Commercial furniture is somewhat complicated to specify for first-timers. Buyers can end up fatigued by the purchasing process, due to limitless customizations. This fatigue can sometimes lead to logistical errors or shortsighted decisions. We’re here to help with the basics & best practices for buying commercial furniture. Here are some tips & tricks for making your furniture order a breeze.
Booths & Banquettes
1. Take Precise Measurements Notoriously hard to specify, booths and banquettes need precise measurements. The specifying process begins with a field measure of the space. You’ll need to know if the booth/banquette is going to be flush against a wall, built-in, or positioned in an open floor plan. These factors will determine your booth/banquette construction and upholstery application. Avoid a logistical nightmare by measuring doorways, freight elevators, and hallways. Based on these measurements, we will determine if the banquette construction is separate units or one unit.
2. Specify Components Customize components to optimize functionality. You can choose the inside back style, leg style, seat type and add reveals or crumb rails. Here are some of the most popular options for booths and banquettes:
Inside Back: Hanging back, hanging back with reveals, pull-over top, head roll, smooth upholstered, diamond-tufted, horizontal or vertical channels, square-tufted and button-tufted. Outside Back: Finished or unfinished. Seat Type: Spring seat, foam over board, full box with spring seat, and full box with internal webbing. Leg Options: Toe kick, recessed toe kick, wood legs, metal legs, and casters. Extras: Drink rails, foot rails, power outlets, nail heads, top & end caps, and privacy panels.
But how do I know which styles to pick? The key to specifying is in knowing how people will use the furniture. For example, if your booth/banquette is going to a restaurant — you’d want to specify a toe kick instead of wood legs. Why? While wood legs are aesthetically-pleasing, they are far more likely to get damaged in a high-traffic environment than a toe kick. Toe kicks are located underneath the base and recessed to allow for foot space. Toe kicks can be laminate, veneer, or black ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). Always specify a restaurant booth with blacks ABS because it is a durable, polymer material that can sustain hard impacts.
White wood legs on a restaurant banquette. Photo taken nine months after restaurant grand opening.
Inside back styles do not affect the functionality of a booth or banquette. Although, some tufting styles are more durable than others. For example, we would suggest blind-tufting over button-tufting, because buttons will get caught on clothing and torn out in commercial settings. Smooth upholstered inside backs are the easiest to clean, while diamond-tufted backs are likely to capture dirt & debris. Booths and banquettes are built with finished or unfinished outside backs. A finished back is upholstered, while unfinished backs expose the frame of the booth or banquette. Unfinished backs are specified when booths/banquettes are going against a wall. Finished backs should always be specified if the booth/banquette’s back is going to be visible.
Seat types do affect the functionality of a booth/banquette. Take into consideration how much traffic your furniture will receive and choose a seat type accordingly. Spring seats are the most resilient and are commonly used for restaurants, bars, and cafes. Foam over board seats are a good choice for offices or work environments.
3. Choose Commercial Grade Fabrics
We cannot stress enough how important it is to select a commercial fabric for your furniture. Commercial fabrics undergo extensive, mechanized performance testing. The most common tests are the Wyzenbeek or Martindale. The Wyzenbeek test is for synthetic fabrics, like vinyl, while the Martindale test is for natural fibers, like wool. During the Wyzenbeek test, duck cloth presses against the test fabric and passes back and forth to constitute what is called a double rub. Double rubs are the unit of measurement for commercial-grade fabric durability. Fabrics with 30,000 double rubs or more are considered commercial-grade and rated for high-traffic, public space use. The Martindale test uses a piece of worsted wool cloth as the abradant while moving in a figure-eight motion to create friction. The Martindale test counts the ‘cycles’, instead of the double rubs. Any fabric over 40,000 cycles is suitable for commercial use.
Soft Seating
Soft seating products such as upholstered sofas, chairs, benches, and ottomans are easier to specify than booths or banquettes. The most important factors to consider for these product types are seat height, functionality, and leg types.
1. Seat Heights Seat height is the dimension that measures the distance from the floor to the top of the seat cushion. Average seat heights range from 15 to 20 inches, depending on the type of soft seating. The recommended seat heights for each product type are as follows:
Sofas: 17” to 19” Chairs: 16” to 19” Ottomans: 11” to 15” for footstools, 15” to 18” for seating, 16” to 20” for coffee tables, and 15” to 20” for storage Benches: 16” to 19”
Pro Tip: Soft seating with wider seat depths (30 inches or more) should have lower seat heights.
