evertaut Dandi Beam Waiting Room Seating With Integral Table

 

Beam seating is available with plastic, metal, wooden or upholstered seats so you can choose the material most suitable for your establishment.

Upholstered seats are obviously the most comfortable option, and these can usually be found in hospitals and healthcare establishments where anti-microbial vinyl makes an ideal cover material.

Beams with vinyl upholstery are also popular in businesses such as barbers’ shops and vets’ practices where the ability to wipe clean is a key requirement.

Metal beams can often be found in very high traffic waiting areas, such as airports, train stations and ferry ports. In these types of locations metal beams require minimal maintenance and can withstand severe wear and tear. It is also difficult for them to be damaged by vandalism or misuse.

Beams Can Be Used Alongside Waiting Room Chairs

If you want to create a more relaxed feel in your waiting room, you may think that beam seating looks too uniform, but this doesn’t have to be the case. You could combine it with individual waiting room chairs to offer a range of different seating to your visitors.

You can also make beam seating more inviting and visually appealing by using different fabric or vinyl colours on each seat, as was done in the hospital corridor waiting area pictured below.

Evertaut Bradford Beam Waiting Room Chairs In Hospital Corridor

How to Create an Impact in Your Waiting Room

Hospital waiting room with bright orange walls, row of 3 seats in bright pink and purple colours, large feature wall light and wall decoration

Whatever type of establishment you run, your waiting room is the gateway to your organisation. It’s often here where your visitors will gauge their first impression of your organisation and this could have a big influence on their overall perception of how you operate. 

Even if the majority of your offices or facilities are looking tired and in need of renovation, a knock-out waiting room can help create a positive first impression which can compensate for what your visitors might see elsewhere in your premises. 

Whilst you may not have the budget available to upgrade facilities throughout your building, your waiting room could be the best place to invest a little and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to create striking results.

Reception Desk

Reception Desk In A Spa Waiting Room

Your reception desk is usually the largest piece of furniture in your waiting room so is a key piece you can use to create an impact. This can often be the most expensive item you might purchase for your waiting room but there are a lot of budget-friendly options available which still look great. 

If your reception isn’t always manned, a small, standing-height desk can accommodate a phone or intercom which visitors can use to announce their arrival and a visitors book where they can sign in, and it also acts as a focal point in the room. Even the most basic reception desk can be enhanced with the help of some LED lighting in your corporate colors or a sign with your logo on. Alternatively, signage or artwork on the wall behind can help compensate for a plainer style desk.

Waiting Room Chairs

The two important factors when choosing waiting room chairs are that they look good and are comfortable. Dependent on the type of establishment, it’s often a good idea to provide a few different types of seats to accommodate individual needs and preference.

Grid of images depicting different styles and colours of waiting room chairs

Seats with arms are helpful to those who struggle to sit down easily whilst a small sofa or double width seats are appreciated in places where children are visitors, allowing them to sit next to their parents or carers. In hospitals or medical establishments, chairs need to be easy to clean and it’s wise to opt for an anti-microbial vinyl covering. It’s essential to ensure there is suitable access and space for wheelchair users and those with a walking aid, and also prams and pushchairs where relevant.

Wheelchair and row of blue seats in waiting room with plants in corner

Whilst your reception desk is a focal point, your waiting room chairs are a key element that help create an ambience and set a tone, and the colours you choose for your seating have a big influence on this.You can co-ordinate your chairs with your corporate colours, use different colours to create zones of seating or choose a single colour for a more relaxed vibe.

Storage

To make things easier for your visitors and keep your waiting room free of clutter, you could position coat hooks and umbrella stands by the entrance. In larger establishments there may be space for a small cloakroom or wardrobe and this could be accessible only by reception staff if security of items is a potential issue.

Décoration

Waiting room reception decorated in bold orange and green colours

A new lick of paint can work wonders in cleaning and brightening up a space as well as helping to change the tone if this is what you’re aiming to do. If you want to opt for bright and funky furniture it’s often wise to keep the walls plain and neutral, or you can go wacky on the walls and simple on the seating!

Wall décor is another key element that can help make a room feel more welcoming and provide some visual stimulation to those who are waiting. With a wide selection to choose from you can use artwork, photographs or prints to make your waiting room look more interesting and again this can help with creating an ambience.

Waiting room with turquoise sofa matching turquoise feature wall and brightly coloured artwork 

In corporate environments you may want to use imagery of your company’s products or service or you could create a display of physical products on a shelf or in a cabinet. In smaller waiting rooms you could use mirrors to create the impression of a larger space. 

The use of plants is a good way to break up a space, create some height or simply make the area look nicer. Whilst real foliage can be high maintenance there are a wide range of realistic looking artificial plants on the market which will have just the same effect.

Waiting room with blue waiting room chairs and range of plants and foliage on table

Lighting

Natural light is always best but even if there are windows in your reception area it’s likely you’ll still need some form of artificial lighting switched on to make the area bright enough. In public waiting areas you may have to stick with the original ceiling lights but in corporate offices and private businesses you could use floor, table or wall lights to soften the mood. Free-standing lights also serve as additional items of decoration. 

