Work backwards from the keys
European makers announce lead times of several weeks, sometimes several months for upholstered or made-to-order pieces, and the French summer break and the end-of-year closures stretch them further. A furniture programme for a new office therefore starts as soon as the lease is signed, not when the works are finished.
We draw up a retro-schedule with three dates for each family of furniture: the latest order date, the maker’s confirmed shipping date and the delivery slot on site. Pieces with the longest lead time, such as a boardroom table, reception desk or bespoke banquettes, are designed and ordered first. Task chairs and storage, usually quicker, follow once the layout is frozen.
Furniture fitted into the works programme, not into the works
Soul Design does not sell or carry out building works. Partitions, flooring, electrical work and fixed joinery are contracted directly between you, or your landlord, and the companies concerned, under their own insurance. If you have no contractor yet, we can recommend some.
What we take on is the interface. Desk positions are given to the electrical contractor in time to place floor boxes; wall-mounted screens and heavy tables are flagged to whoever builds the partitions; the delivery slot is booked after cleaning and before staff arrive. A missed floor box under a meeting table is easy to avoid on a plan and expensive to fix after the carpet is laid.
Paris logistics: the details that decide the delivery
Paris buildings have their own constraints: narrow streets, loading bays shared with neighbours, lifts sized for people rather than for a 3.60 m tabletop, Haussmann-era staircases and building managers who require a booked slot and floor protection. We check access during the site visit and specify pieces that can be delivered: tables with removable legs, sofas in modules, worktops in sections.
Delivery and installation are carried out by partner installers who unpack, assemble, position each piece on the plan and take the packaging away. For occupied buildings, deliveries can be grouped early in the morning or at weekends, subject to the building’s rules.
- lift and stair dimensions checked against each large piece
- parking or delivery permit requested where needed
- floor and wall protection along the route
- packaging removed on the day
French rules international teams ask about
If part of your office receives the public, such as a reception or training room, it may fall under French fire safety rules for buildings open to the public (ERP), and some furniture will need test reports from the maker. Your fit-out architect or inspection body sets the requirement; we collect the documents and add them to the handover file.
For workstations, the French benchmark NF X35-102 recommends at least 10 m² per person in an office. It is not a legal minimum, but occupational health services refer to it. VAT is charged at the French standard rate on furniture delivered in France to a company; quotes are issued excluding VAT with the rate shown.
Typical cases
Typical case
A US company opening a 30-person Paris office
- Situation
- The lease starts in three months, the fit-out contractor is chosen, and the head office wants its global furniture standard respected.
- Our approach
- We would map the global standard to European equivalents with comparable documentation, order the reception and meeting room pieces in week one, and lock the delivery slot with the contractor’s handover date.
Typical case
A firm moving its headquarters within Greater Paris
- Situation
- Some existing furniture is worth keeping, the rest is not, and both moves must happen over one weekend.
- Our approach
- We would inventory what moves, what is taken back for reuse and what is new, and schedule new deliveries after the removal company has placed the existing pieces.
Typical case: a representative situation, not a completed project.
What shapes the budget of a new office
The quote follows the layout and the schedule. These items carry most of the variation.
| Item | What drives it |
|---|---|
| Workstations and chairs | number of people, fixed or sit-stand desks, chair range |
| Meeting rooms and boardroom | number and size of rooms, catalogue or bespoke table, video integration |
| Reception and client areas | reception desk design, lounge seating, materials |
| Storage and lockers | assigned or shared desks, archive needs |
| Design, logistics and installation | floor area, Paris access, out-of-hours slots, number of deliveries |
We quote line by line, with maker, origin and announced lead time on each line. Professional clients can spread the cost through a finance lease over 24 to 60 months, subject to approval by the finance partner.
How we work
- 01
Lease and plan review
Floor plan, headcount, move-in date and the contractors already appointed.
- 02
Test fit and retro-schedule
Layout scenarios and an order calendar with the latest date for each furniture family.
- 03
Selection and quote
Pieces from European makers, samples, documentation and a line-by-line quote.
- 04
Orders and tracking
Each maker’s order acknowledgement checked and shared, with alerts if a date moves.
- 05
Delivery, installation, handover
Booked slot, installation on plan, packaging removed, snag list and documentation file.