Office Seating Refurbishment: A Sustainable Solution for Your Workspace

Sam Coggin • March 9, 2023

Transforming Your Workspace with Sustainable Office Seating Refurbishment

If you’re looking to update your office furniture, you might be considering purchasing new chairs. However, before you do, have you considered the benefits of office seating refurbishment? Not only can it save you money, but it’s also a more environmentally friendly option. In this blog post, we’ll discuss what office seating refurbishment is and why you should consider it for your workspace. We’ll also take a closer look at the refurbishment process by showcasing Coggin Sustainable Office Solutions, a company that specialises in refurbishing office seating.


What is Office Seating Refurbishment?


Office seating refurbishment is the process of restoring or renovating used chairs to improve their function and appearance. The process involves disassembling the chair, replacing or repairing any damaged parts, and reupholstering the chair to give it a fresh look. The goal of refurbishment is to extend the life of the chair, prevent it from ending up in a landfill, and save you money in the process.


Why Choose Office Seating Refurbishment?


  1. Cost Savings: One of the primary benefits of refurbishing your office seating is the cost savings. It can cost significantly less to refurbish a chair than to purchase a brand new one. By choosing to refurbish, you can extend the life of your existing furniture, which saves you money in the long run.
  2. Environmentally Friendly: Refurbishing your office seating is also an environmentally friendly option. Instead of throwing away chairs that still have life left in them, you can give them a new lease on life. Refurbishing helps to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, which is better for the environment.
  3. Customisation: When you refurbish your office seating, you have the opportunity to customise it to your liking. You can choose the fabric, colour, and design that best fits your workspace. This can help to create a cohesive look throughout your office and give it a fresh, updated appearance.



The Refurbishment Process


Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of office seating refurbishment, let’s take a closer look at the process itself. Below, we’ll walk through the steps that Coggin Sustainable Office Solutions takes when refurbishing office seating.


Step 1: Disassembly


The first step in the refurbishment process is disassembling the chair. This involves removing any screws or bolts that hold the chair together. Once the chair is disassembled, each component is cleaned and inspected for any damage.


Step 2: Repair/Replacement


If any components are damaged or worn out, they are either repaired or replaced. This might involve replacing the chair’s casters, gas lift, or armrests, for example.


Step 3: Reupholstering


Once the chair has been repaired and all components have been cleaned, it’s time to reupholster it. Coggin Sustainable Office Solutions uses sustainable materials in their reupholstering process, which helps to minimise waste and reduce their environmental impact. They also offer a wide range of fabric options, so you can choose the one that best fits your office’s aesthetic.


Step 4: Reassembly


After the chair has been reupholstered, it’s time to reassemble it. All components are carefully reattached, and the chair is checked for any functional or aesthetic issues.


Step 5: Quality Control


Before the chair is returned to your office, it undergoes a rigorous quality control process. This ensures that the chair is fully functional and meets all of Coggin Sustainable Office Solutions’ high standards.


Refurbishing your office seating is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option that can help to refresh your workspace. By extending the life of your existing furniture, you can save money and reduce your environmental impact. Additionally, refurbishing your office seating allows you to customise the look and feel of your workspace. If you’re interested in refurbishing your office seating, consider working with Coggin Sustainable Office Solutions. Our refurbishment process involves disassembling the chair, repairing or replacing any damaged components, reupholstering the chair with sustainable materials, and performing a quality control check before returning the chair to your office.


By choosing office seating refurbishment, you’re making a sustainable choice that benefits both your wallet and the environment. So, before you decide to purchase new chairs, consider the benefits of refurbishment and the process that Coggin Sustainable Office Solutions uses to give your office seating new life.

Did you find this article interesting? Continue that interest and contact us today to learn more.

