How do you furnish an office by area, and how many workstations fit?

Step 1 · Take a headcount before opening the floor plan

The most expensive mistake in an office project is starting with the furniture. Start with the people: how many there are today by role (operations, middle management, managers, executives), how many join in the next 12 to 24 months and how many work hybrid. If two people share a desk on alternate days you count desks, not people; but then each of them needs somewhere to keep their things, and that changes the staff-services area.

Also write down what each role needs to work: two monitors, receiving visitors, paper files, constant calls. That list defines the worksurface size and whether the desk needs a divider panel, lockable drawers or a guest chair in front.

Step 2 · Choose the m² per person index

These are early-planning indices over the usable floor area (excluding stair, elevator and restroom cores). They tell you whether the team fits before you commission detailed design:

Step 3 · What each area needs

• Task area: workstation + task chair + storage per desk (lockable drawers). Modular workstations grow without switching product lines. Sizes and layouts in the guide on workstations.
• Managers: executive desk, executive chair, two guest chairs and a credenza for documents.
• Executive suite: presidential desk and presidential chair, with a small meeting table if space allows.
• Meeting rooms: meeting tables sized with the 70–80 cm per person rule; details in the guide on table size.
• Reception and waiting: waiting seating sized by peak visitors, not by floor area (see waiting chairs).
• Staff services: lockers, filing and an eating area. With shared desks, lockers are a must (see staff lockers).

Step 4 · Circulation, power and code

Behind every chair leave at least 90 cm clear so people can stand up without bumping into anything; if someone also walks behind, go to 120 cm or more. Main aisles —the ones leading to emergency exits— are set by local fire code and override any optimization. Mark where power and data outlets fall on the plan before fixing the orientation of the workstations: moving an outlet after installation costs more than any piece of furniture.

Step 5 · Buy in phases without losing the line

If the budget doesn't cover everything, the order you'll regret least is: workstations and task chairs first (that's where people work eight hours), then managers and meeting rooms, and finally reception and accessories. Choose catalogue lines with continuity so you can restock or grow in the same finish. For projects, LuxaLine Muebles builds the full proposal by area, with quantities, lead times and installation included, in El Salvador, Guatemala (with CMARKET), Nicaragua and Panama.

Size your office

Move the headcount and the layout: the result uses the same indices as this guide.

Common mistakes

• Planning with the building's gross area

  Columns, cores and façades eat 10% to 20% of the floor. Measure the real usable area or your team won't fit.

• Choosing chairs before workstations

  Chair arms have to slide under the worksurface and heights have to match. Decide the workstation first, then the chair.

• Forgetting per-desk storage

  Without drawers or lockers, desks turn into storage within three months. Budget storage from day one.

• One big room for everything

  Most meetings are 2 to 4 people. Several small rooms get more use than an empty boardroom.

Frequently asked questions