In 2002, Kirkhouse supplied 300 Monarch Conference Chairs to Baden Powell House (Scout HQ) in London. We were rightly proud of the installation. In 2007, a further order was placed for 40 more of the same chairs – the reason, theft! Over a period of four years, forty of our chairs had been stolen! This has in fact become more common; we occasionally hear from various customers, with reports of stolen chairs (and tables).

Share Chairs
We’re happy to present Share Chairs; a solution to the problem of chair theft! Mimicking shopping trolley systems, share chair is designed for indoor and outdoor use. The chairs nest together with a coin operated locking mechanism.

The product is in the final stages of development, please let us know if you’re interested.

Share Chairs - Stop Thief!

We are please to announce the launch of our new eco friendly materials PU (Polyurethane) Faux Leather ranges Torro and Torro Plus.

eco friendly furniture
Polyurethane (PU) has been developed as a green and more eco friendly alternative to Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC).
PVC releases toxic dioxins into the atmosphere in production and is difficult to dispose of, emitting carcinogenic VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) when incinerated.
Our new eco furniture faux leathers are also biodegradable, where as other PVC upholstery fabrics will leach toxic additives in landfill.

eco friendly leather chairs
Comparatively PU is also a greener alternative to leather, which is linked to large amounts of water pollution and uses numerous chemicals, including heavy metals in tanning.

Naturally soft and flexible, polyurethane does not require the solvents used in softening PVC and leather, allowing us to create more environmentally friendly chairs. Furthermore, it is fair to say that fewer animals are harmed in the production of our PU sustainable textiles.

Torro and Torro Plus are a fantastic development in eco friendly furniture design. Used in conjunction with our most sustainable chairs we now offer truly environmentally friendly, contract interior design furniture. Please ask for further details, Torro and Torro Plus can be applied to almost all Kirkhouse commercial seating.

Kirkhouse Faux leathers are nicer on Cows and their environment

Jolly Back has been designed by Lorna Taylor, a chartered paediatric therapist. For over three years Lorna developed the “Adolescent Back Pain Prevention Enhancement” program which she delivered to schools as part of the “Healthy Backs – School Education Initiative”. Through this work, Lorna gained first hand experience of the discomfort experienced by nearly all education staff. Today, we welcome Lorna’s Jolly Back Classroom Chair to our commercial furniture range.

Easing Back Pain in the Classroom
Research indicates that 88 per cent of early years and primary school teachers have work related suffered musculo-skeletal pain. Up to 50 per cent of 14 year olds have also suffered from back pain. Classroom teachers at low working heights in child-focussed environments are more likely to suffer back pain – often through adopting unsuitable posture, furniture & equipment handling and carrying resources and indeed children.

Furthermore, Children’s spinal health can be adversely effected through poor posture, increasing the risk of musculo-skeletal disorders.

Jolly Back helps children and staff learn and achieve healthier, safer postures – bringing immediate and long term benefits.

Jolly Back Classroom Chair offers:

• Award winning and original products which provide improved posture
• Ergonomically designed by a specialist physiotherapist
• Assesed by education staff to ensure genuine, practical benefits
• Made in the UK to high quality and environmental standards
• Back care education and training
• Professional advice and consultancy

Jolly Back provides innovative, affordable and effective solutions which:

• Improve staff comfort, continuity, morale and career longevity
• Help to reduce staff absences and related costs and disruption
• Improve pupil posture and concentraton
• Assist baby development and comfort

Musculo-skeletal Disorders include problems such as back pain, joint injuries and repetitive strain injuries.
Some areas which can create risk include:

• Bending and twisting – repeating an action too frequently
• Uncomfortable working position
• Not receiving and acting upon reports of symptoms quickly enough
• Repetitive and heavy lifting

Jolly Back Chair Size Guide

Since 1998, Kirkhouse has been a growing force in the UK Education Furniture market. When we were founded (1992) the internet was unknown to UK Schools; following our 1800 seat installation at Westminster Cathedral, Kirkhouse targeted it’s marketing at Churches and Church Halls. Print advertising in The Church Times and Church Building Magazine was the name of the game, where we repeatedly stumbled across the same competitors week after week. We take a look at how we’ve affected the Education Furniture Market.

School Furniture Supply UK Growth
In 1997, Kirkhouse was amongst the first UK commercial furniture suppliers to introduce a furniture sales website: With the introduction of this fantastic resource, Kirkhouse opened it’s doors to the Education Market, slowly upsetting the archaic catalogue suppliers. YPO and ESPO websites followed, as a supplement to their cumbersome catalogues, however Kirkhouse realised a fantastic opportunity to promote the same products at much reduced prices. Today Kirkhouse has over 500 unique Education customers, including Nursery Groups, Play Schools, Primary, Middle & Secondary Schools and Colleges & Universities.

Price Comparison: School Furniture Chairs & Tables UK
Kirkhouse is a small team with some great contacts – we know the contract furniture industry well and we’re happy to share our expertise. Kirkhouse has saved School customers many thousands of pounds over the years:

Product	Image	YPO Price	Kirkhouse Price
E-Series Size 6		14.15	12.64
Pepperpot Stool 610 SH		21.75	20.72
School desk 1200 x 600mm		40.35	38.76
Polypropylene Folding Chair		11.45	10.73
Prices in GBP +VAT. Source YPO Catalogue 2012 & Kirkhouse website

Commercial Furniture UK Expertise
Besides offering identical products at a better price, we also know our furniture better. We know how strong your Poly (plastic) stacking chairs are, we know how thick your MDF table top is and how many classroom desks you can stack. Unlike the large catalogue shops, we don’t sell Ball Point Pens, Lawn Mowers or Light Bulbs; we are your contract furniture specialists.
If you’re looking for upholstered chairs, we have fabric ranges running to thousands of colours (we make the selection easy too!)

We’re proud of our success in supplying school furniture, and we’re looking forward to continued growth in the education market. Why not start your Kirkhouse relationship now, give us a call with your commercial furniture requirements – we’re here to help!

As commercial furniture suppliers, we’re frequently quizzed regarding the suitability of certain upholstery fabrics. Which fabrics are suitable for Schools, which for Village Halls? With the help of Bradbury Fabrics, we’ve compiled a list based on the recommendations of BS7176: 1991.

Please contact Kirkhouse for further details. Don’t forget to take a look at our full range of upholstery products.

Kirkhouse specialise in the supply of contract / commercial furniture. For our full range of products, take a look at www.kirkhouse.co.uk

We first encountered commercial stacking chair model S-393 at the 2009 Stockholm Furniture Fair. Our colleagues at Balzar Beskow were very keen to show off one of their latest designs.
Nearing the eve of our S-393 installation at Clissold House in North London, we contacted the chairs designer, Tim Alpen, to have a chat…

Kirkhouse: How did S-393 stacking chair come about?

Tim Alpen: Personal reasons; I wanted to experiment with X-rail [section under and supporting the seat] design. Balzar Beskow had used X-rails on a few models already.

Kirkhouse: What do you gain with X-rails?

Tim Alpen: They’re cheaper and easier to work with than box section structures – they have fewer joints. Also, there is some argument for X-frames creating a quieter chair; box section frames will reverberate sound like an audio speaker.
The backrest also saves money in production – shaped Ply (9 layers of laminated Veneer) is low cost when you have the tooling Balzar Beskow has. Being able to use any shape of backrest gives you some freedom of design elsewhere. We were keen to use straight sections, which minimises waste.

Kirkhouse: I see, so the straight rear legs would otherwise have been curved if you hadn’t had freedom over the backrest shape?

Tim Alpen: That’s correct, and the straight leg section means that we’re not cutting a curved shape out of the timber and throwing away half of the material.

Kirkhouse: Were you looking to meet a certain market?

Tim Alpen: Not especially; S-393 has been very popular with Universities, Schools, Pre-Schools and Hospitals. It’s a lightweight stackable chair – it’s good anywhere!

Kirkhouse: I’ve a feeling I’ve seen that backrest somewhere before? Did you take inspiration from anyone in particular?

Tim Alpen: Ha, you may recognise it from an Alavar Aalto Chair. It could be said to have inspired me.

Kirkhouse: Ok, thanks Tim – we’d love to speak to you again sometime – we’d particularly like to know more about KS395.

Tim Alpen: That would be good, thank you.

We checked out some Alavar Alto designs and found model 66 may have inspired Tim. Tim Alpen’s model S-393 can be seen in our wooden stacking chair range. You can also visit Tim’s own website… http://timalpen.se/

Tim Alpen - furniture designer

Kirkhouse commercial furniture ranges use upholstery fabric tested for Severe Contract Use. The most commonly cited test for upholstery fabrics, is the rub test: Fabrics are rubbed in a lissajous pattern until two or more fibres are broken, at which point the test ends. Severe Contract Fabrics achieve 40,000 rubs; most Kirkhouse fabrics achieve 100,000 rubs and many achieve over 500,000 rubs (categorised as 24/7 fabrics suitable for Airport Lounges and similar). Severe Contract upholstery fabrics are ideal for commercial and domestic furniture.

