Let's start fresh this year!
Change isn’t always a bad thing, and in many cases, change can actually be a positive thing. Take office revamps for instance; moving the office around, mixing things up, incorporating new office desks here and there, and looking at new designs in general can be a great way to bring a new feel to the office, boost productivity as a result, and make your staff feel like they’re working in a completely new space!
How you do this depends on your budget; you can always shop around for office furniture London choices and find pieces which fit in with the realistic amount you have to spend. You also need to look at the amount of space you have too - you can find different furniture choices, but you can’t magically wave a wand and extend the room you have! Thankfully, there are many ways to utilise space in your office, to make the entire room look larger too.
Benefits of an office revamp
You might be wondering why you should bother spending time and cash on changing your office around, when everything runs fine as it is. Well, if you want to continue to motivate your staff, increase morale, and make your office a fantastic place to work overall, revamps are a good thing to think about.
These are the main benefits of having an office revamp, whether big or small:
- A revamp keeps the space feeling fresh
- It gives you chance to declutter and throw away the things you really don’t need
- Change helps you to stay up to date with fashions and trends, which gives a fantastic first impression to visitors attending your office space
- Staff will feel more inspired to work in an office which is new and attractive, rather than an old office which is dated and out of touch with modern fashions
- When staff enjoy the space they are working in, they are bound to work harder, therefore boosting productivity. Overall, staff want to spend time there
- Revamps help you incorporate new technological items, which also helps to boost productivity
We all know how important first impressions are, and on office which looks new and fresh is going to impress visitors much more than an office which is dated. As we just mentioned, staff are also going to be inspired to work harder in an office which is new and modern. Think of it this way - a revamp also gives you a great opportunity to go through your office storage units and throw out the things you’ve been keeping, which you don’t really need!
Considerations to take when undergoing an office revamp
So, now you know why an office revamp is a good idea, and you also know that New Year is the ideal time to give it a go, what do you need to think about?
We’ve already mentioned time and space, but what else needs to be incorporated into your new design plan?
Overall Office Design
Are you going to change the entire layout of your office, or are you simply going to redecorate? Both come under the ‘revamp’ umbrella, and its personal choice how far you go with this project. If you’re choosing to overhaul the entire office design, you need to consider the different types and find which is best for your workplace and the staff you have.
Do you want to change your working environment to incorporate hot desking? How about an open plan office? What about cubicles? It’s best to think about the main types of work which your staff do and then choose the majority. You could also think about going with working zones. This means separating your workspace up into areas, perhaps one for collaboration, one for quiet work, one for break times, one for researching, etc. It really depends on the type of work you do, but zones are a great way to allow staff the equipment and space for specific tasks.
New Furniture Types
Are you going to change your entire furniture collection for something new? If you’re going for an entire revamp, new furniture is a good option. This means you can get rid of old furniture, perhaps donating to a charity store, and replace it with options which are going to serve your staff better.
Remember, desks and chairs don’t last forever, and they are going to need to be replaced at some point! If you have ageing furniture, it’s a good idea to incorporate new purchases into your revamp, and make it a complete overhaul!
This is especially important if you’re going to completely change your office design, e.g. if you are going to think about cubicles or zones. In this case, breakout furniture and partitions might be things you need to consider.
Seating Options
We’ve just mentioned new furniture choices, but seating is one of the most important considerations in that bracket. You don’t only have to think about office chairs, but you also need to think about reception seating, perhaps conference room seating, and you need to make sure that you go with the option that is most supportive to your employees’ needs too.
If you’re incorporating zones, booth seating is a good idea, especially for collaborative areas. You could even use booth choices for reception areas too.
Think about the types of chairs which are going to be easy for you to maintain and clean in particular. Chairs also need to be supportive and adjustable; this is particularly important if you’re going for hot desking - not everyone has the same height and recline preferences, so the chair needs to easily adapt to a specific person, on any particular day.
Beyond The Main Office
Are you going to extend your revamp beyond the main office? This means thinking about reception areas, conference rooms, canteens, etc. If you’re going to do something, you might as well go all out and do it well! Of course, this really depends on your budget once more, but if you have several areas which have seen better days, e.g. they are showing signs of ageing, then extending your revamp is something to think about.
If you’re going to change up your meeting rooms, you could also incorporate new technology, such as video conferencing equipment, as well as a new conference table to give the room a fresh feel.
Similarly, reception areas should be high up on your importance list, because this is the area where visitors will form their first impression of your organisation. If this space is messy, old, unkept, and falling to pieces, you’re not going to create the ideal first impression. If on the other hand you go for a new and fresh look, even if it’s simplistic, then you’re going to have a much better shot at creating the ideal first impression.
Storage Options
How do you store your items currently? Do you have large filing cabinets? Do you have several units? Could you move these around or streamline the amount of storage you need?
Most offices dream of going paperless at some point, but the overwhelming majority haven’t come close to achieving it just yet! In that case, how about looking at electronic storage, utilising the Cloud, and cut down on the amount of physical storage you have? This is especially important if you have a small office space. Of course, there are some paper-based documents you have to keep, but these could be streamlined and kept somewhere central.
Decoration
Don’t underestimate the power of the actual decor! What colour scheme are you going to go for? Do some research into how colour affects mood, and go for the one which is going to boost feelings of positivity, creativity, and overall productivity. Light, open spaces, greens and blues are ideal. The black and white monochrome look is also beneficial, but try and go more towards the lighter side, than the black, to keep the room looking large and open, rather than dark and oppressive.
Also think about using art and nature in your office space, as these are great ways to boost feelings of positivity and to help keep morale high. Revamps are about so much more than furniture alone, and the entire subject is deep!
What do you think about office revamps? Have you undergone a revamp recently, or are you thinking of having one? The New Year is the ideal time for a new start, so why not make it your aim to go into a fresh calendar year with a new office space to be proud of?
Drop us a line on our social media channels and let us know what you think, and don’t forget to share this article so we can create a large discussion about the pros and cons of new office revamps!