Use case · Offices
High-end office furniture,
sized on how you really work.
A high-end office is sized on actual occupancy, not theoretical headcount. Enter your headcount and average occupancy: the tool returns a number of workstations, a reference floor area and the meeting spaces to plan. Furniture choices come next.
What the tool calculates, and how
The desk count starts from average occupancy, increased by 10 to 15% to absorb the busiest day of the week. With 100 people at 60% average occupancy, you install around 66 to 69 desks, not 100. Below 50% occupancy, we recommend measuring for three to four weeks before deciding: an average often hides an overcrowded Tuesday or Thursday.
The reference area applies the French standard NF X35-102: 10 m² per person in an office, 15 m² per person in a shared space with significant noise. It covers the workstation and its immediate circulation, not reception, washrooms or plant rooms. Use it to check whether a floor can take the brief, not to draw the layout.
Meeting rooms and booths are proposed in proportion to desks: one small 4- to 6-seat room for roughly 12 to 15 desks, one booth or phone room for 8 to 10 desks in a flexible set-up. These are usage benchmarks observed on office floors, to be adjusted after interviews with the teams.
The tool does not replace a test fit on plan, nor a survey of the building constraints (façade grid, columns, fire exits, permitted occupancy). It frames a budget and a brief before the first site visit.
What makes office furniture truly high-end
High-end is not just a finish. It is measured on three things: compliance with workstation standards, the real lifespan of each piece, and whether it can be repaired or reconfigured when the organisation changes.
For task chairs, EN 1335 sets dimensions and safety requirements for office work chairs; we ask the maker for the document proving it for every chair proposed at a desk. For desks, EN 527-1 sets dimensions; an 80 cm depth stays comfortable with two screens.
For storage and seating in shared areas (meeting rooms, café, reception), non-domestic furniture standards such as EN 16121 (storage) and EN 16139 (seating) show the piece can take intensive use. A residential lounge chair placed in a breakout area without them often wears out within two or three years.
Composing the floor: from desk to lounge
A floor that works mixes registers: open desks for everyday work, enclosed booths for focus and calls, properly sized meeting rooms, and one or two lounges where people meet and receive guests. That last register comes from hospitality, and it gives people a reason to come back to the office.
We work in coherent families rather than isolated pieces: one wood, one metal tone and two or three textiles echoing from one space to the next. The floor stays legible and reorders remain simple five years on.
- Workstations: usually a 160 × 80 cm desk, an EN 1335 task chair, pedestal or local storage, a task lamp where general lighting falls short.
- Booths: one seat for calls, two to four for short exchanges.
- Meeting rooms: power-integrated table sized at about 70 cm of edge per person.
- Lounges and reception: lounge seating, coffee tables, rugs and soft light, with upholstery suited to public use.
Lead times and project organisation
The lead time of each piece is shown on its page and in the quote; the maker confirms it in writing in its order acknowledgement. On a floor of several dozen desks, design, samples and sign-offs add several weeks upstream.
Soul Design does not sell building works. If your project needs them (partitions, flooring, electrics, fixed joinery), we can recommend contractors: they contract and invoice directly with you, under their own insurance, and we schedule the delivery and installation of the furniture around their programme. The quote lists furniture, delivery and installation only, line by line.
Frequently asked questions
How many desks for 100 employees in a flex office?
It depends on measured occupancy. At 60% average occupancy, you usually install 66 to 70 desks, keeping a margin for the busiest day. At 40%, you can go down to 45 to 50 desks, provided there are enough booths and meeting rooms. Measure occupancy over several weeks before fixing the number.
How much floor area per employee in a French office?
Standard NF X35-102 recommends at least 10 m² per person in an office and 15 m² per person in a noisy shared space. The benchmark covers the work area; it excludes reception, washrooms and plant rooms. A test fit on plan remains essential.
Can a designer task chair comply with EN 1335?
Yes, if the maker has had it tested. Compliance covers dimensions and adjustments (seat height and depth, lumbar support, armrests) and safety. Ask for the maker’s document for the exact model offered: a chair’s silhouette says nothing about its compliance.
How many meeting rooms for a 60-desk floor?
As a usage benchmark, plan four or five small 4- to 6-seat rooms and one larger 10- to 14-seat room, plus five to eight booths or phone rooms if the floor runs as a flex office. Adjust after team interviews and a look at their calendars.
Does high-end furniture cost more over time?
Not necessarily. A piece that lasts ten years and can be repaired (replaceable cover, new gas lift, refinished top) often costs less than one replaced twice. Compare the annual cost of use, including warranty and spare parts, rather than the purchase price alone.
A project in mind?
Let’s talk.
Send us a brief: floor area, uses, timing, ideas. We usually reply within two working days with a first selection and a method. Meetings in Levallois-Perret (Greater Paris), by video call or on your premises.