Optima Reception Desk

Space is one of the biggest limiting factors when designing most reception areas. People often try to get as much as possible into a small space, but the resulting effect is not always as expected – it can look very cramped. The first decision to make is whether you want a simple reception desk or a full reception counter. A reception desk can be a standard office desk with a raised counter top facing the customer. This can be useful if you have a reception area in an open plan office, for example in an estate agency. A good example of a reception desk is the Elite Optima, which matches their standard ranges of office furniture. This is often used when there are few visitors to the reception area and the person occupying the desk has other duties, eg telephonist, general assistant.
A reception counter can be anything from a single-person unit, right up to a multi-person airline check-in style desk. It can be made up of off-the-shelf components, like the Azuria from GDB Design.

Azuria Reception Unit

The modular components of this range can be added together to form almost any shape or size. However, since it is an off-the-shelf range, it is not possible to customise the shape or finishes of the reception counter. A good example of a modular reception is the Edison from GDB design.
A fully bespoke reception counter can be like the

Cover Reception Unit

contemporary Cover unit, shown here, which can be used, for example in a hotel or reception area for a shared building, or it can like the classic Tula range, often used in luxury hotels, banks etc. The Tula range is custom made to order and is made from real wood veneer.
Once you have settled on the reception desk or counter, the next thing you need to consider is seating. This can range from very basic, screw-to-the-floor bench seats through to luxury leather sofas. You will probably also want to consider some form of low table to complete the décor. The products in our office furniture catalogue cover the full range, from the Metallic Bench seats through to the designer Corvus range.