Traditional wood veneer office furniture has always been at the top end of the price scale, mainly due to the fact that wood veneer is an expensive product to make and use.

But modern man made finishes are so realistic nowadays that they are the sensible choice for budget conscious buyers. It is a well know fact that they are more durable, won’t fade in direct sunlight, are virtually stain proof and heat proof. They are also easier to clean and to look after, and incredibly resistant to scratching.

But the best bit is that they are considerable cheaper than wood veneer executive furniture. This, together with the fact that they are usually available from stock, whereas the veneer option is usually made to order with a lead time of 6 to 8 weeks, makes the decision even easier.

Many of our customers have been unable to tell the difference between the two finishes, and are always surprised by the incredible value offered by man made finishes.

Take the Tobago range for example. A typical 180 cm wide bow fronted desk with under-desk drawer unit, can be delivered and installed, anywhere in the country, for less than £500.

And when you decide to add to your purchase a few months later, the new pieces of furniture are guaranteed to match.

Standard 160 x 80 cm rectangular desks, in a warm cherry or dark oak finish can cost as little as £250, which is about the same price as for a operator desk.

As with most of our office furniture, the Tobago range offers a full set of complementary furniture, from return desks, mobile credenza units, and general storage cupboards to circular or oval meeting tables.

Keyboard trays and cable management systems are also available to make your workstation more comfortable.

This range really is a stylish and well priced product and meets all of the expectations for an executive office. The money saved from the desk and drawer units can be spent on a better quality office chair, with a decent range of adjustment mechanisms.  This will be another wise buying choice as both you and your back will really appreciate this decision in the years to come.

Too many people start looking at the desk they like and end up spending too much on the office desk and not leaving enough for a decent office chair. This is not a sensible route to take, as with regard to ergonomics a desk is just flat surface to work on, but it is the chair which needs to adjust and mould to your shape, if you are not going to suffer from back pains (or worse) in the future.

The unfortunate fact is that it is very difficult to judge an office chair in a few minutes and impossible from a catalogue page, and therefore buyers tend to use price as their criteria, rather than quality. They assume that if its cheap but ultimately not very good, then all they have lost is a little money, when in fact they should be paying whatever it takes to get a chair that suits them and the way they work.

Your cheaper desk may not look quite as good as your colleagues rosewood veneer bespoke creation, but your ergonomic chair will mean that they get to use the Zimmer frame first.