If it’s possible, before committing to purchase any items of furniture, create a visual of the area so you can see how everything will look when put together and how the colours work in the space. There are lots of apps available which will allow you to do this and it’s worth investing the time before investing the money to ensure you will be happy with the results.

How to Keep Children Happy in Your Waiting Room

As adults we know how frustrating it can be having to wait but we tend to accept that it’s something we have to deal with whenever we have an appointment. Imagine however what it’s like from a child’s point of view! Young children particularly find it very difficult to sit still, they usually have a short attention span and like to be constantly active and entertained.

If children are regular visitors to your waiting room then it’s important to ensure you cater for their needs and their size. This not only helps keep them calm and engaged but also makes things easier for their parents or carers, and for other patrons also waiting.

Adult sized waiting room chairs will look huge to little children; they may find it difficult to climb up to sit on them and there could be a risk of them falling off. Whether you provide a play table with some toys and books to keep kids entertained, or have an area where children can sit with their parents, you need to have some child-sized seats.

Range Of Colourful children’s Waiting Room Chairs And A Green Table

Low level waiting room chairs with padded seats and bright upholstery will instantly appeal to children. Double width seats like the blue one pictured above are good because they allow parents or carers to sit next to their children. 

You can choose to distinguish a children’s area with bright, multi-coloured seats like these, or co-ordinate it with the rest of your seating by having it all upholstered in matching colours.

Seats with backs are better where children may have to wait for longer periods – they will be more likely to stay sat down if they can lean back and feel comfortable. This is also good for children who will sit and read or look at a book.

Padded Oval, Round and Crescent Shaped Children’s Waiting Room Chairs Upholstered In Bright Coloured Vinyl

For areas with shorter waiting times, padded bench or stool type seating can be more flexible and again lets parents sit next to their children.

If you can provide this type of seating for children in your waiting room you will make waiting a more bearable experience for them. Combine this with a little play area or some books and toys and you will be able to keep them entertained for a while.

Keeping your young visitors happy whilst in your waiting room will be appreciated by their parents and carers and should hopefully minimise any disruption that could be caused to other patrons who perhaps don’t appreciate the frustrations that little ones feel in these situations.

This in turn will all reflect positively on your establishment and make everyone’s experience of waiting more positive.

Different Types of Waiting Room Chairs

Seating is a key element in any waiting room and choosing the right waiting room chairs to suit the environment and needs of its users is an important decision. In many establishments waiting rooms are places where people could be apprehensive or worried about what they’re waiting for – whether it’s a job interview or a hospital appointment, or in other circumstances they may just feel bored and frustrated about having to wait. Having the right seating in your waiting room can at least make waiting a more comfortable and pleasant experience – no one wants to be sat on an uncomfortable chair for any period of time, or even worse, have to stand whilst waiting.

There are many different types of waiting room chairs and seating units on the market so it’s important to consider which would be most suitable for both your waiting room and its users.

Waiting Room Chairs for Corridors:

Some establishments don’t actually have space for a designated waiting room and it may be that visitors have to wait in a corridor or narrow space. There are many flip-up seats which take up little space and are an ideal solution for corridors.

This type of flip-up wall mounted seating keeps the floor area clear, takes up very little space and is also DDA compliant. A floor fixed version is also available.

A row of beam seating in this hospital corridor is a space saving yet stylish solution which doesn’t compromise on comfort

Waiting Room Chairs on a Beam

For waiting rooms which need to accommodate large numbers of people, rows of beam seating are a popular choice. This type of seating is often found in doctors’ surgeries, dental practices and veterinary practices. Beam seating can be floor fixed or free-standing and is usually a very robust seating solution which is ideal for very busy waiting rooms with a high volume of traffic. Fixed tables can also replace any seat position within a row of beam seating.

The beam seating in this newly refurbished doctors’ surgery features upholstered seat and back pads for comfort and anti-microbial vinyl which is easy to clean and hygienic.

Flexible Seating for Waiting Rooms – Stacking Chairs

If the number of visitors in your waiting room can vary from day to day or you sometimes need to use the space for other purposes, stacking chairs are a flexible solution. Stacking chairs can be arranged in any configuration and easily moved and stored away when not required. Many stacking chairs can be supplied with storage trolleys which allow you to easily transport them from room to room or store them away.

Waiting Room Chairs for Offices and Reception Areas

Depending on the type of image you want to create in this type of environment there is a range of different waiting room chairs you could choose.

For corporate establishments or informal reception areas, loose seats with matching coffee tables can provide a comfortable and smart solution which is again flexible. There are many different styles available so think about whether you want a traditional or modern style and whether you want a relaxed or formal setting. Another option is informal bench seating which can create a striking look in modern spaces where waiting times are generally short.

There is a huge range of different waiting room chairs on the market today so before choosing seating for your waiting room think about the space you have available, what format of seating would be best and how this would suit the needs of your visitors.

About Evertaut

Evertaut is a leading UK manufacturer and supplier of waiting room chairs. The company’s seats can be found in offices,hospitals, educational establishments, and a range of other public buildings across the country.