Over 35 upholstery fabric ranges.
You can see over 35 upholstery ranges alone on our commercial furniture upholstery range page. Select a range and then click on the rainbow pallet to open up the full colour range. We include full product descriptions, including fabric width, fire retardancy, composition and cleaning guides.

We offer Tweed, Vinyl, Polyester knitted or woven and an impressive range of Second Nature fabrics.

Second Nature.
Second Nature fabrics have been developed with the environment in mind. Second Nature fabrics are either of recycled materials or natural fibres. They are also compostable or recyclable. Sting Plus is a remarkable example, being composed of Wool and Nettle fibres! Sting Plus is incredibly tough and comfortable; there is no need for compromise in environmentally friendly fabrics.

On the roll or by the metre.
Fabrics are sold on the roll (typically 30m) or by the metre from 1m upwards. Carriage costs apply to smaller orders but the costs are minimal and the product suited to prolonged contract use. We’re the source for many upholsterers nationwide and we look forward to supplying our upholstery fabric to you soon!

Please note, all fabrics can be applied to Kirkhouse Commercial Seats seen on our commercial furniture website www.kirkhouse.co.uk

Range, product and colour selector pages from Kirkhouse upholstery ranges.

Kirkhouse Softplay equipment has proven an incredibly popular addition to our Children’s furniture option. We continue to update and extend the range; recent additions include our foam animal and transport seats / cushions. Here we introduce our most popular children’s softplay items, sold to schools and children’s nurseries nationwide.

Bella Bunny, Felix Fox and Olly Owl.

An excellent selection of colourful ‘sit on’ play animals carefully sized so that the heads are huggable, and the 200mm seat heights and 200mm seat widths accommodate little legs. The range includes designs with extra long seats to sit two children and back supports to further enhance the sence of fun with security and safety… turn them on their side to make snug little seats too! Wipe clean, phthalate free fire retardant PVC covers soft, CFC free, fire retardant foam. To EN71 and BS 7176 Contract Furnishing (Low Hazard) cigarette and match. Applique designs one side.

Currently available at under £60.00. Designed in conjunction with schools and manufactured in the UK.

Bugs on a Rug & On The Farm

High quality heavy duty tufted pile carpet, soft textured tufted pile for comfort and long lasting. Recommended for classrooms and soft reading/play areas.

• A safe anti-slip backing
• Tightly bound edges to prevent fraying
• High quality pile with a soft textured finish
• Distinctive and brightly coloured, child friendly designs
• Designed to encourage learning through interaction an play
• Meets all relevant safety standards

Bugs on a Rug is our most popular play mat, closely followed by On The Farm.

10 in 1 fun activity house

Our most popular children’s softplay item, 10 in 1 fun activity house offers easy assembly with strong Velcro strips and disassembles to flat pack for easy storage. It is brightly coloured with soft touch and wipe clean vinyls.

• Target with central hole for hand/eye coordination by throwing or posting objects.
• Multi-colour and textural panels for texture and colour recognition
• Laces, zips and press studs for practical learning
• Clock and puzzle for cognitive challenges (on or away from the house)
• Roof converts to giant tumbling mat

Made to exacting quality standards and finished in a soft touch durable vinyl, meeting all relevant safety standards.

NEW Children's Softplay items

Our old friends at Gopak have been manufacturing lightweight folding tables since 1947. Today, Gopak folding tables are among the most popular in the UK. The UK being densely populated, schools, community centres and village halls usually have limited storage space. UK commercial furniture often needs to be adaptable, to best utilise the available space. Lightweight folding tables are now an essential part of countless UK organisations, and Gopak folding tables lead the way. We take a look at the most popular Gopak ranges and detail their various benefits.

Gopak Economy folding tables
It is often assumed that the Economy series is somehow weaker than more expensive Gopak tables – this is not the case.

Why are Gopak Economy folding tables cheaper?

1. Table top dimensions.
   Economy series is available in only two widths (compared to three or four in all other ranges) and is not available in 1520mm (5′) length.
   Limited options save money in manufacture.
2. Table height.
   Gopak Economy folding tables are available in 698mm height only.
3. Laminate finish.
   Gopak Economy folding tables are available in four laminate finishes only.

Gopak Economy folding tables are structurally as strong as more expensive Contour folding tables.

Gopak Contour folding tables
Contour folding tables can be identified firstly by their contoured Aluminium surface edging (extrusion). This contour finish is purely aesthetic, however Contour folding tables do offer some nice features beyond those of the cheaper Economy folding table.

1. Improved folding mechanism.
   In recent years, Gopak introduced an easy to use guided folding mechanism.
2. Wide table top dimensions.
   Contour folding tables are available in 760mm (30″) width, which in practical terms allows for a seating position at the table ends. Contour is also available in 1520mm (5′) lengths.
3. Laminate finish.
   Gopak Contour folding tables use the same high quality Formica laminate finish as the cheaper Economy folding table range, however Contour offers 16 different finishes.

Contour folding tables offer the widest range of lightweight options, however they’re so lightweight that some customers prefer to use the Contour Plus series.

Gopak Contour Plus folding tables

Contour Plus folding tables are available in the same sizes and colours as Contour (although not in children’s heights). Again it is important to stress that Contour Plus is not designed to be stronger than Contour or Economy – the modification relates to the tables stability in certain usage.

Contour Plus features an internal steel structure within the Aluminium leg. This increases the tables weight and reduces friction when a table is accidentally knocked. For these reasons, Contour Plus folding tables are better suited to dining use, where accidental knocks might spill a drink on the lighter tables (Economy & Contour).

Gopak Premier folding tables

Premier folding tables offer significant benefits beyond Economy, Contour and Contour Plus. Again – these tables are not designed to be stronger than any other the other ranges, however Premier does offer a polyurethane edge (in place of the Aluminium extrusion). The Polyurethane edge presents a flat profile, allowing Premier tables to be abutted, particularly for meeting room use. Premier’s polyurethane edge is also impervious to water. Premier folding tables are available in the full range of sizes, including children’s heights. Furthermore, Premier uses the same frame structure as Contour Plus, using Dual-Composite (Steel & Aluminium) leg.

Gopak Folding Tables overview

We’re yet to discuss the benefits of Gopak Vantage & Universal folding tables, which tend to suit a niche market. Whichever Gopak Folding Table you choose, you can be sure of a high quality, long lasting product. It is most important to know that even the cheaper Economy folding table is a superb example of commercial furniture design, engineering and manufacture. Kirkhouse sales team is on hand to discuss the various benefits. Dimensions and folding table specification are also available from our online commercial furniture shop.

Gopak Lightweight Folding Tables from Kirkhouse

Donut adjust your screen, you’re looking at the Donut seat and table set from Kirkhouse commercial furniture suppliers. We’re very happy to introduce this novel, fun and practical mobile cafe / fastfood seating unit. Donuts can be used on your outdoor patio, on the grass or within your venue if it’s raining. Donuts is incredibly tough, and being inflatable it is a fantastic space saver when in storage. Donuts commercial seat and table set is available in a range of colours – we can also add your organisations logo or image to the giant Donut ring. Donuts is a fun cafe or dining experience built to commercial furniture standards.

What is Donuts?
DoNuts is a drag & drop product. You can place it wherever you want, in a sunny spot or in the shadow. Thanks to its very light construction, DoNuts is very simple to move around. You take one leg of the table and drag the DoNuts to the place you want.

How to use Donuts
Although DoNuts is a fun object, its comfort and quality reach the same level as all other Kirkhouse products. To sit comfortably and to ensure stability, the pressure in the tube has to be 0.15 bar. You can check this with an enclosed digital tire pressure gauge. Remember that the pressure of the tube will rise when the DoNuts is used in warm weather.

Part of the Kirkhouse commercial furniture range
Kirkhouse are commercial (contract) furniture suppliers to the Education market including Nurseries, Schools and Universities. Kirkhouse supply commercial seating and tables to local organisations including Community Centres, Town Hall’s and Village Halls. Kirkhouse also offer a wide range of sanctuary chairs and tables to the Church market, our Church products are also supplied to Church Hall’s. Take a look at our commercial chair and table ranges available from our online furniture shop. Donuts is particularly suitable for bars, cafe’s and diners looking for an attractive and fun experience.