2. Functionality When specifying furniture packages you should think about how individual pieces will function with each other. Check the dimensions of each item to ensure they will interact properly together. For example, ottomans paired with lounge chairs should have the same seat height or lower, so that there is no discomfort or strain for the person sitting. Another example would be, if you’re purchasing a sofa that pairs with a coffee table, you need to subtract 6 inches from the seat height of the sofa to determine your coffee table height.
3. Leg Types Choose a solid foundation for your soft seating by selecting suitable legs. We offer wood legs, metal legs, toe kicks, casters, and sled legs as our standard leg options. Different environments call for specific leg types. As mentioned, upholstered seating in restaurants should have either toe kicks or metal legs for maximum durability. When specifying for contract settings, like offices, you can get away with using wood legs on soft seating, as these environments are not as harsh as hospitality settings. When specifying casters, proceed with caution to avoid damaging the flooring. Casters come in metal or plastic; plastic is ideal for soft floors, while metal is ideal for hard floors.
Tables
1. Table Height Commercial tables come in three heights — dining height, counter height, and bar height. Dining height tables are between 28 to 30 inches, counter height tables are 34 to 36 inches, and bar height tables are 40 to 42 inches. Dining height tables can are used for eating at or as a workspace. Counter height tables are ideal for informal work spaces but can also be for dining. Bar height tables are mainly used in hospitality settings, however, they are sometimes specified for employee break rooms.
Pro Tip: Purchase the correct chair height for your table height. Bar height stools at a counter height table will be an absolute party foul and result in pinched thighs.
Counter height and dining height tables in Floridays Bar & Grill.
2. Table Bases The most common types of table bases are aluminum, cast iron, and stainless steel. Aluminum table bases are a great option for hospitality environments. Table bases constructed with aluminum are lightweight, making them ideal for settings where tables will need to move around often. Cast iron table bases are heavy but extremely durable. Designed to have a textured finish, cast iron table bases have a vintage-inspired look. Stainless steel table bases are easy to clean and very durable.
Table bases come in a few standard base options: round, square, X-shaped, T-shaped, and cantilevered. Round bases are circular and are often paired with round table tops. Square table bases are sturdy and minimize wobbling. X-shaped bases, or cross table bases, are often used for square or rectangular table tops. T-shaped bases are ideal for long, rectangular table tops. Cantilevered table bases are brackets that mount to the wall, which suspend the table top so it appears as if it is floating. Round & square table bases are the easiest to clean around, but cantilever & T-shaped bases are the best options for space efficiency.
3. Table Top Materials Commercial table tops come in solid wood, laminate, live edge, and quartz. Solid wood table tops are generally between 1.25 to 1.75 inches thick and can be distressed or patinated before receiving a wood stain. Laminate table tops are very durable, cost-effective, and easy to clean. Live edge table tops are real slabs of wood that resemble a ‘slice’ of a tree trunk. Live edge table tops are around 2 inches thick. Lastly, quartz table tops are durable and very simple to maintain. Quartz is harder than granite and marble, making it a viable option for long-term use.
Which table top is right for you? The advantages of various table top materials are as follows:
Solid Wood & Live Edge: Can be sanded down and re-stained if damaged, has a high-quality look, truly unique in its appearance. Laminate: Very affordable, scratch-resistant, and customizable. Quartz: Waterproof, good for indoor or outdoor use, looks expensive but is actually very budget-friendly.
Chairs & Barstools
1. Chair Seat Heights Commercial chairs come in three seat heights — dining height, counter height, and bar height. Dining height chairs are between 17 to 20 inches, counter height stools are 24 to 27 inches, and bar height stools are 28 to 33 inches. Once you’ve decided on the chair height, select a table that is at least 12 inches taller than the seat height of the chair or barstool. This will ensure that the individual using the seat will have enough room for their thighs to comfortably fit.
Pro Tip: Don’t leave peoples’ feet hanging! When specifying barstools, make sure the stool has a footrest to prevent discomfort.
Counter height and bar height stools in a restaurant setting.
2. Chair or Barstool Material Most chairs and barstools come in one of two materials — wood or metal. Wood chairs are more aesthetically-pleasing, however, they are more likely to sustain damage. Metal chairs are extremely durable and some are even designed to be stackable.
