Back to Basics in Heavy Duty Furniture

August 25, 2021

Any administrator managing a group living or special needs facility knows that heavy duty furniture is not only important for comfort, but furniture also links consumers and residents to their concept of home.

Contract lounge furniture and contract bedroom furniture is a must in facilities where heavy use is expected. Contract furniture combines the look and feel of residential style furniture with the industry’s highest standards for durability and quality. In addition to being designed for heavy use, contract manufacturers have quite a few tricks up their sleeves including fluid and stain resistant upholstery fabrics, solutions for incontinence and limited mobility, fluid-proof mattresses, and seating pieces tested to people weighing up to 500 pounds.

While those options might have you seeing dollar $ign$, the truth is that contract options are the most affordable since contract distributors have less overhead and therefore sell at lower margins and furniture replacement cycles are extended – all creating the best value for any facility budget.While those options might have you seeing dollar $ign$, the truth is that contract options are the most affordable since contract distributors have less overhead and therefore sell at lower margins and furniture replacement cycles are extended – all creating the best value for any facility budget.

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If you are not convinced that contract furniture is the right solution for your facility, consider that contract manufacturers take their cues from the same interior design trends as residential design:

Feeling comfortable in a “home away from home” promotes independence in residents and encourages effective therapies.

So whether you envision traditional Queen Ann or Chippendale styles, something more streamlined like contemporary styles with chrome accents or something stylistically somewhere in between, your vision is available with the features and benefits unique to furniture designed for heavy use environments.
Added benefits of working with a contract furniture supplier include free space planning, color consulting and working with experts who specialize in supporting buyers from group living and special needs facilities. Certainly, the consumers and patients you support are unique and no one solution fits all so it is important to work with people who understand the specific needs of the people you serve, their families and your staff.
When working in care environments that have unique demands, it is easy to feel as though no one will understand your needs. The good news is there are experts that are educated on the needs of operating psych hospitals, homes for individuals with developmental disabilities, incontinent or mobility impaired adults, rehab facilities and other challenging settings.