Donuts fun commercial seat & table set

Many Kirkhouse furniture customers represent medium to large community centre, village hall & church hall refurbishments and new builds. These schemes take considerable time, money and effort to complete. Kirkhouse can be involved from the earliest stages, offering commercial furniture advice throughout the development. It is common for our commercial folding chairs and tables to be delivered to site before completion (folding chairs & tables tend not to get in the way) whilst our stacking chairs, tables and office furniture (including office storage) are usually delivered once the paint has dried and the carpets are fitted. As we’re the last contractors on site, we know when to call the photographer. We work with BIPP registered, contracted photographers nationwide to create a fantastic professional impression of your projects completion. Kirkhouse commercial furniture customers can use their photography to promote their newly finished project

Perfect timing
We will schedule your photographer to visit precisely when your community centre or village hall is completed. Kirkhouse will deliver your last items of commercial furniture (chairs, tables, office furniture etc) in perfect time for professional photography to be carried out.

Quality photography for marketing
Our photographers are registered with the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP), the equipment and expertise on offer is second to none. Take a look at some of the work carried out on our Flickr page. High quality photography can pay it’s own way, allowing your organisation, be it School, Community Centre, Town Hall or Children’s Nursery to promote it’s facilities in the most attractive and positive light.

The perfect thank you
Your photography will be available to you on CD or DVD and may be transferred to all kinds of format / media. Why not print a thank you card for fundraisers and other stakeholders, with a professional photograph of your completed project? Celebrate your achievements with a photo in your foyer or other prominent place.

Kirkhouse Professional Photography package suitably completes most projects. If you’ve already bought your commercial furniture through Kirkhouse, if you are expecting delivery soon or if you are yet to order your furniture, our photography service is suitable and ideal for every installation throughout the UK.

Professional Site Photography from Kirkhouse

Kirkhouse are commercial furniture suppliers of chairs, tables, office furniture, storage and children’s chairs, table and softplay to organisation through the UK and abroad. Kirkhouse Professional Photography is available to all Kirkhouse customers; price may vary according to site location and specific requirements.

We’re very happy to introduce two new wooden folding chair systems: Menelaus and Hermione folding chairs & Neddy chair trolley’s. Of compression moulded layer-glued birch ply, both Menelaus and Hermione wooden folding chairs are of exceptional quality (Menelaus awarded “Excellent Swedish Design” by Svensk Form) and are true contract chairs. We take a look at the design and manufacture of these fantastic wooden folding chairs.

Menelaus Wooden Folding Chair

Menelaus is something unusual; a comfortable folding chair that functions well – both folded and unfolded. Menelaus only measures 27 mm when folded, that makes 100 chairs in 2.7 m! Menelaus is perfect for short stay seating and with its strong design profile it is as beautiful in use as when not in use. Menelaus can be stored by either hanging on a wall, placed in a trolley or in a floor rack. Menelaus has a reversible seat. Menelaus is available with a wall hook and a trolley for 26 chairs.

Hermione Wooden Folding Chair

Hermione is a folding chair/stool with frame in steel and back and seat in birch. Hermione is perfect for short stay seating and with its strong design profile it is as beautiful in use as when not in use. Hermione can be stored by either hanging on a wall, placed in a trolley or in a floor rack. Hermione is available with wall hook and a trolley for 24 chairs. In 1987 Hermione was awarded with Forsnasprisnet, Excellent Swedish Design and Forum Narmiljos Mobelpris.

Commercial Wooden Folding Chairs are available from Kirkhouse online furniture shop.

Commercial Wooden Folding Chairs from Kirkhouse

We’ve recently updated our commercial range of office furniture. Our office desks, office chairs and office storage solutions are mostly available from stock for quick delivery. New to our office desk range is Essentials, Regent and Deskline series, offering comprehensive solutions for your office space. Kirkhouse Office Chair range now includes low cost (or cheap) models from 31.36GBP to executive task chairs at 1000+ GBP. Kirkhouse office storage is also available as individual pieces or to compliment our desks. All available from our online commercial furniture shop.

Office desks

We’ve revitalised our commercial office desk range to incorporate three new ranges: Essentials, Regent and Deskline.

• Essentials desking
  Available with panel end, cantilever or deluxe cantilever base. Desk tops are of 25mm MFC (using scratch resistant Melamine), this thickness allows for superior fixing to the frame and creates a sturdy desk. Essentials office desks also include cable ports as standard.
• Regent office desks
  Desks available with bow shaped front edge for improved meeting provision. Regent office desks with radius front edge allow for multiple visitors to comfortably position themselves. Regent office desks are complimented by Regent storage including office cupboards and pedestals.
• Deskline superior office desking
  Deskline series uses 25mm MFC in a range of scratch resistant finishes. A stylish and strong cantilever frame offers excellent freedom of movement across office task demands. Deskline office desks are complimented with a wide range of Deskline storage including office cupboards and pedestals.

Office chairs / task chairs

Our recently updated office chair range includes swivel chairs for IT in School or business use. Swivel chairs typically include adjustable height gas lifts for individual user comfort. Our low cost IT task chairs start from around 31GBP and are guaranteed from 1 to 5 years.

Upholstered commercial office chairs now include the excellent XL series with adjustable seat, back and armrests. This mid-price office chair is tested to 25 stone. A further addition to our office chair  range is the 24 series of executive task chairs with concealed seat adjustment and full upholstery.

Office storage

Kirkhouse office storage can be found within our full storage range, including cupboards, pedestals and tambour units to compliment your Kirkhouse office desks. Much of our office storage range (Essentials, Regent & Deskline) is available in three finishes and is guaranteed for five years. Our storage range also incorporates large tray stores, art stores and media trolleys ideal for business or school use.

Kirkhouse commercial furniture office desks, chairs and storage is available through our online commercial furniture shop.

Commercial Furniture Office Chair Range - Model 2760

We’re very happy to introduce our new range of wooden school chairs – ideal for the classroom. Of all wood seat and back, our PY School classroom seating will stack for ease of storage and delivery, achieves EN1729 (recommended for school furniture) and compliments Kirkhouse school table ranges. Kirkhouse PY School chairs, take a look at this excellent new school furniture range.

Shaped Plywood Seat & Back

All wooden seat and back boards are incredibly robust and easy to maintain. Our shaped plywood boards offer good ergonomic comfort for standard teaching periods; the important factor being that students are supported to the shape of the body – flat seats and backrests are unsuitable. Our PY School Chair frames will serve for decades, so it makes sense to avoid upholstered seat and backrests which will wear far quicker.

Strong school chair frame

Our 1.5mm (16Gg) tubular steel frame thickness is fantastically strong. The frame design will allow for a stack of ten PY classroom chairs – we stack them much higher in the factory, however we have mechanical assistance and high ceilings!

Chair frames are finished in Epoxy Powder Coat (EPC) which is suitable for indoor use and will resist everyday knocks, bumps and scuffs.

PY School Classroom Chair: EN1729

Kirkhouse PY classroom chairs achieve EN1729 strength & stability. This is a European standard which considers the chairs suitability for commercial use, including ergonomic requirements regarding seat and backrest dimensions. EN1729 is widely recommended and supersedes previous British ergonomic standards.

PY Wooden school chairs are available from our online commercial furniture shop.

PY childrens stacking chair for the classroom

Around 1859 a steam bent timber frame chair, consisting of no more than six sections and a few screws, was developed in Austria by Michael Thonet. Thonet chairs (model No. 14) were sold in their millions worldwide. One of the first items of flat-pack furniture, Thonet cafe chairs were relatively low cost to produce and could also be shipped at low cost. With our expertise in Commercial Furniture, it’s only right we know and love the Thonet No. 14 cafe chair – we can also supply it to our commercial furniture customers, however today this remarkable cafe chair costs over 500GBP each. We’re very happy to introduce our new range of Cafe chairs, made in a similar style to the original Thonet cafe chair.

14 cafe side chair

Made of bentwood, our 14 cafe side chair will stack and withstand the various knocks and scrapes expected of quality commercial furniture. This particular stacking cafe chair may even look better with a few knocks and scuffs on the frame, but you’ll need to hit it quite hard.

Swanson commercial dining chairs

Our Swanson series of contract chairs use the same bentwood base as 14 cafe side chair, however it’s shaped and styled backrest may be more attractive for dining rather than cafe use. Swanson series of commercial seating is also available as a high stool / bar stool.

American wooden diner chairs

The 50′s was arguably the heyday of American furniture design, with beautiful domestic furniture and functional commercial furniture setting new standards. Much of the Kirkhouse Steel Stacking chair range is inspired by 1950′s American diner furniture, and now we’re very happy to include American influenced wooden diner chairs. Houston, Dallas and Oregon wooden frame cafe chairs use large section timber with sturdy rails for those who like to dine. Of larger proportions than our bentwood cafe chairs, our American range offers great comfort and a certain style that suits all kinds of cafe, restaurant or diner.