Outdoor
1. Outdoor Materials Outdoor furniture needs to be designed with materials that are highly weather-resistant. Rain, shine or snow — you need furniture that can sustain any climate without rust or wear. Some of the most popular materials for commercial outdoor furniture are aluminum, steel, plastic, fake wood, teak, and all-weather wicker. Aluminum is a great all-weather choice that is lightweight, making it an ideal choice for restaurants that need to move furniture inside at the end of the day. Steel is heavy-duty, waterproof, and UV resistant. Steel furniture is a smart selection for areas with strong winds because it is unlikely to blow away. Plastic is a budget-friendly option for outdoor furniture; what it lacks in aesthetics – it makes up for in practicality. Fake or faux wood, or Polywood, is made from HDPE plastic. HDPE plastic is an environmentally-friendly choice and rather low-maintenance. Teak is a species of wood that is a beautiful honey-wheat color, which changes to a silvery-gray over time. Teak wood is probably the most high-maintenance option for outdoor furniture material, as it requires regular oiling to maintain its color. Lastly, all-weather wicker is another HDPE product, which boasts high durability and weather resistance.
In terms of fabric for outdoor furniture, you’ll need to specify a waterproof fabric like Sunbrella. Sunbrella’s fabrics are all GREENGUARD certified, Facts Silver Certified, and offer sun protection.
Steel outdoor seating with a teak table.
2. Weighted Outdoor Furniture There’s this viral video of beach umbrellas that are just somersaulting down the shoreline on a very windy day and it makes me laugh and cry inside. Commercial umbrellas typically run from $1,500 to $2,000 for a good reason — they are constructed with weighted bases, so they will stay in place. Weighted umbrella bases should range from 40 to 100 pounds, depending on the size of the umbrella canopy. Outdoor seating and tables in windy environments should also be weighted. A good weight for an outdoor chair would be 15 to 25 pounds because you want it to be heavy enough to not blow over, but light enough to be moveable. Outdoor tables should fall between 40 to 55 pounds. If you want to buy aluminum outdoor seating, make sure you get stackable chairs or barstools. That way, the weight adds up once you stack them.
Pro Tip: Cast iron table bases and umbrella bases are a great option for keeping outdoor furniture in place. Cast iron is insanely heavy and fares well in high humidity.
Best Practices for Buying Commercial Furniture
Commercial furniture is somewhat complicated to specify for first-timers. Buyers can end up fatigued by the purchasing process, due to limitless customizations. This fatigue can sometimes lead to logistical errors or shortsighted decisions. We’re here to help with the basics & best practices for buying commercial furniture. Here are some tips & tricks for making your furniture order a breeze.
Booths & Banquettes
1. Take Precise Measurements
Notoriously hard to specify, booths and banquettes need precise measurements. The specifying process begins with a field measure of the space. You’ll need to know if the booth/banquette is going to be flush against a wall, built-in, or positioned in an open floor plan. These factors will determine your booth/banquette construction and upholstery application. Avoid a logistical nightmare by measuring doorways, freight elevators, and hallways. Based on these measurements, we will determine if the banquette construction is separate units or one unit.
2. Specify Components
Customize components to optimize functionality. You can choose the inside back style, leg style, seat type and add reveals or crumb rails. Here are some of the most popular options for booths and banquettes:
Inside Back: Hanging back, hanging back with reveals, pull-over top, head roll, smooth upholstered, diamond-tufted, horizontal or vertical channels, square-tufted and button-tufted.
Outside Back: Finished or unfinished.
Seat Type: Spring seat, foam over board, full box with spring seat, and full box with internal webbing.
Leg Options: Toe kick, recessed toe kick, wood legs, metal legs, and casters.
Extras: Drink rails, foot rails, power outlets, nail heads, top & end caps, and privacy panels.
But how do I know which styles to pick? The key to specifying is in knowing how people will use the furniture. For example, if your booth/banquette is going to a restaurant — you’d want to specify a toe kick instead of wood legs. Why? While wood legs are aesthetically-pleasing, they are far more likely to get damaged in a high-traffic environment than a toe kick. Toe kicks are located underneath the base and recessed to allow for foot space. Toe kicks can be laminate, veneer, or black ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). Always specify a restaurant booth with blacks ABS because it is a durable, polymer material that can sustain hard impacts.
White wood legs on a restaurant banquette. Photo taken nine months after restaurant grand opening.
