When it comes to talking about business growth the usual topics of conversation centre around cash flow, company values, targets, technology and the quality of staff. However, one factor that often gets overlooked is how the office actually looks.
In a recent study, 25% of employees who took part said that the interior of their office was hindering their performance. Over half of those who took part also said that their performance would improve if their office was designed to fit their needs. Even potential employees look to office design before considering the job offer. As 33% of workers said that office design can significantly impact their decision on whether to accept a job offer or not. There is something you can do about it, though. Scroll down to discover the 6 easy ways to improving your office interior – and the art, audio, accessories, storage and furniture that can help brighten up your working environment, too.
Introduce Collaborative Work Spaces
If you can manage it, give your employees more than one space to work from. The very best offices have a mixture of environments, spaces and zones which cater to different tasks. Putting yourself in a new space with a different look and feel literally shifts your brain and helps you stay focussed. That’s why many offices offer a variety of environments to work from; desks, conference tables, kitchens, eating areas and even lounges.
We suggest anchoring the office with a large, multi-functional conference table such as the Hem Alle Table or the John Green Otis Table, with smaller zones around the office for people to work away from the hustle and bustle of the desk. You can also introduce a variety of chairs for a bit more personality, including design classics such as the Rex Kralj Mosquito Chair and the Normann Copenhagen Rocking Chair.
Amp-up the office break-out zones with soft furnishings such as the Hem Brick Pouff and the Hem Koti Two Seater Sofa. And, if you’re wanting to expand the lounge zone even further, then you look to the example set by those in Silicon Valley and include some gaming circles with the help of the iconic RS Barcelona Folding Ping Pong Table and Indoor Foosball Table.
Light Up Your Lives
A study published in “The Responsible Workplace” found that natural light exposure in workplaces led to happier workers, less absenteeism and increased productivity. So, if you boast the luxury of windows; embrace them. Paint your walls a natural colour and let the light reflect around the room. If not, there is still a plethora of lamps and lights out there that can create a warm and inspiring feel to your office space.
LED lights and light sensitive switches are more beneficial than harsh fluorescent lights. Small, spotlights and pendants from the likes of Industville, Flos and Vitamin can be used to dictate and change light in different areas of the office. Also, improve desk spaces by introducing small spotlights and desk lamps for employees to personalise their work zones. For a little inspiration, check out our favourites from the Anglepoise Mini Type 75, to the Menu Phare LED Lamp and the Flos Table Lamp.
Use Music To Set The Tone
A study by researchers at Cornell University found playing upbeat music in a work environment increased co-operation between team members and improved decision-making. Meanwhile, Music Works has conducted a fair bit of research into this contentious area and their results indicate that music delivers clear employee benefits including improved accuracy, a rise in productivity and making people feel more relaxed. Above all that, though, music makes the working environment a lot more enjoyable to be in - and it helps avoid the excruciating silence that a lot of employees have to work in.
That means you’re going to need a simple to use, portable speaker that all your employees can wirelessly connect to and argue over what music to play. Our choice, the Vifa Pebble Grey Copenhagen Wireless Speaker, lets you create the atmosphere to suit your working moment. With its light Nordic design, the loudspeaker plays to its surroundings and fills your office with great sound from virtually any music source.
Bring In A Little Art
High-quality signs have a profound impact on the first impressions of potential employees, customers, visitors and business partners. Yes, exterior branding and interior office signs are extremely important for establishing a strong brand image – and Sygns, the neon sign makers, offer a lot of variations to help your brand standout in your office space. But, in order to provide a touch of personalisation to an office, a sprinkling of contemporary art will help create a warm and inclusive atmosphere that generic posters or company incentives won’t achieve.
Of course, you should think carefully when it comes to choosing art for your office to ensure it complements your colour scheme. Thankfully, we have a wide range of contemporary, minimalist and abstract art, prints and posters from the likes of Peytil, Atelier CPH, By Garmi, Bycdesign, Olle Eksell, Kristina Dam, Mogensen Lopez and more for you to decorate your office walls with.
Consider Smart Storage
Create an active workspace; de-clutter desks, leave pads of paper in reach and keep stationery, accessories and filing neat, tidy and in order. Look to the Atelier Belge Shelving System, for instance, to bring a minimalistic and expandable shelving system to the heart of the office. There’s also a wealth of space-saving solutions, strategies and clean-up components from the likes of YUYU Amsterdam, Normann Copenhagen and CorkFrame that can enhance the natural feel of the office while keeping things in-order, too.
Bring A Little Of The Outdoors Inside
Not only will plants make your office a bit prettier and more pleasant to be around, but they’re especially good if you’re deprived of windows. Research in the USA found that plants not only make a room more oxygenated, but also improve worker concentration and productivity. Basically, the results are massively in favour of offices that have large standing plants in communal spaces or, better still, those that have plants on their desk. You can do better than your average pot plant, though. How about Vitamin’s I.V Pot Plant, complete with its easy-to-maintain I.V plant food drip. Or for an even bigger conversation starter, check out the FLYTE Levitating Planter or the Boskke Sky Planter.
Want more? Gain even more office interior inspiration by exploring the latest Lifestyle arrivals at OPUMO.
Shop all Interior collections at OPUMO.