Italian wooden cafe furniture

Lastly Reuben cafe chair is of clear Italian origin, with it’s exquisite and minimal frame. The seat and backrest offer maximum support, whilst all wood construction and precision design improve cleaning. Reuben cafe chair also stacks and will withstand the various knocks and bumps of cafe furniture life.

Our new collection of all wood stacking cafe chairs are suitable for commercial use in your cafe, diner or restaurant. Please take a look at the range in our online commercial furniture shop.

14 Cafe Sidechair, stacking cafe furniture

The old Kirkhouse Postura school chair was our first one-piece plastic chair. Postura soon developed into Postura+, achieving EN1729 and including a Ten Year Guarantee. We’ve seen Postura+ plastic chairs put under real stress in schools around the world (take a look at Kirkhouse Furniture facebook page for evidence). Few chairs compare to Postura+ classroom stacking chairs, we take a look at possibly the best school classroom chair ever developed.

Postura+ Classroom Chair: Design

Postura+ stacking chairs are of anti-static plastic, improving school classroom cleaning. Ventilation is achieved through improved backrest design – no sweaty backs in the classroom, and superior comfort. Dual seating positions in the seat promotes better circulation and improves student concentration. Postura+ classroom chair is of gas injected plastic, improving strength & stability whilst reducing weight. Lastly, Postura+ is available in recycled plastic and manufactured in the UK: Considering it’s 10 year guarantee, Postura+ Classroom Stacking Chair is very kind to the environment.

Postura+ Classroom Furniture: Ergonomics

Kirkhouse Postura+ school chair achieves some fantastic ergonomic and user benefits:

• Lightweight
  Postura+ Gas injected plastic frame is lightweight, allowing for ease of movement throughout the classroom and improved stacking.
• Correct lumber support
  Choose the correct chair for your classroom and Postura+ offers the best lumber support for your age range.
• Multiple posture
  It’s important that students can move in their classroom chairs; Postura+ school chairs have slightly flexible backrests for just this purpose.

Research in the classroom indicates that children who are more comfortable have improved concentration levels. Comfortable seating over a prolonged period requires that the user be able to move unrestricted: Postura+ plastic stacking chair is designed to meet these important school classroom comfort requirements.

Recycled and Recyclable Plastic School Chair

Available in recycled plastic, Postura+ Classroom Chairs are environmentally friendly in manufacture. Whichever colour you choose, Postura+ chairs are also 100% recyclable. Postura+ includes a 10 Year Guarantee, however the chairs will usually last far longer; in many years time, after your school chooses to pass its Postura+ chairs on to another organisation (many of our school customers pass their second-hand furniture on to local Village Halls & Community Centres) and that organisation replaces them after a further 20 years use – Postura+ may be recycled in full! In brief, Postura+ stacking chairs last a lifetime, and at the end of that life they can be recycled. What could be better?

Postura+ Classroom Plastic Stacking Chair is available for sale through Kirkhouse online commercial furniture shop.

The Best School Classroom Chair

Lynx stacking chair has been designed for conference and use in halls (including school halls, county halls etc). European guidelines regarding linking, require that rows of six chairs or more be linked. Almost all Kirkhouse chairs are available with various links as optional extras. We offer integral and detachable links, however our new Lynx conference chairs include a unique linking system that is sturdy and easy to use. We take a look at Lynx stacking chairs and consider the various models available from our online furniture shop.

How Lynx conference chairs link

The Lynx chair linking system relies on a unique modification to the chairs leg structure. Our video demonstrates how 80 Lynx conference or meeting room chairs can be set out within three minutes.

Lynx Conference chairs without padding

Our commercial furniture UK sales team will confirm that the best commercial seating is available with upholstery (or padding) as an option. Comfort is found through the shape of a chairs seat and back, rather than the thickness of an upholstered seat pad. Where upholstered seat pads are used, it is often to offer some warmth to the user, reflect a brand image or attempt to present the appearance of comfort. In practical terms, an upholstered padding effectively reduces the life-span of a commercial chair, often by up to two thirds. Lynx is available from our online commercial furniture shop, with various seat shapes – all with upholstered padding as an option.

Great Chair for Conference

Lynx is an incredibly comfortable chair, whichever seat shape is chosen; your conference attendees will be impressed. Conference seating must also be easy to store and link – for which there is no better chair than Lynx. Lynx stacking conference chair requires no additional linking device and no fiddly keyhole linking attachments – the chair links easily through the frame design. Lynx is also incredible robust – schools, halls and conference venues can stack, set out and link Lynx conference chairs for decades – Lynx chrome frame will withstand knocks and scrapes.

Where suitable, we are happy to arrange for our UK commercial furniture representatives to visit your site and discuss the various Lynx conference chair designs.

As School furniture suppliers, we’re very happy to introduce our commercial furniture – Bespoke Table Laminate service. We can reproduce almost any image in our table surface laminates, including school and business logo’s. Design your very own school table laminate surface with Kirkhouse. Table top surfaces suitable for commercial use from our online furniture shop.

Branded Classroom tables

Many schools are looking to establish their brand and ethos in more imaginative ways. We can easily replicate most school logo’s or mottos. We can produce subject specific laminates for individual classrooms, or a uniform table top design for use throughout the school. Branded furniture may encourage respect and reinforces a sense of pride in schools.

Corporate Branded tables

We can brand full length boardroom tables or individual office desks. Vertical panels such as reception screens and desk modesty panels can be made unique with photographic images or artwork. Whether subtle or bold, branded corporate furniture reinforces the brands power.

Business branded laminates are ideal for take-aways and restaurants and may easily be applied to Kirkhouse Fastfood tables.

Instructive Bespoke Laminates

Our bespoke surface laminate service allows for reproduction of maps, plans, recipes or any kind of instruction. Where space is limited, a reception desk or modesty panel might include signage, instruction or simply welcome clientele.

Kirkhouse have expertise in the supply of school furniture. We are always developing new commercial furniture ranges suitable for School, College and University.

Bespoke Table Laminate Service

We’re very happy to introduce Carma commercial lounge chairs, designed and made in the Netherlands and available in a number of styles. We take a brief look at Carma lounge chair in it’s four frame styles. Carma non-stacking chairs are ideal for school or commercial lounge, reception and waiting areas – we hope you like Carma now available from Kirkhouse online commercial furniture shop.

Steel Frame Lounge Chair: Carma I

Carma I is of 11mm diameter steel rod (as stacking chair model Curvy) which is powder coated and lacquered as standard, chrome chair frames are optional. Carma I skid base frame, provides essential strength to the rods thin section. Skid bases also allow the chair to be moved with ease.

Steel Frame Lounge Chair: Carma II

Carma II Cantilever frame lounge chair frame is of 22mm diameter and is available in a range of colours or chrome finish. Cantilever chair frames provide comfort and style for commercial waiting rooms, receptions and lounges.

Steel Frame Lounge Chair: Carma III

Of standard four leg design, Carma III frame is of 16mm diameter steel, available in a range of colours and lacquered for durability. Chrome plated frames are available at little extra cost.

Wooden Lounge Chair: Carma IV

Of solid Beech frame, Carma IV wooden lounge chair makes available the comfort and style of the Carma flexible chair shell, to a wider number of reception areas, waiting rooms and commercial lounges.

Carma flexible chair shell conceals the seated user in style. Carma lounge chair uses low wings to define the users space without separating them from the lounge environment. Carma flexible chair shell is available with perforations.

Kirkhouse Carma series of non-stacking lounge furniture is available for sale from our UK online commercial furniture shop. Carma series is complimented by a range of soon to be unveiled tables. Please contact Kirkhouse with any queries.

Carma II, lounge chair with cantilever frame

New to the UK furniture market – we introduce Riva, the commercial folding chair that’s ideal for conference, school hall and meeting room use. Lightweight and featuring an impressive mesh backrest for improved comfort over a prolonged sitting, Riva adds a new dimension to our excellent range of folding chairs. We compare Riva to our most popular folding chairs and welcome it to the family.

A new folding chair concept.

Riva frame is of Aluminium and subsequently the chair weighs under 7kg. The aluminium frame is anodised, so it’s largely scratch resistant and looks very smart. Riva uses a plastic seat, with upholstered pads being developed at time of writing. It is perhaps the only commercially available folding chair available with a mesh backrest: This saves weight whilst offering great comfort throughout use.

Lightweight folding chairs are clearly desirable – organisations such as conference centres and meeting rooms regularly need to clear large spaces quickly and with ease. Riva achieves these requirements in some style. Being lightweight, the chairs stability is remarkable – especially in combination with an excellent choice of linking solutions (including analogue and digital seat numbering systems).

