News

We are passionate about our values as a business and our commitment to offering genuine, positive changes to wellbeing in the workplace. For us, it’s about so much more than sales. It’s about challenging the status quo; it’s about breaking free of the constraints of old fashioned corporate ideology – it’s about living and breathing the #obolife. We’d love to share our experiences, your feedback and insight from experts the world over as we travel this path together.

4 days ago
1 min

Top 5 Product Highlights from Cologne I Orgatec x Design Post Köln

After a long absence due to the pandemic, the office furniture tradeshow, Orgatec, returned to Cologne at the end of October with much anticipation. The event highlighted ongoing trends and upcoming products and innovations in workspace design. Through the event, we spotted a few interesting brands. Here are our top five product highlights from Cologne. #obolife #productdesign #workplace

Apr 7, 2021
1 min

obo Announcement | A Sound Collaboration!

In the newly emerging workplace ecosystem, having a well-designed workspace is an essential part of achieving an optimised workspace with the right balance, cognitively, emotionally and physically. With this at the forefront of our minds, obo is delighted to announce a new collaboration with Mute. Mute is a genuine specialist in interior acoustics offering a comprehensive portfolio of acoustic products thoughtfully designed to bring harmony to your space, finding the balance

Mar 17, 2021
1 min

BoConcept & Haworth | A New & Complementary Partnership

Two years in the making, BoConcept and Haworth are pleased to announce they have entered into a global strategic partnership, bringing together BoConcept’s industry-leading furniture collections with Haworth’s world-class contract furnishing solutions and workplace knowledge. Decades in the making BoConcept was founded in Denmark in 1952 by two young cabinet makers. They shared a simple vision: to introduce quality Danish furniture to a broader audience. In the nearly seven d

Nov 23, 2020
2 min

Guest Article | The WFH Warrior | Quickstand Eco User Review

By Rachael Little, Yoga Teacher to Premier League Staff Like most office workers, I have been aware of sit/stand desks for a few years. My 2 different roles over the last 5 years have afforded me the fortunate circumstances that I have always been moving around, rarely sitting for longer than half an hour. I have also practised yoga for many years and now teach office workers the practice, so am a huge advocate of how essential and beneficial movement is. However, because of

May 28, 2020
2 min

Introducing Gustav!

Hi, I'm Gustav! I’ve been thinking about the new challenges that face us all and I think I can help! I could be your new workmate and help you get around. I’ll carry your laptop, your folders & papers, and all those personal items – whatever you’d keep on your regular desk, safely and securely. Also, you see that panel on my front side? Fold it down and I’m a laptop or tablet stand. Or a file holder. Or… however else I can help. I’m open to ideas. But enough about me. I want

Apr 27, 2020
4 min

Guest Article - Defining The Future Workplace & How Our Evolutionary Past Holds The Key

Written by Victor Maningo of Haworth Inc. Corporate real estate has, for some time, been preoccupied with the future of work and how it will manifest in the coming months, years, or decades. This is not new. But it’s definitely top-of-mind right now. Fueled by the exponential rise of technology and other factors, including generational diversity and an increasingly global economy, ours is a continually evolving, somewhat ephemeral industry. It seems as if everyone’s searching

Apr 18, 2020
2 min

obo Article - Gabi, in Full Colour!

We touched on our explorations into the world of numerology and colour therapy a few posts ago. We’re fascinated by how it offers an insight into how we interact with each other in life, at work and with the planet. We’ve teamed up with The Colour Ministry, a company of Colour Wellbeing Consultants who are passionate about colour and how it impacts our daily lives to learn more and to share our findings with you. And, now we have another birthday in the ranks, it’s Gabi’s tur

Apr 16, 2020
2 min

wOw Article - workable wellbeing by obo (Breathing & Nutrition)

Last week we again partnered with Gallup, the global analytics and advice firm, to host and deliver workshops to their teams, to help them gain a more complete understanding of breathing & nutrition and how better practice could have a positive effect on their health; physical, mental and immune. The workshops, from a series that we offer under the heading of ‘workable wellbeing’ #wOw, were devised to support and guide people in their places of work. Naturally, our places of

Apr 13, 2020
2 min

obo Article - It's not normally like this. Good or bad?!

