7 Design Ideas To Brighten Your Office

Fed up of a dark and dull office space, or just looking for ways to increase productivity in the workplace? These top tips will certainly help the Feng Shui of your office and brighten the mood!

Unless you are a billion pound company like Google or Amazon and can afford slides and scooters, you may need some alternative ideas to lift the spirits in the workplace. There has been numerous studies suggesting a strong link between office design with productivity and wellness.

We have all been in situations where we don’t feel comfortable, whether it be because of the temperature, the noise, lights or even the colours. Being uncomfortable can have a knock on effect on the way we work and ultimately our productivity and positive attitude in the workplace.

Designing Your Workspace

It can be hard to compete with the elaborate office design of Google or Amazon, but is replacing your chairs for beanbags and scooting your way to the coffee machine necessary? We all have to admit, it would be pretty awesome to have such a fun workplace, especially with the demands being an adult brings, but it may not be the most practical or realistic option. But that doesn’t go to say you don’t want to inspire your colleagues, because, we all have to come to the office 5 days a week - so why not make it as creative as you can?

When deciding how to design your office, you want to be realistic. Ask yourself these questions:

• What is my budget?
• Is it practical?
• Is there enough room?
• Is it sending the right message to my employees and clients?
• Will this last me for years to come?
• What are clients going to think when they come into the office?
• Are you going to be taken seriously?
• Are your employees going to be distracted?

Taking time to really think about the design, the cost, the efficiency and how it will make your employees feel, can ensure you design your office the right way and in turn improve the office attitude.

Colours

Do not underestimate the power of colours in the workplace. The psychology of colours is a real thing, and is adopted in many environments, more than we may realise.

For example, food chains use purple and greens, to increase happiness and appetite, whereas hotels use more low-key colours such as oranges and browns to increase the feeling of relaxation and comfort.

Large companies are using the psychology of colour to entice their market, so why can’t we use it to help our employees. As well as affecting the way we feel, studies suggest that certain colours in the workplace can also affect our mood, energy levels and productivity.

How do you know what colours to pick for your office? Think about the design - do you want to go for a neutral colour and brighten it up with a feature walls, carpet tiles and accessories? Alternatively, do you want to have a complete change and splash the walls with bright colours and have more neutral work furniture, carpet tiles and accessories?

What are your brand colours? What are your competitor’s colours? For example, you wouldn’t walk into Portsmouth football clubs office and see red! The colours you choose are going to be what makes your office special, and according to the internet, determine how your employees feel. So pick wisely.

Colour Guide For The Workplace

Do you need help with choosing the right colours for your office? Here are the most commonly used colours and the suggested meaning behind them. 

Use Of Carpet tiles

Carpet tiles are the most commonly used flooring for the office space. They are reliable, adaptable and easy to maintain. They last a long time and can be very cost efficient to your business. One of the best benefits to having carpet tiles is the colours and designs. If your walls are bright and colourful, you can pick more neutral flooring to go with it, or you can choose funky designs to complement your designs. Dots, stripes, or multi-coloured tiles? Take your pick!

Different coloured and patterned carpet tiles can have a huge effect on the rooms. For example, they can make rooms feel bigger or smaller, more welcoming and just all-round cleaner. Having a good floor not only lifts the mood of your employees, but can also leave a good impression on prospective employees and clients.

As well as being able to choose from a plethora of colours, designs and combinations, they are also very easy to maintain. You want to ensure your floors are kept clean, rid of any stains. Having a dirty, old carpet in the office can really put a downer on the mood of employees, as well as leaving a bad impression to clients, who pay you! People always say shoes can make or break an outfit, well; it’s the same concept for carpet tiles in your office!

Space & Adaptable Office Furniture

Having space in an office is crucial to the happiness and wellbeing of your employees. There’s nothing worse than being cooped up all day, with everyone squashed into one place. Not only does it feel claustrophobic, but it can also hinder productivity with lack of movement.

Making small changes to the placement of your office furniture can make a real difference. This can be done by looking for opportunities for movement. Moving the water cooler or coffee machine to the other side of the office can help employees take short breaks throughout the day give them time to refuel, communicate with other colleagues and come back to their work with a fresh mind. Taking short, mental breaks is not only good for our physical and mental health, but can also help with writer's block or decision fatigue.

Desk Space & Office Storage

Giving employees their own office desk is standard practice, but do they have enough space to store their paperwork? A tidy desk means a tidy mind. There are lots of studies that say tidying and clearing out your home can lead to a better mental state - and it has been suggested the same for your work space. It can be so stressful coming into work with piles of paper on your desk, no space to work or put your things, or even wasting time to try and find things. Did you know 19.8% of business time is spent looking for the information and documents they need to do their job?

As well as having enough storage for your paperwork, it would be ideal to have a place for personal items, such as smartphones, to be stored away. It can be so easy to look at your phone during work hours, but having a draw for it to stay until your tea breaks or lunches can increase productivity in the workplace. The average office employee spends 56 minutes per day using their cell phone at work for non-work activity.

Not only does office furniture have to be spacious and comfortable - but now you can purchase office furniture in London and numerous other locations in more than just white and beige colours. Using different colour office chairs, stools or sofas can really brighten up the office, as well as provide a more uplifting workplace for employees. These can be kept just in the breakout rooms, for individual office desks or around a conference table in the meeting rooms. That way you can also impress clients!

Lighting

The lighting in your office is essential. As well as the colours you choose to decorate the office, the lighting can also have an effect on our mood and energy levels. The best option - to have as much natural daylight as possible in order to create a positive and productive working environment. However, we know not all buildings let in as much light as we would hope.

There are plenty of options to choose, from daylight replicating sources, to more general task lights. All can equally brighten up your office and reduce the feelings of depression, low energy and lifelessness. Different lights can also complement or change the way your colours and design look, so just make sure you take that into consideration when looking at bright or warm lights!

Plants

You may be thinking, a plant, really? However, plants have actually been known to increase engagement and happiness in the workplace.

How? They promote wellbeing and performance. There have been a plethora of studies on the subject, just type it into Google and see for yourself how plants are transforming the office.

Evidence from various studies have suggested plants lift employee spirits, increase productivity and memory retention. No wonder they are a rising trend in office design - some companies are even based outside, or have replicated forests in their office! Just take a look at Selgas Cano Architecture Offices, based in the forest in Madrid, for example. What do you think to this working environment?

Did you know that just a minute looking at a green space can improve your attention span? So imagine what being outside in a green space can do? That's as long as you aren't looking at your phone! In Japan they practice 'shinrin-yoku' or forest bathing - literally taking a walk in the woods and in Scotland, doctors can now prescribe getting outdoors and enjoying nature. So you can imagine how good having plants around you at the office can be particularly for your mental health.

Does brightening up the office now sound like such a simple and necessary solution to positivity in the workplace? That’s because it is. Numerous studies online have suggested with a splash of colour, the right office furniture and Feng Shui, it can have a huge effect on the mental health and attitude of your employees.

Moreover.... it is also important taking note that, effective staff management, if correctly adopted, also contributes towards an increase in staff productivity. One of the main benefits of great staff management is making your employees feel motivated.

So, in a nutshell, by including some simple design ideas, adding a splash of colour in your office and by adopting an effective management style, you can really improve the overall confidence and productivity. What are your thoughts on this? Let’s get discussing!

Guest Post By: Ellie Ferguson, Content Specialist