It seems after a good period of working from home we are now starting to see employers encouraging staff to return to the office full time. As an employer you should be asking yourself, ‘how can we ensure the office space is not just a place to work, but a place to energise and inspire the workforce?’
You can hire a designer to plan a considered design, and use colour theory to transform your office into a productivity powerhouse; but you can also take some cost-effective steps to improving the look of your office space. Let’s create an environment your employees will want to return to—and where they’ll do their best work.
The Obvious One: Colour Theory
We all know that different colours evoke different emotions, so if your office resembles the white walls and grey wiry carpet that remind you of sitting in a classroom (barf) then maybe it’s time to inject some personality to that space and create an inviting, stimulating and inspiring setting for your hard-working employees.
I’m not saying go nuts and paint all your wall yellow to make everyone feel happy (this would be insanity), but you CAN use calming tones such as blues to aid concentration with splashes of orange and yellow to give energy and dopamine hits.
There are really clever ways to combine these colours, and of course we can use pinks and green for breakout spaces or break rooms; but my advice would be to contact an interior designer who can sit down with you and understand what your company does, your values and your messaging and they will incorporate that with an appropriate scheme for your space.
I am now taking on new clients in office-based settings so now is a great time to reach out and chat to me about your business and the space you have.
2) Poor lighting = unhappy workforce.
If you are lucky enough to have gorgeous, big windows in your office then utilise them by letting the light in. Don’t clutter them or cover them with tatty blinds or curtain. ‘Ah, you say this Sophie but they are problematic, the sun heats the room up so we have to keep the blinds closed.”… I hear you. But you don’t have to sit in a stuffy space with the windows blocked up. Replacing the windows, although not cheap, can actually save you money in the long run.
Energy efficient windows not only keep in the heat in the winter, but they help to keep the room cool in the Summer too. Fitted with the correct kind of thermal blinds or shutters you can still admire your pretty windows and allow light to seep in but not melt in the Summer sun either.
No/limited natural light? No problem. I’m sure most of you are already using energy efficient lights, but if you are using the fluorescent tube lights here’s where you may have a problem. Sure, they are eco-friendly and kind to your wallet, but they suck. Fluorescent light is really not good for people who sit at computers all day. Headaches, dry eyes and general feelings of ‘urgh’ are common underneath these harsh lights.
Why not introduce faux skylights which mimic natural light and are less harsh than tube lights. Combine this with warmer wall lights (you can get warm coloured eco bulbs) and you’ll be creating a much nicer ambience for your staff whilst still providing enough light that’s kinder to their eyeballs and well-being.
3) Your brand should shine through!
You didn’t spend all those years working hard to have your own office for it to look like it could belong to anyone! Be proud of your brand, your staff and what you’ve built and let it be seen! You don’t have to go full silicone valley here and start filling the corridors with pool tables while the receptionist travels through the office on a Segway, but you can let your brand voice be heard.
Signage with LED backlighting looks awesome and is cheap. Your company slogan printed across the main wall in the meeting room reinforces your message to visitors. Enhance your branding with natural compliments…
If you’re a printing business contact local photographers and artists and ask permission to print copies of their work hang in the office. If you are B-Corp certified you could flourish the office with plants. If your company sells tickets for gigs or theatre productions contact some promoters you frequently work with and ask for tour posters.
You get the idea..
In fact, if you comment on this post with what your business does I’ll give you an idea to get you started on improving your office space!
And of course, to save you the hassle of doing all this yourself the easiest thing to do is hire someone!
As a designer, I really do believe all the things I preach, I am a conscious designer and want my visions to align with the values and voice of the people I work with.
Why not say hello to find out if we could be a good fit for one another? I’m ever so friendly!
