About 20 years ago an office employee asked a Silicon Valley office designer about the style of a newly constructed office. He wanted to know if the office would be just another boring-looking white-washed office situation or if it would be a cutting edge design to match the new-age technology wave. The designer thought about it, made changes, and this question started to design for unique office interiors.
Office furniture solutions became ergonomic, colorful, and designed with the employee in mind. The idea was to bring the most out of the employees using color and form. Color, distractions and “toys” were developed and contributed to higher levels of productivity from workers. The office interior revolution was awesome – no longer did office workers feel like they were working in Ebenezer Scrooge’s cold and dark den.
Game-changing office interiors were the new design craze and designers like Karim Rashid turned office design upside down. From trendy chairs to oddly shaped desks, office ideas became up-to-the-minute and are still evolving. A few new office designs might give you some idea of why office work is becoming more enjoyable.
Bring in the outdoors.
Working in the outdoors is calming, but on a park bench with your laptop would be difficult. So, if you can’t work in the outdoors bring the outdoors inside or as close to inside as you can get. Selgs Cano, an architecture firm built a bunker in a garden for their central workspace. Office workers and architects relax with nature all around them in a low bunker-like building that has open workspaces, and an entire glass front all set down in a season-changing environment.
Make the Office Feel Like Home
A survey of workers found they liked workspaces separate from home to maintain a work/life balance and a professional atmosphere, but they did like offices that were cozy and homelike. For example, Redbull Cape Town’s office has comfy couches, a full bar, shag carpet, and classy lightening. It’s designed almost like your living room, but with desks.
Give Your Employees Downtime
Once upon a time, Google’s offices included slides, Legos, beanbags, and video games. The idea was to keep employees happy since they worked so much, they didn’t see their children for days on end. Google’s offices were and still are all about making extra work hours as fun as possible.
Open Seating Plans
Coworking is all about getting things done and open seating can be fun. Coworking offers an open seating plan an office environment that encourages mixing and matching of employees and collaboration of ideas. Coworking and open spaces in one small office complex in Dallas allow employees to mingle with employees from other small start-ups and small businesses. The companies share open spaces like in-office break and conference rooms.
Play Rooms
At Lego Denmark, there are playrooms where employees get creative. Seriously, they have found that playrooms are relaxing places to work while they are developing children’s games and movies. Office furniture solutions are sit-down rugs and close-to-the-ground tables. This type of an office situation keeps designers and workers thinking young and being creative.
Creativity Offices
Pixar’s offices are designed to be imaginative think tanks. In Pixar’s office’s animators, designers, and writers have “funky” office interiors including lounge lighting and themed offices as workspaces. This type of office interior gives freedom to employees to customize their work environments to suit their personalities.
Cutting Edge Offices
If you want a cutting edge office, hire an architect with cutting edge ideas. One office, Corus Quay, is laden with office furniture solutions that will boggle your mind. In the office interior is a three-story slide that takes you to the lobby. There are also quirky seating arrangements, furniture, lighting placements and other office furniture solutions that make the workspace feel unique. The employees at Corus Quay are excited to come to work each day because they work in an inimitable and crazy office interior.
How Can You Make Your Office Look Better?
You may not have the budget of Pixar or Corus Quay, but there are little ways to make your office quirky and creative.
Decorate your office. Not everyone likes white walls, white ceilings, and white lights. You spend significant time in one space, so it’s important that it reflects the culture of the company but also your personality.
Get some excellent lighting or just an artistic desk lamp. Awesome lighting and office furniture solutions make your office look more sophisticated and keeps you feeling happier when you have to work late.
Use indoor desk plants to make your office feel outdoorsy. In recent studies, it has been proven that office plants increase happiness and productivity. Use small indoor plants to add color and life to your desk. Even if your day is stressful, plants can cheer you up.
Add pictures and photos to your desk. Keep them appropriate, but if you have your desk full of photos of friends and family, it might make you feel less isolated.
You spend an excessive amount of time in your office being creative and productive. You can use office furniture solutions to make your office look trendy or try ideas to add color and pizazz to your office. Don’t just let the office interior dictate how you feel at work, liven it up and be productive.
