How to Decorate a New Office Space

Are you in the process of moving office? First of all, congratulations. Finding a new office space that meets your business’s needs is no easy feat, particularly when there are so many different office types to choose from. But, in many respects, if you’ve opted for a managed office that gives you the freedom to choose your own decor, the hard work starts now.

We all know how important is it to have a comfortable, practical and inspiring workspace and the impact it can have on overall mood and productivity. With that in mind, we’re going to share a few tips to help you create the best office designs that increase employee productivity, impress new clients and make everyone feel good about where they work.

Why Is Office Decor So Important?

Global research by Steelcase found that when employees like their office space, they’re more likely to be connected and engaged with the job and, therefore, more likely to stay. The same study found that 61% of employees value access to private spaces within the office. For many people, it’s simply not enough to have an office space and a hybrid working policy.

Aspects of your office, such as lighting options and even the colour of the walls can all boost employee wellbeing. And with employee wellbeing directly impacting productivity and, therefore, profitability, we think it’s well worth spending a little time on your office decor.

Here are just a few of the business goals the best office designs can help you achieve:

• Building and reinforcing brand identity - Your interior design and even the colours on the walls can help you build your brand identity and reinforce your values. This creates a branded atmosphere for your employees, ensuring they’re always motivated and focused on the company.
• Boosting employee creativity and collaboration - Create zones with different themes, colours and graphics to support different types of working and encourage creativity, collaboration and the cross-pollination of ideas amongst teams.
• Enhancing the user experience - Use your office decor to impress your clients and improve the employee experience. Your office layout speaks volumes about who you are, what you do and how you do it, but you have to think carefully about the story you want to tell. You could have sofas and beanbag chairs in a corner to create a waiting area or relaxation zone. Or you could showcase your branding with neon lights and logo plaques. The choices are truly endless.
• Hiring and retaining the best talent - Your office space actually has a huge impact on employee retention. The truth is that good office design and decor are typically expected these days, so treat your office as a valuable recruitment and retention tool and give it the attention it deserves.

What Are the Best Colours for Your Office Walls?

The best colours for your office walls depend on your brand, how you work and what you want to achieve. Colour design has a proven impact on human emotion and behaviour, so understanding the basics of colour psychology can help you create a space that gets the best out of your employees.

Studies have shown that employees are at their most productive and confident in offices with predominantly blue colour schemes. Blue also has a calming effect and can reduce stress by lowering blood pressure and heart rate, making it one of the best office colours in deadline-driven environments.

Green is a colour we associate with the natural environment, and natural surroundings put people in a calmer state. Humans perceive green in a way that requires no adjustment, making it a good choice in offices where employees work long hours and can suffer from screen-induced eye strain.

Yellow is the colour of optimism and energy that can help to stimulate creativity in innovative businesses. However, too much yellow can increase anxiety and even cause people to lose their temper more easily, probably making it a bad choice for meeting rooms. It also reflects a lot of light and can cause eye strain in brighter offices. The lesson here is to use the bright shade sparingly.

Orange is a colour that stimulates brain activity and produces an energising effect. It can also improve focus, concentration and organisation. However, like yellow, it’s best used as an accent colour as it can also stimulate appetite and create an office full of hungry (or hangry) workers.

What can you take from this quick guide to colour psychology? Although whites, greys, creams and tans are not particularly stimulating on their own, they work well as base colours that you can combine with pops of blue, green, yellow and orange to get the benefits of these colours without the drawbacks. Having lighter, neutral main colours tend to be typical of serviced office spaces, giving a sense of spaciousness and feelings of stability and cleanliness. This neutral base then gives you the chance to decorate your area with your own, potentially branded, office accessories.

Other Office Decor Ideas

Now you have a great colour scheme, here are a few other small changes you can make to brighten up your office.

Choose an office layout that supports your goals

Although it’s not strictly decor, as you’re moving office, this is the perfect opportunity to think about your business needs and consider the type of layouts that best support them.

Here’s a quick guide:

• Do you want to improve collaboration? Then opt for open office layouts, desk neighbourhoods, cubicle groups and coworking spaces.
• Do you need to accommodate larger groups? Open office concepts with multipurpose spaces and activity-based workspaces are your best bet.
• Is space at a premium? Less space means you need to be smarter with the square footage you have. Hot desking and agile environments should serve you well.
• Do you need private areas? If your employees need privacy to do their best work, then individual offices and cubicles and small conference rooms may be the way to go.
• Are you trying to improve company culture? Focus on your employees by providing different types of areas that support the way they want to work. That includes private and personal spaces, recreational facilities, kitchens and breakout rooms.

Never underestimate the importance of light

Light has a big impact on the look and feel of your workspace, and is crucial to creating a pleasant and healthy working atmosphere.

Make the most of your natural light by removing obstructions such as curtains, blinds and storage cabinets from your windows. Opening up your office and keeping your design minimal will also let the natural light in and help it flow through your space.

If your space doesn’t receive much natural light, it’s worth thinking carefully about your lighting decisions. Brighter spaces can enhance analytical and evaluative thinking, with soft white lightbulbs and daylight bulbs able to produce the light you need without impacting workers who are light-sensitive or prone to migraines.

Add accent furniture pieces

Serviced offices will come fully furnished, so you won’t need to spend your budget on basic office furniture, like desks, chairs and computers. However, you can reinvigorate your office design and make it truly your own with a few fun accent furniture pieces that can make a big impact.

A couple of statement armchairs, a new coffee table or modular furniture that can be reassembled to meet your changing needs can add versatility and colour to your existing setup.

Everything You Need to Achieve Great Office Designs

We hope we’ve shown you how just a few changes in decor - from the right colours on the walls to a suitable layout and great lighting - can have a big impact on everyone in your office.

And if you’re still looking for the right flexible office space, we’re here to help. Whether you’re ready to make the move to a managed office or are looking for a coworking space for your home business, we’ll make sure you get the best deal.

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