Office materials library: choose your finishes with no rework

Each reference documents the M1 or Cfl-s1 fire classification required in office environments, the A+ health labelling for VOC emissions, FSC or PEFC labels, the FDES sheet when available and the 5 to 10-year manufacturer’s warranty. The collection is updated twice a year with our 60 partner manufacturers referenced since 2006.

The industry treats finishes as an aesthetic matter. For you, it is a matter of cash flow and asset value. Across our supported projects, we observe several measurable effects.

• Decision lead time: validation of finishes is significantly shortened thanks to the materials library, which correspondingly reduces the duration of transitional rent.
• Aesthetic compliance: post-delivery satisfaction is high on treated surfaces, which neutralises the risk of budgetary rework at the end of the project.
• Budget optimisation: trade-offs between premium references and equivalent technical alternatives deliver significant CAPEX savings on the finishes package.
• Acoustic performance: reverberation time is brought below 0.8 seconds, compliant with the NF S 31-080 standard, a recurring rental attractiveness criterion in tenant trade-offs.
• Environmental compliance: the materials library includes a wide selection of references certified FSC, PEFC, A+ or holding an FDES, available for your office energy reporting and CSRD obligations.

Commercial honesty is part of our method. Three configurations do not justify a full materials library pathway.

Area below 200 m² or single-material renewal. The five steps become disproportionate: the consultant time is not justified by the value of the trade-offs at stake. A short brief followed by a 90-minute workshop is then sufficient.

Traffic above 200 people/day. Polished concrete and certain wool carpets lose their relevance: the wear calculation projects refurbishment at 4-5 years, which invalidates amortisation over 8-12 years. We favour reinforced LVT or linoleum in these configurations.

Group charter imposing more than 70% of the finishes. The physical materials library ceases to provide differentiating value: a documentary audit on FDES sheets is sufficient, without a materials workshop.

Two points of attention complete this reading. A 20 × 20 cm sample does not reproduce the perception across a floor plate (a light shade can dazzle under 500 lux, a graphic pattern can tire after 8 hours at a workstation): we systematically recommend the 1:1 test. Certain premium references require a minimum order above 100 m², a constraint that we validate ahead of the supplier schedule to secure the project sequence.

1. Strategic brief
   Two 90-minute meetings with a Kytom interior architect to frame your functional, budgetary and CSR requirements. We formalise the usage target, the m²/workstation ratio, the targeted amortisation period and the group charter constraints. This phase lasts 1 to 2 weeks.
2. Targeted preselection
   We shortlist 30 to 50 references among 2000+ samples, aligned with the area to be treated and the admissible load of 5 kN/m² minimum. The preselection cross-references fire classification, A+ labelling and environmental labels. Duration: 1 week.
3. Materials workshop at the office
   In a 2 to 3-hour session at one of our 11 offices, we compose floor, wall, ceiling, furniture and textile combinations on A3 boards. You validate the moods before any budgetary commitment. Duration: 1 week.
4. Technical validation
   We cross-reference the selected references with FDES sheets, fire classifications, A+ VOC labelling, target reverberation time below 0.8 s and supply lead times of 3 to 16 weeks. This phase secures regulatory compliance and the schedule. Duration: 1 week.
5. 1:1 on-site sampling
   Installation of 2 to 4 m² in situ before final ordering, particularly on floors and acoustic panels. This full-scale test validates the perception under your actual lighting (500 lux office) and the behaviour under traffic. Duration: 1 to 2 weeks.