It can be difficult to find focus right now. And that’s completely understandable. These are, after all, unprecedented times. Daily life for millions of people across the globe has been completely upended and sits - for the moment at least - in an uneasy mix of confusion and uncertainty. Our natural instinct is, of course, to cling to all that we know; to rely on our preset notions of how things are ‘supposed to’ work and try to keep up the behaviours we’re conditioned to dis

Apr 9, 2020
2 min

wOw Article - workable wellbeing by obo (Colour)

Last week we joined our client Gallup, the global analytics and advice firm, for an online workshop to look at the subject of Colour Personality. This was the second in a series of workable wellbeing #wOw workshops being delivered to Gallup by obo. Alison Standish, a Professional Colour Consultant, was our speaker & her passion for Colour and Light over the last 15 years has led her to create 'The Colour Ministry' an innovative organisation that has taken ancient colour ther

Apr 7, 2020
2 min

wOw Article - workable wellbeing by obo (Affordances)

Last week we partnered with Gallup, the global analytics and advice firm, to host and deliver a workshop to their teams, to help them gain a more complete understanding of ergonomics. From emotional, physical & cognitive perspectives. The workshop, one of a series that we offer under the heading of ‘workable wellbeing’ #wOw, was devised to support & guide people in their places of work. Naturally, our places of work have changed, but the messages have not. More so now tha

Mar 28, 2020
1 min

obo Article - Sound & Colour

As many of us settle into an increased pattern of homeworking, we're taking a look at what items around your home help you to stay focused, make you more comfortable or aid your self-care routines. We asked our own John Walters and his vote goes to this, the Pablo UMA Mini, the newest addition to the UMA family. This lovely little ‘lantern’ fuses state of the art technology with not only sound, but colour too invoking the primal symbol of the lantern, the warmth of a campfire

Mar 25, 2020
2 min

obo Article - In Full Colour!

We touched on our explorations into the world of numerology and colour therapy a few posts ago. We’re fascinated by how it offers an insight into how we interact with each other in life, at work and with the planet. We’ve partnered with The Colour Ministry, a team of Colour Wellbeing Consultants who are passionate about colour and how it impacts our daily lives to learn more and to share our findings with you. And, what better way to start than by convincing our own Founder a

Mar 10, 2020
2 min

obo Event - How To Beat The Afternoon Slump

Last week, we partnered with Fritz Hansen in their stunning new Clerkenwell showroom to host an insightful breakfast presentation with our own expert nutritionist Sophie Higgins LLB, dipCNM, mNNA: How to beat the mid-afternoon slump. The purpose of the talk was to help us all better understand that, what we eat affects how we feel from not only a digestion & gut point of view, but also benefits us cognitively and aids our mental wellbeing. The lack of energy at around 3pm is

Jan 16, 2020
1 min

obo Article - Generous Green - The Colour of 2020!

“Colour is not just for our sight, it impacts us physically, emotionally, mentally & psychologically, and transforms our daily lives” - THE COLOUR MINISTRY At obo we’re exploring the world of numerology and colour therapy offering an insight as to how we interact with each other in life, at work and with the planet. Using tools from The Colour Ministry we’ll be discovering the meaning of our colour personalities and sharing our findings with you. We hope to help you explore y

Jan 15, 2020
1 min

obo Article - Surface Design Show is almost upon us!

This year, obo are a proud event sponsor and we’d love for you to join us for 3 days of education, entertainment and engagement. Surface Design Show is the only event in the UK that focuses solely on interior and exterior surfaces and returns to London's Business Design Centre 11-13 February 2020 to showcase the best in surface material design, development, innovation and manufacturing. A surface design has never been more vital to contemporary architecture and design. Rapid

Jan 10, 2020
1 min

obo Article - Feel Better in 2020!

As we had been in 2018, we were once again proud to support last year’s Mad World Summit and this time we were privileged to provide support to Ruby Wax’s Frazzled Cafe. Frazzled Cafe is a registered charity that operates with the purpose of providing a safe, anonymous and non-judgemental environment where people who are feeling frazzled can meet on a regular basis to talk and share their personal stories. Frazzled Cafe is not just for the one-in-four of us who will suffer fr

Jan 3, 2020
1 min

obo Article - Get Support in 2020!

As we had been in 2018, we were once again proud to support last year’s Mad World Summit and this time we were privileged to provide support to the rather awesome Big White Wall; a unique online mental health community. Accessible any time, anywhere. Big White Wall was founded in 2007 and since then, has supported over 160,000 people living with anxiety and depression. People come to Big White Wall for help with a wide range of mental health and wellbeing issues – from anxiet

Dec 17, 2019
1 min

obo Article - Little Books with Big Insights!

Today, the spotlight falls on our friend Sid Madge's little books with big insights. His first book 'Meee in a Minute - 60 ways to improve your life in 60 seconds' became a best-seller and celebrates the work of the Meee Programme. Now a collection of 3 books focusing on innovative ways to improve your life, work-life and family-life, these very cool self-help guides come in 60 easy to read chapters that can be read in just under 60 seconds each. At heart, we all want the sam

Nov 28, 2019
1 min

obo Article - welcome to 55!

Take a look inside our studio, proudly positioned in the heart of Fitzrovia. Set in a beautiful townhouse on Riding House Street, we surround ourselves with a carefully curated selection of the newest and coolest pieces in the world of workplace furniture. Products from Haworth, Bene, BuzziSpace, Fritz Hansen and GAN Rugs have been set to provide an inspiring and welcoming working studio. But, why W1 and not EC1?! This small, half-mile area in central London is a cornerstone