When most of us think about offices, the probability is high that the first thing that comes to mind is a mundane, soulless, monochrome space.
Now, while this is a common theme among stereotypes around how an office should look like – this isn’t what an office must look like. In fact, when people try to force a space to look like a stereotypical, outdated work environment, the results aren’t all that good. How we feel plays a huge role in how we perform in pretty much all tasks out there.
All this is why comfort is necessary when it comes to office design, as it truly does propagate productivity. Having all that said, do you want to learn more about design ideas that are going to turn a boring, monotone office into a productive, lovely environment? If the answer is yes, make sure to keep on reading, as that’s exactly what this article tackles.
Choose Your Materials Wisely
Many people tend to underestimate how material choice can affect the feeling that an object/space radiates. Wood ensures warmth and coziness, steel and concrete give off the almost opposite – the feeling of an urban jungle. But, when combined – these two make a perfect modern combination, each material providing what the other one lacks. This is why so many modern spaces combine such materials, and it is indeed a good choice for an office. According to onepointpartitions.com, it’s also a very important aspect of any commercial bathroom design.
The same principle can be used on common, everyday objects. The best way to explain this is by comparing the feeling of eating out of a wooden bowl, compared to eating out of a steel one. Take any object from an office – space efficient office partitions do their job when it comes to their intrinsic purpose. But, opting for literally anything but raw, boring plastic gives this seemingly dull object, so much life. Fabrics come to mind – they are soft, fun, and colorful, what’s there not to love?
Different Colors for Different Sectors
Space separation isn’t an easy feat, especially when it comes to working spaces. You don’t want working areas to be mixing with those for resting and socializing. That way, you ensure that the purposes of these areas are retained. The problem is, obvious separation of spaces can oftentimes be hard to execute. A nice, subtle way in which you can enforce space separation is by employing different colors for different sectors. This goes both for the paint job and for the furniture.
There are certain studies that have shown that colors can indeed affect how we feel. The best way to utilize this knowledge is by opting for green or orange for the office. Green and orange have been connected with keeping long-term concentration, clarity, and all the good stuff that constitutes a productive environment. On the contrary, red is a stimulating color, so, it might be best to utilize it for areas for socializing. In any case, by using color, space separation isn’t going to end up looking as forceful and intentional as it would if you were to opt for more traditional methods.
Let There Be Plants!
Who doesn’t enjoy a nice plant here and there? Not only plants are a great choice for interior design, aesthetics-wise – but they also boost productivity. That’s right, studies show that having a plant per square meter around an office space drastically improves employee performance. The tests conducted specifically focused on memory retention as well as similarly basic tests – skills that are present in almost all jobs out there.
If that isn’t reason enough for you to equip your office space with plants, then you should know that plants also increase happiness in individuals. So, ultimately, by investing in plants, you acquire a happier, more productive, beautiful office.
Get the Most Out of the Lighting
Lighting plays a huge role in the way in which we experience different spaces. That means that, if you know how to do it, you can utilize lighting to boost productivity in the office. The best way in which you can work in your office regarding the lighting is to ensure that there is as much daylight as possible. Daylight, in addition to making people more focused, also makes them feel comfortable. So – opting for a lot of large windows is a win-win choice when it comes to office design.
In the end, in a space so often constricted with the level of creativity that goes into designing it, making most out of even the smallest details goes a long way. Some parameters might not even look as important at first, and this is an especially common misconception about materials. But as you’ve been able to see in the text above, materials, lighting, and colors can transform the place entirely. Now that you’ve gathered some ideas, it’s time to go to the drawing board. Have fun designing your office space, and good luck!
