Research shows that the decor, lighting and color in the office can have a huge impact on employee creativity and productivity. Bright colors can trigger brain activity and foster creativity for the employees. Providing natural sunlight or fluorescent light can provide upbeat mood not only to people working inside the building, but also to the customers making them spend more time, and money with your business. No wonder companies like Google and Facebook spend billions of dollars in decorating the office with the right colors and furniture. Below are variety of ways in which you can redecorate, and revitalize your office.
Flooring
The flooring options in your office can make a huge difference in the way employees interact with each other and how they work. It is also the hardest to change, especially if you’re in a rented building. Still, switching from a high-static carpet to a low static one, or even ripping up the flooring and exposing the hard wood underneath might be the good options.
Ever notice how some carpets just feel institutional? You have? Great, so have your employees. Ditch it, and watch your employees’ attitudes change immediately.
Lighting
More natural light is always a good thing. Yet, many offices rely on overhead fluorescents. Direct sunlight provides upwards of 100,000 lux. You’re just not going to beat the true colour and brightness of nature.
Even with indirect sunlight, you’re getting 10,000 to 25,000 lux. So, if possible, open the shades or figure out how to get more sunlight into your home.
Decor
Maintain a tidy office, and keep the decor inspiring. Many offices use modern art, but you can just as easily replace it with inspiring pieces from a gallery like Cordair – an art gallery that specialises in what it called “romantic realism” or a style of art that’s inherently inspiring.
Keep office furniture to the bare minimum to reduce distractions, but provide employees with an area where they can relax – a break room with more than just a couple of chairs and a TV. Give them things to keep their mind occupied, or perhaps offer them a place to take a quick 15 minute nap.
Wall Colours
Along the lines of decor, make sure your wall colours fit the office setting. That doesn’t mean everything has to be white or taupe, either. Consider paying for commercial painting services so that you get a professional job done, and that the designers and painters can help you coordinate colours that are complimentary and conducive to productivity.
For example, if you currently work in an office setting that is pale, you might want to try mixing it up with some pastel colours, especially if you’re a travel company or you’re in a creative industry.
Open Floor Plan vs. Cubicles
Open floor plans usually trump cubicle plans, but the open design can cause another problem – noise. That’s why open floor plans need to incorporate some type of sound engineering, so that noise is kept to a minimum, while productivity and communication aren’t hampered in any way. Sound engineering usually involves using materials and interior design that deadens sounds and prevents the office from becoming an echo-chamber.
Soundproofing externally, or on the internal surface of outer walls, may be helpful also to limit noise transmission to surrounding buildings and rooms in an office building.
Michael McKelvey constantly analyses the spaces around him. He enjoys looking for functionality and composition to incorporate into his interior designs.