Folding chairs – what is Riva’s lineage?

Commercial folding chairs can traced back to limited timber models, however folding chair systems did not fully take off until the introduction of suitable steel frame construction. Our own Virco folding chair range has been widely copied – if you’re looking for a Virco style of folding chair then pay particular attention to the stretcher rails. Even stronger folding chairs with comprehensive storage systems are available in our numbered folding chair series, e.g. 3400 FSNF B Folding Chair. Both Virco and 3400 series folding chairs include impressive ten year frame guarantees.

Riva is the first Aluminium framed folding chair in the Kirkhouse commercial furniture range. Riva is also the first folding chair to use mesh in place of fabric upholstery. Riva barely conforms to any of the traditional expectations of a commercial folding chair – it is unique and we’re very glad to offer Riva from our online commercial furniture shop.

Where to buy commercial folding chairs.

The UK folding chair market is literally littered with poorly constructed chairs; there are plenty of pitfalls to avoid when sourcing a folding chair, so please contact Kirkhouse with your enquiry.
Customers considering folding chairs should also consider Kirkhouse stacking chairs.

Riva folding chair - Anodised aluminium frame with mesh backrest and polished parts.

Following the popularity of our Ezee series of commercial folding tables (Ezee Square, Ezee Round and Ezee Oblong), we present the U-Frame folding table. Available with a wide range of table tops and finishes. We consider the advantages of some of our folding tables.

U-Frame Folding Tables

Our latest commercial folding table series includes a very stable steel frame, which allows for maximum leg room in use. U-Frame tables are available with a number of table top finishes:

1. Melamine
   Ideal for office and light community centre / village hall use.
2. Laminate
   Heavy duty suitable for School, College, University and heavier community centre / village hall applications.
3. Flock
   Cushioned surface for luxury Banquet use.
4. Plywood
   Unvarnished and Varnished for Hire or low cost Banquet use.

Ezee Fold Folding Tables

Ezee fold is the predecessor to Kirkhouse U-Frame folding tables. Ezee fold is available in the same table top finishes as U-Frame (see above) tables, however the folding frame is heavy duty. Ezee fold folding tables may have the strongest frames on the market, weighing between 20-30kg Ezee fold tables are also very stable and perfect for dining / banquet use.

Gopak Folding Tables

Gopak folding tables remain our most popular series. Made from lightweight Aluminium, Gopak folding tables are incredibly strong. The basic folding table design is incredibly popular, with almost every school in the UK having some form of Gopak folding tables.

We often recommend the cheapest model (Economy Folding Table), however customer often require the extra table sizes available in Contour series folding tables. It’s not surprising that our Gopak folding tables are so popular, as users who are regularly folding and moving tables prefer a low weight option.

Whether you are looking for semi-permanent banquet tables, or lightweight folding tables that spend as much time in storage as they do in use – we have the solution!

Please take a look at our commercial folding table range on our online furniture sales shop.

U-Frame Folding Table, ideal for Banquet use

In terms of stacking potential, the best steel frame stacking chairs have skid bases – a development that harks back to the fantastic PEL stacking chairs of the 1930′s. Kirkhouse’ Vesta upholstered stacking chair is incredibly lightweight and comfortable. We look at our new Vesta upholstered stacking chair, explain the history of skid base chairs and the various advantages of our Vesta skid base stacking chair.

History of the skid base stacking chair.

The original 1930′s commercial skid base stacking chair from PEL used very heavy 14 gauge (2mm) steel; the tooling available in the 1930′s did not allow for anything better. PEL’s design must be considered one of the most successful stacking chairs of all time, thousands of PEL stacking chairs are still in use today and good models are currently worth over £50 each.

In 1951, David Rowland (1924-2010) developed the 40/4 skid base stacking chair. 40/4 is still in manufacture today, although ergonomically it is now outdated – with an adult seat height some 30mm below current European recommendations. Rowland’s skid base stacking chair frame is of steel rod; coupled with his exquisite seat and back pan (in ply or plastic), allows the chair to be no more than 11mm thick at any point. The thin profile of 40/4 allows it to stack 40 chairs high; without it’s skid base, the thin rod would bend under the least weight. Model 40/4 was a phenomenal success, being manufactured in the USA and Denmark (for the European market). Perhaps naturally, the design was copied by many manufacturers, however few made any real impression on commercial furniture sales until the introduction of ‘Curvy’.

Curvy skid base stacking chair looks very similar to 40/4, however the design is not a simple copy: Curvy is a marked improvement on 40/4. Curvy stacking is available with ply or plastic seating pans, on a steel rod skid base frame. Curvy stacks 45 chairs high and is cheaper to manufacture than 40/4: The various versions of Curvy stacking chair use only one footprint design – where 40/4 relies on numerous chair frame variations. Curvy stacking chair is available with padded seat and / or padded backrest in any of colour from the Kirkhouse upholstery range. Curvy has proven very popular, however it is too expensive for some customers. We’ve been looking to develop a low cost alternative utilising the benefits of a skid base frame, and now we have Vesta.

New – Vesta Stacking Chair.

The real advantage of a skid base frame is the improved chair strength (ignore the office suppliers claiming skis protect the carpet!) and the subsequent capacity to use narrow rod (as with 40/4 and Curvy) or large section, thin steel (Vesta). Kirkhouse Vesta chair will stack ten chair high, which is quite suitable for many commercial furniture customers. Vesta’s thin steel chair frame is much lighter than steel rod alternatives: Kirkhouse Vesta upholstered stacking chair weighs just 5.6kg.

Vesta upholstered stacking chair is low cost, comfortable and stacks well. Vesta chair frame is chrome plated for a lifetime of stacking.

Vesta is a low cost alternative to the incredible Curvy series – with the advantage of being low weight. It’s the ideal choice for many Churches and local Conference rooms.

NEW - Vesta upholstered stacking chair

We’re very happy to introduce our latest product; the Lotus Plastic Stacking Chair. Designed and made in the UK, Lotus Plastic Stacking Chair is ideal for school, college and commercial use.

• Stack 8 chairs high
• EN 1729:2006 Parts 1 & 2 (Ergonomics & Strength)
• Chair Guarantee: 10 years for structural defects

Lotus Chair is Easy to Clean with a wet soapy cloth Low level (Household) bleach can be used with no detriment to the polymer surface. Available as a four leg stacking chairs, with a cantilever frame or with trolley base for IT / office chair use.

Lotus is available in ten shell colours and two standard frame finishes. Please check out the Kirkhouse online furniture shop listing for Lotus Plastic Stacking Chair.

Lotus Four Leg Stacking Chair - Stack 8 chairs high

As commercial furniture suppliers, Kirkhouse has supplied over 750 churches throughout the UK – we have over thirty years experience in church seating and have developed a number of our own chairs for the Church market (including Malvern stacking chair and Dual pew stacking chair). Here we consider the logical church chair order process we have established, and detail how churches can achieve the best results against time and budget constraints.

Evaluate your Church Chair delivery schedule.

Quality made to order church chairs are generally between 2-6 weeks in manufacture. During busy periods (Christmas and Easter in particular) church customers might work to a six week delivery schedule. We suggest church customers contact Kirkhouse to check the current delivery schedule of their preferred church chairs. It is most important that Church customers order as soon as they are happy with their decision: If a Church knows what is required eight weeks before delivery can be made, then the Church should place its order and ask for delivery in eight weeks – we don’t want to let Churches down and advanced production schedules for our Church seating factories helps all our church furniture customers.

Choosing the best Kirkhouse Chair for your Church.

We regularly supply Churches throughout the UK, broadly speaking, UK churches may be split into three categories:

1. Church Worship only.
   Churches that require chairs for worship only, may focus on Kirkhouse sanctuary chairs. This excellent range of timber frame church chairs is ideally suited for extended seating in comfort. Our sanctuary chairs are generously proportioned: They typically have wide & deep seats and well shaped full backrests. Kirkhouse sanctuary chairs are bulky and do not stack very high; as such they do not make the best Hall or Multi-use seating.
2. Church Hall.
   Kirkhouse steel frame stacking chairs are most popular for use in Church Halls. Steel frame stacking chairs are extremely strong and are available with numerous options: Customers can specify various options making the chairs better suited to a wide range of uses.
3. Worship & Hall / Multi-use.
   Many Churches now use their worship space in many ways, with seating being reconfigured for individual services, or even cleared away entirely for indoor sporting events or community education. Such use implies a number of requirements in the furniture, and customers should be more considerate as to chairs which will perform in the desired fashion. Customers might consider chairs from our Steel Stacking Chair range, Curvy chairs are of exceptional quality, whilst low cost solutions include upholstered plastic chairs such as our PC1-SBP.

