The reception area of any business is a hugely important deal. This is the space where first impressions are made, and sometimes ruined. If you get it wrong here, you could ruin a big money deal, and it can be something so simple, such as the receptionist not smiling and being a little off-hand, or the reception area furniture needing a good clean.
What goes on in your reception area is a direct reflection of how you run your business and what your business deems important.
For that reason, it’s vital to know the main DOs and DON’Ts of the reception area.
When designing your reception area, it’s important that it fits in with the general feel of your business. For example, if you’re a car manufacturing business, the reception area should reflect that; if you’re a toy manufacturing business, your reception area could be more colourful or playful. Despite that, there are some general themes that are fantastic for creating the right impression in your reception area, and they fit in with most businesses generally.
Let’s check out a few.
The Airport Lounge
Having an airport lounge-style reception area is a fun take on the ‘check in’ process, e.g. when the visitor comes to the desk to announce their arrival, you could have a process which is almost like issuing them with a boarding card. The general design of the space should be sleek, just like an airport. Think about a high back leather chair for the receptionist, and an aviation theme to the waiting area.
Oceanic
There is a reason why dentist surgeries have fish tanks in their waiting rooms - the blues and aquatic vibes are calming and creates a serene atmosphere. This is exactly what you want your reception area to be, so how about a large fish tank, even a feature wall if you can stretch to it. You could then add a curved desk for the receptionist and comfortable seating, almost like arm chairs, for the visitors to wait in.
Mother Nature
Biophilic office design is a huge deal, but there’s no reason why this can’t extend to the reception area too. This could mean a living wall behind the receptionist, plants here and there, neutral colours on the walls and natural woods for the desk and general furniture.
You could even have a bespoke reception desk which looks like rustic, natural wood.
Again, the natural elements are calming, and that’s the ideal feel for your waiting area.
Coffee Shop
The coffee shop theme might not fit in with every business but it’s a good option for most. This might include stools and high benches for waiting areas, perhaps areas for working and places to plug in laptops and phones. Think about Starbucks and you’re getting the right idea. You could so have futuristic coffee machines where visitors can get their own cup of java!
This design can be achieved with modular office seating, which can be moved around quite easily.
Futuristic
Another good option is to go futuristic, with colourful pods and high shine furniture. Flat screen TVs on the walls and steel decorations are a great nod to the future with this particular design and again, it shows innovation and creativity, which will lead visitors to think the same about your business.
There’s no denying that the reception area is where profitable business deals can be made and broken, so it makes sense to think carefully about how you design it and furnish it. These funky reception themes are ideal for creating a fantastic first impression, but they’re also comfortable and functional at the same time. Whilst it’s important to make sure that the theme you go for fits in with your business’ activities, most of these have the right amount of middle ground to make them possible no matter what products or services you’re providing.