Even with the increase in remote working, most people still spend a huge chunk of time in an office. If that office looks boring, dingy or cheap, this can impact the impression it gives off, production levels, and even the health and mood of your employees and visitors.
Revamping and decorating your office can make a massive difference in so many ways, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot to achieve the look you want. Here we will take a look at some of the current trends and top tips to help give your office a new lease on life today.
Office design ideas
When it comes to your office and design ideas, you should begin by thinking about broad concepts. What do you want your office to say about you? How do you like people to work? Is privacy and peace and quiet more important than collaboration and communication? Should your office be a hive of productivity or a creative or relaxing space where ideas can grow?
It is important to think about how you can best utilise the available space, lighting, a colour scheme and so much more. It is also essential that you hire the right professionals for the job. An experienced company like Painting All Sorts near Newcastle will do an exceptional job every time, while using an inferior company could have your new design looking shabby and tired before it is even finished.
You can opt to go for a more traditional or classic design or something more trendy and edgy, just make sure that you are sure of what you want before you get started, and that you aren’t just adapting to the trends but are truly focused on your brand and what would best work for you.
What’s trending in office design?
With the move towards a hybrid working style, more offices are embracing more communal working spaces for their employees while they are in the office. Having co-working spaces or rooms where collaborations can take place can encourage new ideas and discussions while your staff can still enjoy their privacy and quiet work time at home.
In terms of office design, it is increasingly popular to have a mix of working spaces instead of all private offices or cubicles to allow for different working styles to match each need. Companies want to make their offices places that their employees want to come back to, as well as focus on productivity, health and well-being all at the same time.
Another push is for greener offices, both in terms of reducing carbon footprints and in being healthier and more tech-savvy. Designs that fit in with this focus are trending now and look likely to continue to do so, with more and more offices aiming for carbon neutrality today and in the future.
How can I make my boring office look better?
There are a number of smaller ways that you can brighten up your office and make it more appealing with very little time and effort, as well as larger and more dramatic changes you can make. Here are some of our favourite ways to make your office look better today:
- Hang some artwork – ideally local, but big bold colours are often popular in offices so hang what you like and make it a statement.
- Add plants – as mentioned above, green is trending in so many ways this year and adding plants is an excellent way to add life to your office. They look great, oxygenate the room and improve mental health, moods and increase productivity all at the same time.
- Use mirrors – designers have been using mirrors to brighten up a space for years, making a small office look bigger and making it seem lighter too.
- Paint an accent wall – this can really add a splash of colour and brighten a drab or dingy office. You can even make it a piece of art or incorporate objects that are relevant to your business.
- Add unique furniture – nothing can seem more boring than having every desk and item of furniture looking exactly the same. Uniformity does not often look that exciting, so change things up with different lamps, tables and splashes of colour to relieve the boredom.
- Allow employees to personalise their space – similarly, while too much clutter can look bad, allowing your staff to add a few personal touches to their desks or cubicles can add some much-needed life to a dull space.
How can I make my office look nice and classy?
One of the mistakes that a lot of offices make is to think that minimalism or lack of personal touches makes the space look classier and more sophisticated. While this can work in some instances, a lot of offices actually end up looking worse for displaying only corporate art and refusing to add any colour or personalisation.
Here are a few top tips to have your office looking classier in no time:
- Incorporate your brand – a great way to add class to your workspace is to make sure that it reflects your company and what you represent. Showing your brand colours, logo and so on tells people who you are and shows you aren’t just a bland copy of every other office.
- Declutter – while you don’t have to rid your office of everything, having too much stuff around can make you look disorganised as well.
- Add quality décor – putting down the right rug, and having plants or local art can make your office look fabulous while choosing the wrong décor can have the opposite effect.
- Bring in natural light – natural light is so much classier and also beneficial to your workers than artificial light, opening up the space and giving it a vibrant and bright feel.
View of empty office workplace with table, chair and computer
Final thoughts
When you are thinking about changing up your office space you should really think about what you want to achieve. Your office should be a reflection of you, your brand and how you work. Whatever the statement you wish to make, you would be amazed at what an impact a simple coat of paint and a few statement pieces can make, so why not give it a go today?