Inside back styles do not affect the functionality of a booth or banquette. Although, some tufting styles are more durable than others. For example, we would suggest blind-tufting over button-tufting, because buttons will get caught on clothing and torn out in commercial settings. Smooth upholstered inside backs are the easiest to clean, while diamond-tufted backs are likely to capture dirt & debris. Booths and banquettes are built with finished or unfinished outside backs. A finished back is upholstered, while unfinished backs expose the frame of the booth or banquette. Unfinished backs are specified when booths/banquettes are going against a wall. Finished backs should always be specified if the booth/banquette’s back is going to be visible.
Seat types do affect the functionality of a booth/banquette. Take into consideration how much traffic your furniture will receive and choose a seat type accordingly. Spring seats are the most resilient and are commonly used for restaurants, bars, and cafes. Foam over board seats are a good choice for offices or work environments.
3. Choose Commercial Grade Fabrics
We cannot stress enough how important it is to select a commercial fabric for your furniture. Commercial fabrics undergo extensive, mechanized performance testing. The most common tests are the Wyzenbeek or Martindale. The Wyzenbeek test is for synthetic fabrics, like vinyl, while the Martindale test is for natural fibers, like wool. During the Wyzenbeek test, duck cloth presses against the test fabric and passes back and forth to constitute what is called a double rub. Double rubs are the unit of measurement for commercial-grade fabric durability. Fabrics with 30,000 double rubs or more are considered commercial-grade and rated for high-traffic, public space use. The Martindale test uses a piece of worsted wool cloth as the abradant while moving in a figure-eight motion to create friction. The Martindale test counts the ‘cycles’, instead of the double rubs. Any fabric over 40,000 cycles is suitable for commercial use.
Soft Seating
Soft seating products such as upholstered sofas, chairs, benches, and ottomans are easier to specify than booths or banquettes. The most important factors to consider for these product types are seat height, functionality, and leg types.
1. Seat Heights
Seat height is the dimension that measures the distance from the floor to the top of the seat cushion. Average seat heights range from 15 to 20 inches, depending on the type of soft seating. The recommended seat heights for each product type are as follows:
Sofas: 17” to 19”
Chairs: 16” to 19”
Ottomans: 11” to 15” for footstools, 15” to 18” for seating, 16” to 20” for coffee tables, and 15” to 20” for storage
Benches: 16” to 19”
Pro Tip: Soft seating with wider seat depths (30 inches or more) should have lower seat heights.
2. Functionality
When specifying furniture packages you should think about how individual pieces will function with each other. Check the dimensions of each item to ensure they will interact properly together. For example, ottomans paired with lounge chairs should have the same seat height or lower, so that there is no discomfort or strain for the person sitting. Another example would be, if you’re purchasing a sofa that pairs with a coffee table, you need to subtract 6 inches from the seat height of the sofa to determine your coffee table height.
3. Leg Types
Choose a solid foundation for your soft seating by selecting suitable legs. We offer wood legs, metal legs, toe kicks, casters, and sled legs as our standard leg options. Different environments call for specific leg types. As mentioned, upholstered seating in restaurants should have either toe kicks or metal legs for maximum durability. When specifying for contract settings, like offices, you can get away with using wood legs on soft seating, as these environments are not as harsh as hospitality settings. When specifying casters, proceed with caution to avoid damaging the flooring. Casters come in metal or plastic; plastic is ideal for soft floors, while metal is ideal for hard floors.
Tables
1. Table Height
Commercial tables come in three heights — dining height, counter height, and bar height. Dining height tables are between 28 to 30 inches, counter height tables are 34 to 36 inches, and bar height tables are 40 to 42 inches. Dining height tables can are used for eating at or as a workspace. Counter height tables are ideal for informal work spaces but can also be for dining. Bar height tables are mainly used in hospitality settings, however, they are sometimes specified for employee break rooms.
Pro Tip: Purchase the correct chair height for your table height. Bar height stools at a counter height table will be an absolute party foul and result in pinched thighs.
Counter height and dining height tables in Floridays Bar & Grill.
2. Table Bases
The most common types of table bases are aluminum, cast iron, and stainless steel. Aluminum table bases are a great option for hospitality environments. Table bases constructed with aluminum are lightweight, making them ideal for settings where tables will need to move around often. Cast iron table bases are heavy but extremely durable. Designed to have a textured finish, cast iron table bases have a vintage-inspired look. Stainless steel table bases are easy to clean and very durable.
