A few years ago it was all the rage to work from home. Many large organisations actually made it a choice for employees to work from home for at least some of the time. It was thought that allowing staff to be more flexible, to avoid having to work in the office for their entire working week, that they would be more productive and much more relaxed in their work.
This did work for a long period of time, and in many cases it still does, but then a few concerns were raised. A few people decided to abuse the position, and rather than being more productive, it made them less so. For this reason, organisations made a slight U-turn on their remote working position – rather than having their staff work outside of the office, they wanted to bring the home into the office.
Say ‘hello’ to the resimercial office.
A resimercial office is basically an office which is decorated in such a way that it looks like a residential property, e.g. it has all the comforts of home decor. Rather than sleek floors and strip lighting, there will be carpets and lamps. It is thought that by making staff more comfortable in this way, they will reap all the benefits of working remotely from home, but by actually doing it in the office, where they can collaborate with employees much more easily.
The jury is out on whether this type of office design works for all organisations, but there certainly are many that make it work. Whilst sofas are a no no, ergonomic chairs are in, which allow comfort for staff who are sitting for a long period of time. It’s essentially about creating a blend between home and work, and allowing more of the home style to creep in.
This type of office space planning has its haters and it has its lovers too. Looking at it from both sides is the best way to approach it. Staff feel more comfortable and are perhaps more relaxed as a result of this type of design. On the flipside, some staff may feel that they can’t draw a line between home and work when the two environments mirror each other quite closely.
It’s a personal choice for each organisation to make. If you think your particular business could use a resimercial design to great effect, it’s time to do some research. When looking for office furniture in London to fit in with this type of choice, here at Calibre we have many options to suit your needs, so feel free to get in touch!