Upholstery is often an important aspect in Church seating. Churches considering upholstered chairs need not worry about the colours available – Kirkhouse have a vast range of upholstery options – we can offer expert advice whichever chair you are considering. We suggest customers not become to entangled in upholstery colour – choose your church chair first; the upholstery is the easy bit!

Ordering your Church chairs.

Whatever stage you are at in the sourcing of Church chairs, it is important that you contact the Kirkhouse UK furniture sales office. We have vast experience in the supply of church chairs and we can offer a great deal of assistance. Samples finishes are available on request, to ensure your new chairs will suit your Church.

We can usually promise delivery of your church seating before Christmas, well into November. Where chairs are needed quickly, we have the expertise to ensure the best decision is made for your Church’s unique requirements.

Churches looking to buy church chairs, should contact the Kirkhouse sales office for further assistance. Our online furniture shop includes our comprehensive range of Church furniture, including Church chairs.

The most popular Kirkhouse Church Worship Chairs

Many UK Schools Autumn term starts this Monday 5th September. As usual, our UK school furniture sales office is busy processing orders for the quickest delivery possible. Our own UK furniture factory in Tredegar is working to capacity, producing thousands of Primary and Secondary School chairs and tables – we’re now quoting delivery of new orders in October. Thankfully we have stock items ready to dispatch much more quickly – we highlight the school furniture items that are flying off the shelves in September 2011.

Quick Ship School Chairs from Stock

Our Titan Childrens chairs are proving most popular, with stocks of over 10,000 ready to ship within 7 days. Titan Plastic Chair is available in five colours and six EN1729 seat heights. Our warehouse is currently dispatching hundreds of these stock school chairs – and we’re unlikely to run out!

Also proving popular is the original Postura+ school stacking chair, which is available in many colours from stock. We’re likely to have stock of your preferred school chair seat height and colour, however stocks are limited and moving fast.

Our own school chairs model PC1-J children’s stacking chair is currently on a 2-3 week lead time, please contact the Kirkhouse school furniture sales office for details.

Quick Ship School Tables from Stock

School folding tables perform best at this time of year, being easy to dispatch by carrier we can achieve delivery of your folding school tables within 7 days – where production allows.

Our Contour classroom tables are made to order, however production is very efficient at present quick deliveries are being achieved nationwide.

Our new Enviro classroom tables are also made to order, however manufacture is most efficient and delivery within 10 days is currently standard. Enviro tables may well be the next standard in classroom furniture – due to quick ship requirements we are certainly producing more than anticipated.

Standard school furniture

Kirkhouse specialise in the manufacture of classroom tables and chairs: This August / September we are exceptionally busy producing furniture for hundreds of schools nationwide. Our factory is working to capacity, however as we progress through this seasonally busy period, quicker delivery times will return. In the meantime, please contact our furniture sales office with any quick ship requirements – we’re glad that we can still help supply thousands of school tables and chairs from stock.

The Kirkhouse Titan School chair is available from stock

Kirkhouse Postura+ School Chairs are available from Stock

In March 2009, we received a furniture inquiry from Heddon on the Wall Library; at the time, Libraries were being closed across the UK. Heddon on the Wall Parish Council took control of their local library and established plans to convert it into a multi-use community facility. We were proud to be invited to contribute our furniture expertise throughout the project, until final delivery of our commercial library furniture in March 2010. Furniture Blogger reflects on the furniture installation project.

Library Design and Planning.

As suppliers of commercial furniture, we love being involved in New Builds and Refurbishments from as early a stage as possible: We encourage our furniture customers to consider certain building aspects, primarily furniture storage areas. New Builds and Refurbishments often lack good Furniture storage; naturally an architect will have many aspects to consider; where the chairs and tables will be stored can seem to be the last consideration. Whatever the clients position, we can supply furniture to suit, the question is of adapting the furniture to the building: Can we use stacking chairs, or must we use folding chairs? Might folding tables of this length, be more appropriate than stacking tables of that length? What does the client really want their commercial furniture supplier to offer, and what can the client afford?

We’re always keen to have a commercial furniture budget from the outset: Heddon on the Wall Library required a full kit out, including reception chairs, IT chairs and desks, office furniture (Seating, Storage and Desks) and a Bespoke Library Desk. The initial design and planning of the new library included a significant budget for furniture. As commercial furniture suppliers, we’re familiar with our budget being cut the closer we get to installation date. Buildings are very expensive, and our clients often find money being drained away into areas that could not be foreseen. With this in mind, Kirkhouse offer various furniture proposals on the basis of cost, with fall back plans to be used if furniture budgets are reduced. We are expert in the supply of commercial furniture that is guaranteed for use between 5 and twenty five years and at a range of costs: We are able to offer various seating including cheap stacking plastic chairs, practical stacking banquet chairs and wooden stacking chairs. Kirkhouse tables and desks for school and office use, are also available across a broad price range from boardroom tables made to order, to cheap folding tables from stock. Throughout their furniture selection process, Heddon on the Wall library considered various commercial furniture solutions from Kirkhouse.

Library Building Work begins.

Heddon on the Wall Library found one unforeseen cost in the form of a tree in a local Church. Significant delays were incurred as various bodies decided upon who was responsible for the tree and how it might be felled. Such delays and additional costs are generally pulled out of the commercial furniture budget: We cannot argue with this, as we don’t see how we can install furniture into an incomplete building – this is the nature of commercial furniture supply.

As the building work commenced, we contacted a Bespoke Furniture manufacturer in Bristol: Usually found installing bespoke Kitchens into various homes and businesses in the Bristol area, It Woodwork were keen to apply their expertise to our Library desk. Together we created various 3D drawings and plans for the client. The brief included a requirement for wheel chair access, IT practicalities such as wire storage and computer peripherals. Our library desk design in conjunction with It Woodwork was to be the bulk of the furniture project work throughout. Bespoke furniture design and manufacture requires time and expertise – whilst It Woodwork began constructing the library desk, we developed our various commercial furniture plans and presented amendments and revisions by cost.

Commercial Furniture Suppliers – Experts in low cost, efficient furniture delivery.

The winter of 2010 was particularly harsh: Roads were closed and large goods vehicles in particular were restricted by Snow and Wind. Much of the commercial furniture supplied to Heddon on the Wall Library, was delivered in smaller vehicles and even these struggled to reach their destination as the road to the Library was steep and Icy. Nevertheless, Kirkhouse successfully delivered operator chairs, Cantilever office desks and lounge chairs & coffee tables for a breakout area. Later deliveries were to include high quality lightweight folding tables from our Gopak Premier folding table range. We must take particular care of our storage units: Office storage units were installed by our specialist furniture delivery team.

Last to be delivered was the It Woodwork bespoke library desk, including a tough laminated surface and library branding detail.

Expert library furniture suppliers.

Heddon on the Wall Library is a project we are particularly proud of, due to the extent that our expertise was utilised. We have also furnished school libraries throughout the UK, with multi-use School furniture such as stacking plastic chairs and school desks. Kirkhouse chair and table ranges are adaptable to many kinds of application; folding chairs and tables being used to great extent in such projects, as support furniture.

We are keen to hear from customers at any stage of a project; we take great enjoyment in offering commercial furniture advice from the earliest stages. We can offer assistance in the planning of chair & table usage, the practicalities of certain chair fabrics, padding and upholstery details (if padded chairs are required). We offer expertise in the practical application of chair linking devices for commercial stacking chairs and folding chairs. Kirkhouse also have expertise in the practicalities of various commercial folding table ranges, including Gopak, Polyfold and Virco folding tables.

Please contact Kirkhouse with any UK commercial or school furniture (including school tables & chairs and school lockers & storage) requirements. We offer free advice and quotations through our online furniture sales website.

Kirkhouse - Complete School Furniture Suppliers

Throughout the UK, old county catalogue school furniture suppliers such as ypo and espo continue with a method proven since 1974. These behemoths of the school furniture industry deserve a lot of credit, having served the education market for so long.

Almost 15 years since Kirkhouse launched it’s first furniture sales website (20 years since we sold our first chair), we look at how our commercial furniture ranges have adapted to the modern needs of the School furniture market, and how we differ from our old friends in Yorkshire.

Purchasing Schemes: The last bastion of the Catalogue shop.

Every year since 1974, huge consortium catalogues (such as the ypo catalogue and espo catalogue) have been distributed to Schools throughout the UK. These catalogues have included all kinds of school supplies, from Glue and Ballpoint pens to Energy Procurement. Where else would you find such a comprehensive range of School supplies? We honestly do not know!

A comical scene in many a school, can be found when the school budget needs to be spent: Often teachers can be found leafing through the big old catalogues (such as ypo and espo) searching for something to buy with their remaining pennies.

