The term Contract furniture refers to furniture designed specifically for commercial purposes. This can be anything from beds and tables designed for use in Hotels to sofas and chairs for Pubs and Restaurants. Any furnishing that a commercial business may require on business premises.
Who uses Contract Furniture?
Contract furniture is necessary for all commercial entities to use. This is due to the fire regulation Crib 5. This regulation is imposed on commercial companies who are expected to be using contract furniture. This is why any furniture that is used for commercial use will be contract furniture and will be required to be meet Crib 5 safety standards. This includes organizations such as University's, Sports clubs, Hotels, Coffee shops, Pubs and Restaurants etc.
What are the Key Differences?
There are a few key reasons why contract furniture is used over retail furniture. One of which is due to the quality standards expected from the furniture. In most cases contract furniture is used very frequently in its lifetime, much more so than any home furnishings. This means it needs to be of a much higher quality to meet the demands required of it. There is usually a guarantee/warranty on the product much longer than most retail products meaning that the furniture will be durable enough to last continued heavy usage.
Health and Safety
Not only must it have certain levels of durability but contract furniture must also meet a certain set of health and safety standards which is one of the key differences between domestic furniture and contract furniture. Contract furniture must meet Crib 5 / Ignition Source 5 (BS7177) BSEN597-1 (Cigarette) BS EN597-1 BS EN597-2 (Match) fire regulations ensuring that your business complies with the government legislation. Using contract furniture will mean the businesses can be sure that they have legally compliant furniture and they will not face prosecution should there be a fire. Flame-retardant fabrics are typically chosen where possible or treated separately prior to usage.
Designs
Finally the designs available from contract furniture can be much broader than public retail. The furniture and fabric designs can be much more modern and elaborate and can be made in a much larger range of colours and designs allowing for a unique look to the furniture in a commercial space.
