What is Contract Grade Furniture?
What Does Contract Grade Furniture Mean?
Contract grade furniture, also called commercial grade furniture, refers to furniture that is used for commercial purposes. Examples include restaurants, hotels, airports, and even hospitals, and the type of furniture can range from sofas and chairs to beds and bar stools. Contract grade furniture is designed and manufactured by companies that specialize in these types of products, and can’t just be picked up at standard local furniture stores.
Contract grade furniture is built to go the extra mile. It can hold up for everyday personal use or busy commercial usage for a crowd. The sturdy construction is designed to last for years ahead with strong performance. This furniture can roll with the punches and come out looking fabulous. Proof that strong is beautiful.
Commercial vs. Residential Furniture
Contract grade furniture often looks pretty similar to furniture that you buy for a home. It’s stylish, made with quality materials, and optimized for comfort and use. It does differ in a few key areas though.
The first difference between contract grade and residential furniture is in the compliance requirements that it must adhere to. All furniture suppliers must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines that ensure their products are safe for consumer use. However, these guidelines differ a bit for commercial grade furniture. For example, the Crib 5 regulation, which dictates that any piece of furniture used in a school, office, or restaurant must adhere to a certain range of fire safety regulations, including fire resistant upholstery.
Another major difference between commercial and restaurant furniture is that commercial furniture is designed with heavy use in mind. A chair that is going to be sat on once a day at the dinner table has different design qualifications than a chair that is going to be sat on dozens of times throughout the day by different patrons in a busy restaurant. To meet these demands, contract grade furniture is built with increased durability so it can withstand regular and frequent usage.
Why Restaurants Need Contract Grade Furniture
Looking at the differences between commercial and residential furniture makes it clear why restaurant grade furniture is so important for dining establishments. Restaurants are inherently traffic-heavy businesses, and the furniture within it must be able to hold up to the wide variety of patrons that will be using it. Equally important is that the regulatory guidelines around contract grade furniture apply directly to restaurants, and non-commercial furniture would not satisfy these requirements. With our restaurant furniture, we make sure that restaurants can find the right furniture for their needs, from table tops and bases to chairs and benches.
If you’re looking for a den or living room sofa that is durable and decorative, look for a sofa that has wooden legs and a steel frame. These come in vibrant colors that span the color wheel, so you have lots of options. There are also retro rounded sectional sofas that provide lots of seating all in one place. Friends can chill out in total comfort. Hang some abstract wall art over the sofa or sectional. This creates a very hospitable seating area for long conversations with friends. Artwork adds some pizzazz to the room whether it’s a contemporary painting, rustic canvas print or authentic real life portrait.
Side tables fit well beside a chair or sofa. Metallic and marble side tables are stunning and sturdy. They are convenient for resting a cup of coffee or a magazine. A metallic banded vase or a couple of funky Scandinavian vases would be super accessories on these side tables. Place dried corkscrew willow or lavender in the vases to add height. Dried arrangements last forever and are no maintenance. If you prefer, put fresh flowers in the vases with water and replace as needed.
The brass and concrete console is so retro and ideal for narrow hallways or tucked behind a sofa. Use a console to display framed photographs or artwork. Group the frames together with similar colors like all silver, all black or all brass. Mix and match for a more eclectic look. Vary the sizes for depth and interest. You can even frame leaves, shells or other pieces of nature for a splash of Mother Earth.
While designing commercial spaces people have to take into consideration a variety of regulations that impact how the end result looks. The same goes for making and selecting furniture for use in those commercial environments and is normally tested and manufactured to specific quality standards which ensure personal safety, long lasting durability and sustainability. Those standards vary based on the materials used and the environment. Hospital furniture, for example, will be tested differently to that used in hotels or restaurants.
Residential furniture differs from commercial grade furniture due to frequency of use and meeting compliance requirements; fire resistance, strength and even weight capacity are some of the differences between the two. Those differences translate into a more expensive piece of furniture but one which will last and maintain its look for longer as it is made with tougher and more durable materials.
Designed to be easily maintained and have long lasting resilience, for industries such as the food-service and hospitality, durable furniture is essential. Intended to be used anywhere there is a large number of people who use it regularly or where there may be a large difference in weight among people it is made of commercial grade materials while adhering to stringent quality requirements and regulations.