Many old consortium catalogues (such as yorkshire and espo purchasing) offer almost everything for School from one source: Almost every UK School knows and has used a buying consortium catalogue.

For over ten years now, catalogue shops in general have largely lost their impetus as the internet can offer so much more. How do some catalogue shops (such as ypo and espo) survive?

Catalogue shops may continue to thrive, where time constraints restrict those purchasers who are under pressure to deliver more than just classroom chairs and tables. Here at Kirkhouse, we love our classroom furniture ranges (we really do), however we understand that our children’s education is more important: If there is a choice between a child achieving a GCSE or £1000 being saved on classroom tables and chairs, we’d choose the GCSE every time. Hence teachers use convenient, tried and tested procurement methods such as those found through ypo and espo.

Where schools have the time to procure supplies from different sources, savings can be made. This is certainly true of the school furniture industry.

Online furniture sales: Experts in UK school furniture supply.

At Kirkhouse, our classroom furniture design, manufacture and delivery is performed to a professional standard; we can discuss the intricacies of our furniture products and recommend suitable solutions to individual requirements. We are experts in our field, operating through our comprehensive furniture sales website.

Unlike the old county school suppliers (e.g. ypo and espo), Kirkhouse no longer publish a full catalogue. Some of the consotium school suppliers (such as ypo and espo) have websites of their own, offering good service for registered users; however these county suppliers may rely on their various catalogues (such as the ypo catalogue and espo catalogue) as a well trodden route into most schools.

In 2011, outside of the old consortium suppliers such as ypo and espo, the commercial school furniture market (classroom chairs and tables, classroom storage, IT furniture, office chairs and office desks) relies on teachers and procurers finding suitable furniture items on the internet, through well established commercial furniture experts. Many successful school furniture suppliers (including Kirkhouse) have never been in a position whereby schools have been required by law to purchase from us. This cannot be said of the county consortium groups (e.g. ypo and espo) which benefited from a legal preference from 1988 until The Local Government Act of 2000. Such laws are now long outdated, however many county suppliers such as ypo and espo may continue to benefit from these old procurement requirments.

Many county suppliers such as espo, ypo and other traditional catalogue suppliers, are ideal for schools seeking access to a very broad product range, however they are no longer the sole solution. Whether considering county suppliers from Devon and Cornwall to Northumberland and Yorkshire – purchasing school furniture should be easy and low in cost. It’s good news that Schools looking for commercial standard classroom chairs and tables, can now visit our UK furniture sales website. We’re also on the phone for free school furniture advice and quotations!

A brief guide to our UK school furniture ranges.

Kirkhouse offer a wide range of Children’s chairs and tables for Nursery and Primary schools. Children’s wooden chairs, plastic chairs and IT chairs can be seen in our Childrens chair range. Children’s tables, including children’s folding tables and stacking tables can be seen in our Children’s table range.

Classroom Chairs and tables for Secondary Schools are also available from our online UK furniture shop. You can view our most popular plastic stacking chairs, our cheap stacking chairs and our top of the range EN1729 plastic stacking chairs. Our classroom desks can be found in standard sizes or made to order.

We offer a wide range of School IT chairs with plastic or upholstered seats. Kirkhouse also offer an excellent range of School IT desks.

Kirkhouse school folding chair and table range includes the full Gopak folding table collection and most recently Sico folding units. Gopak folding tables can be found in most Schools, offering incredible strength, fantastic durability and being light weight. You can view our range of Gopak folding tables (including Gopak Economy, Gopak Contour and Gopak Premier) and choose from a wide range of folding table sizes and colours.

Do you know your acronyms?

Don’t confuse your acronyms, what do YPO and ESPO stand for?

espo is an acronym for: Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation, East Siberia – Pacific Ocean, European Sea Ports Organization and Enterprise Solutions Program Office.

ypo is an acronym for: Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation, Young Presidents Organization, Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation, Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Young Professional Officer and Young People Organization.

Every year the largest UK school furniture manufacturers are presented with large orders for school tables and chairs. Kirkhouse keep up with the rush!

Our own factory manufactures for many school furniture suppliers in the UK and abroad. We produce thousands of stacking plastic chairs for schools and hundreds of school desks and stacking tables. Our most popular stock items are the PC1 stacking plastic chair in Black and our school stacking desks in 1200 x 600mm table top size. We aim to keep full stock of both items in key colours. Chair and Table stock is held throughout the year, however we’re at our quietest after Christmas: At this time we set about planning for the year ahead; improving furniture sales standards, furniture dispatch and delivery methods and most enjoyable of all – finalising and introducing our new school furniture ranges.

Secondary School – quick delivery at peak times.

We don’t want to disappoint customers at any time. Our aim is to deliver quality school chairs and tables as quickly as possible in excellent condition, and if we cannot achieve this through our excellent furniture delivery systems, then we will advise this before a furniture order is placed. Some school furniture suppliers struggle to achieve customer satisfaction during the new term rush – and frankly it’s not surprising. In keeping stock of key products, we reach the widest number of school customers. Customers looking for school furniture in particular colours and sizes may do well to order in June where possible. Our school furniture sales office is able to advise excellent delivery standards on all items at this time. Whether your school requires the latest EN1729 classroom stacking chair, cheap school stacking chairs, or extra-long stacking tables in sky blue-pink, we can achieve quick delivery without difficulty in any month besides August / September.

Nursery and Primary School quick delivery.

Our stock of childrens chairs and tables is also widely affected by the New Term school furniture rush. Kirkhouse PC1 Childrens stacking chair is usually available from stock, and our Postura Plus childrens chair is also very popular and available from stock throughout the year. Children’s tables are usually longer in manufacture and not as easy to store as children’s chairs – as such customers requiring children’s tables should order as early as possible for August / September delivery. Kirkhouse Childrens Soft Play is usually available from stock also – you can see the range in our online furniture shop.

Non-School furniture deliveries.

It may seem as though Kirkhouse only supply School furniture, however we are also a leading commercial furniture supplier to the NHS, MOD, local council (including Community Centre and Village Hall) and Charities. These furniture customers do not have new term requirements, however they are effected by the New Term school furniture rush. Community Centres and Village Hall’s are most likely to require specific fabric colours and consequently should add a few weeks on to our standard delivery times. Customers requiring banquet chairs, upholstered plastic chairs or upholstered office chairs in particular should be prepared for delays in September. The Kirkhouse online furniture shop will guide you through our excellent range of commercial furniture, however you may need to contact our furniture sales office if you have an early delivery deadline.

Commercial furniture – quick delivery tip.

Whatever your requirements, if you’re struggling to meet your furniture delivery deadline, you might consider commercial folding chairs and tables. Kirkhouse offer a comprehensive range of folding tables and chairs: Due to their compact nature, folding chairs and tables are very easy to stock at low cost.

Our most popular stock folding table is the Gopak Contour C/AB2: The Gopak folding table range is very popular with Schools, from Primary School through Secondary and College; our Gopak folding tables may be found in most schools throughout the UK. Gopak folding tables are incredible strong, lightweight and available in a range of sizes and colours.

The most popular stock folding chair available from Kirkhouse, is the 2200 series commercial folding chair. This folding chair is lightweight, strong and available in three colours. 2200 series (often incorrectly known as Samsonite folding chairs) fold down flat for very compact storage. Whatever your furniture requirements, please contact our furniture sales office for friendly free advice.

Childrens school chairs usually available from stock

School desks usually available from stock

In celebration of a furniture design classic, we look at the demands placed on commercial furniture and one furniture designer who transformed the UK school classroom.

As commercial furniture suppliers, we are very big fans of Polypropylene / Plastic Stacking Chairs. Most, if not all of us, have sat in at least one plastic chair. Our School classrooms are filled with them, our Community Centre’s have them in store for large events, Village Halls can keep them for decades. Stacking plastic chairs are incredibly cheap and last longer than many people want them; plastic stacking chairs can be passed from school to village hall to scout group and remain in regular heavy use while alternatives barely last five years.

School classroom furniture in particular, needs to be strong, easy to clean and cheap. Our stacking chairs are available as nursery chairs, primary school chairs in fact the shells and frames are so easily modified that we have children’s chairs for all ages. Kirkhouse stacking plastic chairs typically have a classroom lifespan of thirty years; in many cases over 10,000 students could potentially use our plastic classroom chairs in this time. Plastic stacking chairs are ergonomically comfortable and strong; when stacking plastic chairs, most users simply drop the chairs on top of one another – there is no need to delicately place them. Our stacking plastic chairs take a lot of abuse.

Kirkhouse also specialise in school tables and classroom stacking tables.

Robin Day’s Polyside Plastic Stacking Chair.

