The moddern office is more than just a place where a person can sit and performs their work-related tasks. The modern office is where ideas start, where the focus of the individuals in the office can become deeper focus, and where most individual spend the majority of their waking hours. An office that lacks certain features or that feels impersonational to the individuals in that office can lead to a decrease in creativity and energy in the workplace.
However, by making the right decor choice for the office, the office can work for the individuals in the workplace rather than against them. There are numerous way to update an office to make it a more enjoyable place of work, and the best ways to do so do not necessarily require a complete renovation of the office. Updates to an office can include changes to the balance, the personality, and the calm of the office area.
It isnt necessary for an office to include every trend for decor that is available for office spaces. However, incorporating a few of these ideas can make a world of difference in the office. Furthermore, people have all tested these ideas in different workplaces.
Each of these solutions will solve a problem in the office, as well as feature some form of character to that office room. These ideas can be used immediately or can be implemented over a period of many years to provide benefits to the individuals in that office space. Rethinking the walls of the office is the first thing that an office manager should do.
Effective Ways to Improve Your Office Decor
1. Rethink the Walls with Shelves and Textiles
The use of bare walls for office decor can be detrimental to the area in which those office managers place their employees. By installing floating shelves and textiles, such as a large woven tapestry, those office managers can create a space that feels collected rather than merely decorating. Using wooden shelves allows for some storage within the office, while the textiles can help to soften the acoustics within that office.
2. Implement Layered Lighting
Another idea that will work is the use of layered lighting throughout the office. Most offices use harsh lights from overhead fluorescent lights that often strain the eyes of the office workers after approximately midday. By adding in a few different types of lamp of varying heights in the office, offices can avoid the feeling of the workplace that is meant to allow individuals to focus on their work but instead provides an environment that is visually appealing to the employees in the office.
The positioning of the lighting will make the office feel more three-dimensionally rather than flat, as well as will allow the office to feature different lighting colors that work with the various tasks that occur within that office. Bringing the outdoors into the office space by incorporating plants of various types can enhance that area. Incorporating a tall fiddle-leaf fig into the office allows those employees to feel better and to improve the air quality in their workplace.
3. Bring the Outdoors In with Plants
However, the fiddle-leaf fig require alot of natural light to do so. For areas of the office that do not receive as much natural light, plants like snake plants, ZZ plants, and pothos will thrive in such an area of the office. Grouping the plants of interest in the office can create the feeling of an office designed with care rather than one that simply places individual plants throughout the office.
Furthermore, the incorporation of a living wall in the office allows for another type of indoor plant to be incorporated into the décor that is otherwise not taken up by the office floor space. The presence of plants of any type can help to allow individuals to feel relaxed and alert at the same time, which is the benefit of incorporating biophilic design into office areas. The scale and proportion of the office furnitures is another feature that can be updated.
4. Update Furniture Scale and Proportion
By replacing the conference table in the office with a live-edge wood slab table, the office can appear more spacious. Additionally, incorporating both upholstered office chairs and wooden office stools into the office can allow for individuals to choose the seating that best accommodates their physical needs. Creating a lounge area within the office is another idea that will work well.
5. Create a Dedicated Lounge Area
Providing a loveseat and armchairs with a coffee table will allow those who wish to have informal meetings with others in the office to have a well-designed space to do so. This will allow for the main desks in the office to be left alone for those who need to focus on the work that they are assigned. Color is one of the most important elements to consider in the office.
Using a single color for all of the office walls can be a drawback for some managers, so it is recommended that one accent wall be used of a color that is deeper than the other walls in the office. This deeper accent color will make the other colors in that office stand out. Additionally, using another color in the office that complement the accent color will work well in visually pleasing the office.
6. Use Strategic Color and Accent Walls
Using shades of warm gray, oatmeal, and sage will provide a sense of peace in the office rather than a boredom of the various colors in that office. The use of high-contrast colors may be necessary for some offices to reflect their brand, but high-contrast primary colors can lead to eye strain during the workday. Another idea that should be considered for office spaces is the incorporation of as many natural materials as possible.
7. Incorporate Natural Materials
Using materials such as jute rugs in the office will not only provide visual interest to that area but will also help to reduce the echoing of sounds in that office area. Additionally, natural materials like birch plywood desks, linen shades, and leather benches add another layer of comfort to the office space. Standing desks were once a novelty item in the office areas, but they are now a requirement for most offices.
8. Integrate Standing Desks
However, some standing desks can look out of place in an office. Incorporating a few desks that use natural materials in their construction will make them look better in the office. Standing desks can be incorporated into shared areas of the office that allow the employees to rotate among the standing desks.
Additionally, anti-fatigue mats and stools can be incorporated into these standing desks. By making these desks look as part of the office décor as possible, employees will use them rather than avoid them. Art that is added to the office should feature items that will allow for conversation to occur but will not demand the attention of each employee.
9. Add Meaningful Art
Avoid art that reads: “Stay motivated!” Instead, using original art pieces of photographs of office managers families or children will allow for these employees to feel connected to the office. These art pieces can be rotated every quarter, and the office can feature new art that reflects the growing interests of the employees. Encouraging art from local artists or the employees themselves will not only allow the office to transform into a gallery but will also allow the office managers to reinforce the value of creativity in their organization.
10. Improve Acoustic Comfort
Another idea is to consider the use of acoustic comfort in the office. By adding fabric panels or bookcases with soft items to the office area, the echo of the office will decrease dramatically. One idea is to create a decorative room divider of wooden slats and felt to allow for both visual and acoustic benefits for the employees in that office area.
11. Personalize Individual Workspaces
Finally, each employee should have an area within the office to feature one object from there home. Such items can include a vintage record player, a piece of jewelry, or another object that means a lot to that individual. These items can be placed in uniform trays to provide both visual and tactile interest to that employee’s portion of the office.
By allowing these employees to have items from their homes, they will develop a sense of ownership of the office. Furthermore, individuals who have a sense of ownership of an area will take better care of the space and will enjoy being in that office area. Each of these ideas can work together in the office to benefit the employees in various ways.
Some of the ideas will focus on the body, while others will focus on the mind. For instance, incorporating comfortable temperatures and lighting into the office will benefit the body. However, the inclusion of features that enhance ideas will benefit the employees’ minds.
There is no need to implement each of these ideas at once. However, offices can start with the lighting and the one living element that is incorporated into the office. When an office area feels good when the employees enter the office on a random Tuesday morning, it is a place where the best work from that office occurs the most.
Therefore, if the office area is beneficial to the individuals who work within the office, the benefits will be reflected in the productivity and the output of those office workers.