The Office Furniture Strategy That's Hiding in Plain Sight

By Sam Coggin • October 16, 2025
Why Treating Furniture as Disposable Is Costing You More Than Money Walk into any office during a refurbishment and you'll see it: perfectly functional furniture heading for skips whilst new equivalents get ordered. We've normalised a throwaway culture that makes no business sense. Here's the thing—your office furniture strategy is actually a resource management strategy. And most businesses are getting it completely wrong. The 10-Year Desk That Could Last 30 Quality office furniture is engineered to last decades. That Herman Miller chair? Built for 30+ years of daily use. Solid wood desks? Practically indestructible with basic maintenance. Even well-made MDF furniture can serve for 15-20 years. Yet average office furniture replacement cycles run 5-7 years. Not because furniture fails—because offices move, rebrand, or someone decides it looks dated. We're throwing away assets with 70% of their useful life remaining. The Hidden Value in "Old" Office Furniture That dated reception desk isn't broken—it just needs refinishing. The conference table that doesn't match your new brand colours? It's still a conference table. Those filing cabinets from 2010? They still file things. The furniture reuse market is booming because smart businesses realised: Refurbishment costs 20-40% of replacement Quality vintage office furniture often exceeds modern standards "Dated" to you might be "perfect" for someone else Storage costs less than disposal plus replacement Why Circular Makes Commercial Sense The traditional model: Buy → Use (5 years) → Skip → Landfill fees → Buy again The circular model: Buy quality → Use → Refurbish → Use → Redeploy internally → Sell/donate → Someone else uses The second model extracts maximum value from every purchase. It's not environmental ideology—it's basic asset management. The Material Hierarchy of Sense When you must dispose of furniture, the value recovery hierarchy is straightforward: Metal furniture (filing cabinets, desk frames): Scrap value often covers removal costs Infinitely recyclable without quality loss Local scrap dealers will collect Wooden furniture: Refurbishment market is strong Solid wood retains value for decades Worst case: biomass fuel value Upholstered items: Reupholstery extends life by decades Foam and fabric recycling infrastructure growing Frame often outlasts covering by years Plastic furniture: Limited reuse market Recycling depends on plastic type Often the truly disposable option The Procurement Shift That Changes Everything Instead of asking "What's cheapest?" ask: What's the total life cost including disposal? Can we lease furniture and return it? Is there a take-back scheme? What's the refurbishment potential? Could we buy refurbished instead? Quality furniture that costs twice as much but lasts three times longer isn't expensive—it's a bargain. Your Practical Action Plan This month: Audit furniture due for replacement—does it really need replacing? Get refurbishment quotes alongside replacement quotes Find local furniture reuse charities—tax benefits plus free removal This quarter: Build furniture lifecycle into office move planning Create internal furniture redeployment system Partner with furniture refurbishment specialists This year: Shift procurement to quality + longevity over low initial cost Track furniture age and plan maintenance, not just replacement Calculate true total cost of ownership including disposal The Business Case Nobody's Making Every piece of furniture that gets reused or refurbished: Reduces procurement costs Eliminates disposal fees Maintains proven functionality Avoids delivery disruption Prevents waste compliance headaches This isn't about sustainability targets. It's about extracting maximum value from assets you've already paid for. The Bottom Line We've been conditioned to see office furniture as disposable. But it's not packaging—it's infrastructure. And successful businesses don't throw away functioning infrastructure. Your office furniture strategy shouldn't be about staying trendy. It should be about managing valuable assets sensibly. Next time someone suggests replacing functional furniture, ask: "What's actually wrong with what we have?" The answer might save you more than money. Want to discuss furniture lifecycle strategies? Share your biggest office furniture challenge in the comments.
Refurbished Herman Miller Aeron chair in a home office with text overlay on size and options guide.

Aeron Chairs: How to Choose the Right Size and Options

By Sam Coggin • September 30, 2025
Discover how to choose the right size and options for a Herman Miller Aeron chair. Save money and support sustainability with refurbished models.

One Size Doesn't Fit All: The Benefits of Resizing and Repurposing Office Desks

By Ida Gorecka • September 8, 2025
Your office transformation is approved. Budget's signed off. New layout's finalised. There's just one problem: those 1600mm executive desks that worked perfectly in the old corner offices are now 400mm too wide for your new collaborative pods. The reception desk you spent £3,000 on last year? It's the wrong height entirely for your rebrand. Most facilities managers would see this as a disposal problem. Skip hire , landfill tax , 12-week lead times for replacements. But what if that's completely backwards? What if the furniture that doesn't fit isn't a problem to solve, but an asset to unlock? Every year in the UK, around 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million office chairs are sent to landfill and only 14 % of them are being reused (Source: WRAP , Lancashire Business View ). Those old, "wrong-sized" desks you're planning to skip? They can be professionally refurbished and resized to your exact specifications in 7-10 days , at 40-70% less than new , with zero waste and a 12-month warranty . This article is for facilities managers, procurement leads, and fit-out teams who want practical, product-focused solutions. You’ll see when resizing and repurposing makes sense, the savings it delivers, the compliance boxes it ticks, and how to roll it out step by step. Curious what your current desks could deliver if resized or refurbished? Book a free assessment - we’ll map options, costs, and timelines for you.