Our customers often ask for strong, cheap stacking chairs (comfort is also a question – but all of our chairs are comfortable) and no chair meet these requirements like the Plastic chair; for that we must thank Robin Day. It’s been said that the factory producing the original Polyside chair, made more money in suing the manufacturers of various copies. Regardless, the Polyside sold in it’s millions from 1963 onwards and is consequently one of the best known furniture designs of the last century.

Polyside had it’s problems however; the original steel frames were of such ingenious design, that they could be hand welded in their thousands at minimal cost: Unfortunately, the Steel was often of insufficient quality, and some frames were known to break. Furthermore, Polypropylene is hard and does not retain heat particularly well – many users will prefer an upholstered seat. It is common for customers to choose upholstered chairs for their perceived comfort, however seat padding often makes little difference over a long sitting. We usually advise that chairs of any type and cost will be comfortable for a sitting of two hours – longer than this and users need to take a break. Popular upholstered stacking chairs certainly have their place, as do fully adjustable office chairs.

Redesigns and modified copies of the Polyside stacking plastic chair, were sometimes better than the original; following the introduction of new British standards in the 1980′s, the number of Plastic shell manufacturers rapidly increased. Kirkhouse is regularly contacted by Church Halls and Village Halls looking to add to their old plastic chair stock, only to discover that their 30 year old shells are no longer in production.

We’re very glad to announce that the Polyside itself is having a makeover: The plastic shell remains one of the best, however the strengthened M5 frame introduced in the 1980′s is being phased out. Modern steel tube is being brought to the original frame formers, allowing the classic frame shape to be brought back into the classroom. The Polyside stacking chair is widely recognised as a furniture design classic, for those looking to buy furniture, in particular classic school furniture, Kirkhouse now offer the original Polyside classroom chair for sale from our UK furniture shop.

Robin Day was involved in the design and manufacture of many furniture products including chairs and tables. Unfortunately no folding chair or folding table designs were put into production, however Robin Day may be credited with one of the first adjustable office chairs which we may feature in the future.

Royal Mail celebrated Robin Days design in stamp form. Unfortunately, the image includes the 1980's M5 frame, not the original (there's a story for your next party)

When looking for furniture suppliers, many UK Community Centres , Village Halls and Schools are attracted to Folding Chairs and tables for their space saving attributes; but is this a correct assumption?

Folding Chairs
The most compact chair available is the 2200 folding chair series – available in Red, Blue or Black plastic (white folding chairs are also available). These chairs are durable and are the choice of many furniture hire customers and Village Halls; however many Schools and Community Centres prefer an upholstered folding chair: Our Virco folding chair series is the most popular. Many of our folding chairs include an impressive ten year guarantee; whether for school hall or classroom use Kirkhouse folding chairs are hard to break.

Our most popular Virco folding chair range is available for sale with a range of standard folding chair trolleys. The most popular will store 48 Virco folding chairs.

Folding Chair Trolley dimensions:
Length: 1400mm
Width: 700mm
Overall Height: 1970mm

Stacking Chairs
If your School or Village Hall is seeking an alternative to folding chairs, the most common are upholstered banquet chairs and Plastic / Poly stacking chairs. This type of stacking chair is widely considered to be more comfortable than a folding chair, as manufacturers do not need to include any moving parts in the chair design. Comfortable stacking chairs very popular with Hotels and Community Centres. Stacking chairs are typically 500mm wide by 550mm deep and will stack ten chairs high. As such, in the same space that you would store 48 of our most popular folding chairs, you could store around 60 stacking chairs.

It’s worth noting that upholstered stacking chairs are usually more bulky than non upholstered plastic or wooden seat stacking chairs.

Approximate floor dimensions for sixty stacking chairs:
Length: 1500mm
Width: 1100mm
Overall Height: 1970mm

Notes.
Folding chairs without suitable trolleys almost never works!
Stacking chair dimensions should be checked against your precise chair model.
For various reasons, many customers are unable to stack chairs ten high.

Before you buy commercial furniture, it’s often useful to discuss your choices with your wholesale online furniture shop.

Store 48 folding chairs

Stack 45 chairs high

Kirkhouse commercial plastic stacking chairs (or bucket chairs) are now available for sale from our furniture store in two different standards: Generation 1 & 2. It’s useful for online furniture shops to know the differences, in order to help UK consumers looking to buy furniture.

First Generation plastic stacking chairs
meet British ergonomic standards
The most important aspect is the seat height: Since the 1940′s the recommended adult seat height has been 430mm.

School plastic stacking chairs have been manufactured by an astounding number of factories (many of which are now closed), and countless plastic chair designs have been produced – all with the adult seat height at 430mm.

Plastic (more accurately Polypropylene) has proven to be a fantastic chair material, creating lightweight, cheap stackable chairs. Widely considered to be furniture for schools, Discount furniture suppliers may offer First Generation cheap plastic chairs at under 10.00GBP each. Kirkhouse have plastic chairs for sale at under 8.00GBP each, from UK chair manufacturers. The largest production cost of commercial stackable plastic chairs is the initial setup. Consequently, with many first generation plastic bucket chairs being around 50 years old, the cost of manufacture is very low, and the sales price is also low. The cheapest stacking chair available at time of writing is the Kirkhouse PC1.

First Genration plastic chairs are also available for sale as childrens chairs from Kirkhouse online furniture shop .

Second Generation plastic stacking chairs
EN1729 European ergonomic standards
These new plastic chair measurements are based on a European sample population. The standards are far more rigorous than required for first generation plastic chairs, with many aspects to consider besides the seat height. Adult seat height for 2nd generation plastic chairs is 460mm. Further emphasis is placed on the space between the seat and backrest, depending on the target age range.

Fewer UK factories are now manufacturing plastic chairs suitable for School / Community Centre / Village Hall use. The development costs of second generation plastic chairs, are high. New designs and new tooling are incredibly expensive, and factories need to recoup these costs. As such, second generation plastic chairs for schools are far more expensive than first generation plastic chairs. Arguably the finest 2nd generation plastic chair, is the P7, however special consideration should be given to the Postura and many schools favour the SE model.

Second Genration plastic chairs are also available for sale as childrens chairs.

Kirkhouse online commercial furniture shop includes the Chatterbox and Bikini plastic stackable armchair.

Cheapest Plastic Chairs

Spot the difference - EN1729 plastic chair

Kirkhouse and Optimus Education Foundation (registered charity 1122212) have teamed up.

Optimus take supplies for school – specifically school furniture to Schools in Africa. Plastic chairs in particular last for decades, so taking your second hand plastic bucket chairs abroad will make a huge difference.

Poly or Plastic stacking chairs are ideal for shipping to overseas schools. UK school furniture shops and furniture suppliers sell thousands of plastic chairs every year, and every year Kirkhouse are asked to collect old plastic school chairs and school desks which can be put to good use elsewhere. If you’re clearing your office chairs and desks and are wondering what to do with all your furniture, then we may have the perfect solution.

Optimus aim to collect your chairs and furniture free of charge, with further dontations for fuel being greatly appreciated. Please contact Kirkhouse with any queries; you can see further details on our furniture recycling page.

Some of the chairs Optimus send to African Schools

Having attended a number of furniture exhibitions, it is fair to say that 8th Grade students of The School at Columbia University, have produced some of the most inspiring, logical and consequently beautiful furniture ranges at this years International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York.

New classroom table and chair designs offer a practical solution for multi-use within one classroom. Classroom furniture should be subtly inspiring but most importantly tough and practical. Included in the classroom furniture range, are a classroom desk, classroom chair and school locker systems.

Regular upholstery customers will be glad to know that our range is now three times as extensive. Our old upholstery ranges are still available, however we’re almost ready to introduce over fifty new ranges in addition.

Please bear with us whilst we resolve a few technical issues – we will be displaying many thousands of unique colours and finishes!

EN-1729 was introduced in 2006, in order to establish important standards in furniture.

The recommendations are important and useful: Ergonomics became well established during and immediately after WWII, where pilots in particular, were required to operate in confined spaces for long periods of time. British standards that were established in the 1940′s, had never been updated until the introduction of EN-1729.

It is worth noting that these sizes are recommendations only – there is no legal requirement.

Furthermore, to achieve EN-1729, manufacturers are required to meet many more standards – particularly as to the space between seat and backrest. We tend to find however, that most customers just want know they’re buying the right size.

Our latest website has been online for a few hours now, offering immediate pricing and broad specification choices on a wide range of products.

We’ve more functions to introduce, but we thought it was about time to offer you some new features now.

We hope this new site helps you even more than the last!

Regular customers may be experiencing difficulty with sending email.  Please check that you are sending to:

info@kirkhouse.co.uk

we have been using a temporary address for a few months, but everything is back to normal now.