Designing Interiors for a Modern Office: A Few Things to Keep in Mind
How does the modern office differ from the classic office? Well, there would be the change in décor style that has taken place over the decades and the added electronics, which is pretty much it really. Since we are talking about a place of work and productivity, the aesthetics must blend in seamlessly with functionality here. In case you are renting or buying an office space, or planning to revamp the old one, here are a few ideas that could make a huge difference in the outcome of your interior decoration project.
Lighten the Mood in Your Office Space
Know and accept that the days of classic, serious office décor is in the past. Some of the most productive companies in the world such as Facebook, Apple, Twitter, and Google have introduced a casual theme into their offices, which is aimed to make the employees feel more relaxed. Judging by the incredible success that these MNCs have shown over the years, one would have to conclude the casual and fun office theme works really well! While you don’t have to go to great lengths, designing the office with at least a semi-casual theme is advised to reduce stress from the work environment. Legal businesses may not prefer or suit a casual theme though, so the nature of the business is to be kept in mind as well.
Embed the Theme of the Business into the Décor Itself
If you look closely at the famous offices we just mentioned in the point above, you will come to realise that fun and casual as they are, each of them is unique in their own way and the company’s nature and innate theme is well-incorporated into them. This is what gives a business office identity and sets it apart from being just another generic office.
This isn’t easy to do though because even if you have a few ideas, they will need to be implemented into the architecture with expert professionalism. This is where these designers from Maris come in with their experience, innovative thinking, and constant striving for excellence in the field of interior design. Set up a meeting with them to plan how the theme of your own business can be integrated with professional proficiency, within the very décor of your office. It’s also a great way to brand your business, so don’t lose out on the opportunity here.
The Lighting Needs Special Attention
It is a proven fact that the lighting in any room directly affects the mood of the people in it. As your employees will be staying in the office for long hours every week, it needs to be spot on, or it can potentially bring down productivity. Keep the following points in mind since their impact across all office design is universal.
- Go primarily with white light; it boosts productivity by simulating daylight
- Maximize natural light with big windows and glass doors
- Install a system that automatically increases or decreases the luminosity of the lights, in accordance with the available daylight in any space
- Have multiple sources of ambient lighting and task lighting
- Table lamps still have a special place in any office as sources of task lighting
- Avoid open, unshielded sources of light, as they can tire out the eyes
When You Have a Low Budget Go for the Minimalist Theme
Admittedly, low budget is not what the minimalist theme is supposed to be about, as in architecture, minimalism is meant to imbibe the concept that less is more. This is precisely why it is the perfect theme when you do not have a lot of money to spend on the interior decorations!
A minimalist design lets you make your office look deliberately minimal in design, and elegant at the same time. This is one of the harder aspects to incorporate in an office setting, so consulting with the interior decorators at Maris is recommended to get the minimalist theme incorporated perfectly with the overall vibe of your business.
There is No Harm in a Bit of Inspiration
If you find a great looking office décor online, or if you come face to face with one, do not be shy in being inspired to incorporate some of the design elements in your own office. Do not just copy it because that would make your office lose its identity, but building on a basic theme, or simply integrating a few of the design elements from your favourite office space is actually a great idea.
Inspire Collaboration Via the Design Itself
Cubicles are no longer an option because now is the time for instigating collaboration between employees and departments with an open design.
This doesn’t mean everyone needs to sit on the same table or sit too close to each other, of course, but a lack of walls in between them has been proven to be more beneficial in terms of not just improving collaboration, but productivity as well.
Create privacy by giving each table enough space of its own, but when there are no walls between co-workers, they are more likely to collaborate and solve problems together. Besides, the fact that everyone, including the manager, can see what the employees are doing, makes them a little more productive for obvious reasons!
Understand and Plan for Your Machinery
Now, we are not talking about factories, of course, so “machinery” would mostly involve computers, printers/scanners, coffee machines, water dispensers, etc. Nevertheless, it is easy to forget about them while designing your interior, but they just can’t be an afterthought.
To keep your equipment from standing out like sore thumbs, plan them while you plan the furniture and treat them as such. Make them a part of the décor itself and they will serve two purposes at once.
Unless anyone has a specific idea of the kind of office that you have in mind, it would be impossible to provide more precise advice regarding the interior design, but these few tips should apply in almost every situation. For the rest of the guidance, depend on a reputed interior decorator and renovator.
