If you have a small office, or perhaps an office which is irregular in shape, e.g. pillars, odd corners, or a generally awkward shape, you might be keen to find ways to create more space, without having to knock down pillars and have huge renovation work done.
Luckily, there are a few ways you can try.
A small office isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A small team working within a small office certainly have a more close-knit feel, and that means that working relationships are likely to also be closer as a result. Having said that, everyone needs personal space and tripping over everybody and feeling like you’re simply too close is no fun.
You can easily incorporate amazing office desks into space that are considered smaller or irregular, it’s simply about where you place them, and you should also make sure you take advantage of spaces under windows, and in corners. Corner desks, integrated desks and workstations can look fantastic in a small office, and are also very functional at the same time!
You could also look at office bench desks if you have a long wall, and allow collaborative work to go on here, allowing productivity to go on the rise. Put simply, there are many modern office furniture alternatives you can incorporate into any office, no matter how big or small, but if you’re keen to create the illusion of more space, it’s all about natural light and decluttering.
Get rid of anything you don’t need. That might sound like simple advice that you can figure out on your own, but you’d be surprised how many offices keep hold of things they really don’t need, ‘just in case’! Anything you really don’t require can go, and it can be disposed of in the appropriate way. Weed out your storage and dispose of any old, unneeded documents in the confidential waste. You could also scan documents and store them digitally, e.g. using secure Cloud storage. Going paperless can save a huge amount of space for an office, and can also make you more efficient too, whilst also doing your bit for the environment.
Make sure that you’re not blocking windows and any source of natural light, because this can give the impression of a smaller space than you have in reality. Go for a brighter colour scheme too. If you’re not sure, why not schedule in a design visit and see what changes could be made? This could give you information you would otherwise not be privy to!
Remember, if you have other spaces in your workplace, such as a meeting room, you also need to look at your existing meeting room furniture and see if what you have is either taking up too much unnecessary space, or might not be fitting the bill any longer. Conference table design is also something to bear in mind; why go for a larger table than you really need?
The best tricks to create more space are really the most simple. Declutter, move things around, look at your existing office and see where you can move things around to avoid blocking walkways, and to give your staff a little more personal space in their working environment. Go for brighter colours, as opposed to darker ones, to create the illusion of more space, and make use of walls under windows and corners. Most offices have far more storage than they need too; do you have storage units you no longer need?
Of course, if you do need to go for a completely new office design then it’s certainly worthwhile taking your time and getting the best advice. Here at Calibre Office Furniture we have helped many businesses create new office spaces, and we can take a simple sketch and design a brand new office space.
Whether or not you have the time or budget for a redesign, there are many simple ways you can create a little extra room in your office. It’s all about thinking outside the box!