Table bases come in a few standard base options: round, square, X-shaped, T-shaped, and cantilevered. Round bases are circular and are often paired with round table tops. Square table bases are sturdy and minimize wobbling. X-shaped bases, or cross table bases, are often used for square or rectangular table tops. T-shaped bases are ideal for long, rectangular table tops. Cantilevered table bases are brackets that mount to the wall, which suspend the table top so it appears as if it is floating. Round & square table bases are the easiest to clean around, but cantilever & T-shaped bases are the best options for space efficiency.
3. Table Top Materials
Commercial table tops come in solid wood, laminate, live edge, and quartz. Solid wood table tops are generally between 1.25 to 1.75 inches thick and can be distressed or patinated before receiving a wood stain. Laminate table tops are very durable, cost-effective, and easy to clean. Live edge table tops are real slabs of wood that resemble a ‘slice’ of a tree trunk. Live edge table tops are around 2 inches thick. Lastly, quartz table tops are durable and very simple to maintain. Quartz is harder than granite and marble, making it a viable option for long-term use.
Which table top is right for you? The advantages of various table top materials are as follows:
Solid Wood & Live Edge: Can be sanded down and re-stained if damaged, has a high-quality look, truly unique in its appearance.
Laminate: Very affordable, scratch-resistant, and customizable.
Quartz: Waterproof, good for indoor or outdoor use, looks expensive but is actually very budget-friendly.
Chairs & Barstools
1. Chair Seat Heights
Commercial chairs come in three seat heights — dining height, counter height, and bar height. Dining height chairs are between 17 to 20 inches, counter height stools are 24 to 27 inches, and bar height stools are 28 to 33 inches. Once you’ve decided on the chair height, select a table that is at least 12 inches taller than the seat height of the chair or barstool. This will ensure that the individual using the seat will have enough room for their thighs to comfortably fit.
Pro Tip: Don’t leave peoples’ feet hanging! When specifying barstools, make sure the stool has a footrest to prevent discomfort.
Counter height and bar height stools in a restaurant setting.
2. Chair or Barstool Material
Most chairs and barstools come in one of two materials — wood or metal. Wood chairs are more aesthetically-pleasing, however, they are more likely to sustain damage. Metal chairs are extremely durable and some are even designed to be stackable.
Outdoor
1. Outdoor Materials
Outdoor furniture needs to be designed with materials that are highly weather-resistant. Rain, shine or snow — you need furniture that can sustain any climate without rust or wear. Some of the most popular materials for commercial outdoor furniture are aluminum, steel, plastic, fake wood, teak, and all-weather wicker. Aluminum is a great all-weather choice that is lightweight, making it an ideal choice for restaurants that need to move furniture inside at the end of the day. Steel is heavy-duty, waterproof, and UV resistant. Steel furniture is a smart selection for areas with strong winds because it is unlikely to blow away. Plastic is a budget-friendly option for outdoor furniture; what it lacks in aesthetics – it makes up for in practicality. Fake or faux wood, or Polywood, is made from HDPE plastic. HDPE plastic is an environmentally-friendly choice and rather low-maintenance. Teak is a species of wood that is a beautiful honey-wheat color, which changes to a silvery-gray over time. Teak wood is probably the most high-maintenance option for outdoor furniture material, as it requires regular oiling to maintain its color. Lastly, all-weather wicker is another HDPE product, which boasts high durability and weather resistance.
In terms of fabric for outdoor furniture, you’ll need to specify a waterproof fabric like Sunbrella. Sunbrella’s fabrics are all GREENGUARD certified, Facts Silver Certified, and offer sun protection.
Steel outdoor seating with a teak table.
2. Weighted Outdoor Furniture
There’s this viral video of beach umbrellas that are just somersaulting down the shoreline on a very windy day and it makes me laugh and cry inside. Commercial umbrellas typically run from $1,500 to $2,000 for a good reason — they are constructed with weighted bases, so they will stay in place. Weighted umbrella bases should range from 40 to 100 pounds, depending on the size of the umbrella canopy. Outdoor seating and tables in windy environments should also be weighted. A good weight for an outdoor chair would be 15 to 25 pounds because you want it to be heavy enough to not blow over, but light enough to be moveable. Outdoor tables should fall between 40 to 55 pounds. If you want to buy aluminum outdoor seating, make sure you get stackable chairs or barstools. That way, the weight adds up once you stack them.
Pro Tip: Cast iron table bases and umbrella bases are a great option for keeping outdoor furniture in place. Cast iron is insanely heavy and fares well in high humidity.
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