When it comes to changing the appearance of an office, or indeed any room, you will come across three specific terms - redecoration, refurbishment and renovation.
They do not all mean the same thing, so if you want to be sure that you’re going down the right route, you need to be sure that you’re choosing the right option!
Changing the look of your office from time to time is a good thing. A change is as good as a rest, and it could be just the thing to bring in fresh energy. Asking your employees what they would like to see is also a good way forward because it shows that you care about their opinions. Of course, they’re the ones who spend most of their time in the office, sat at their designer office desks, so their opinion should be the one you listen to over everything else.
First things first, however, what are the differences between those three terms?
Let’s explore one by one.
Redecoration
A redecoration literally means changing the interior design look of the office only. This means repainting the walls in a different colour, perhaps going for a feature wall and having wallpaper, it might mean adding in a little art here and therefore, or it could mean adding in some biophilic design elements, such as a few office plants.
Redecoration doesn’t tend to include the furniture or any construction parts of the office, e.g. moving walls or knocking anything down. It is purely an aesthetic change to the walls and other smaller areas. When comparing the three terms, redecoration is certainly the cheapest route to go down if you want to freshen up your contemporary office appearance.
Refurbishment
Refurbishment generally means taking something old or used and changing it to look new. For instance, you could refurbish your old office desks and make them new, or you could cover over your old sofas and refurbish them to make them look different and cleaner.
You’ll hear renovation and refurbishment used interchangeably but the subtle difference between the two terms is something you need to know and be careful of. If you tell a building or construction company that you want a renovation, they’re going to think you want the entire place knocking down or ripping out, when all you really want is a few changes here and there!
To simplify refurbishment, it basically means returning something to good condition or repairing it to look different and new.
Refurbishment is a little cheaper than a renovation, but it will still cost you a fair amount, depending on the size of your office and your general requirements.
Renovation
Renovation is, as we’ve just hinted towards, the complete change of an office space. This means perhaps knocking down walls or annoying pillars, moving the windows, it could mean changing the fixture and fittings, buying completely new desks and other office furniture, and deep cleaning the whole space. Decoration would take place afterwards, e.g. changing the colour of the walls.
Of course, renovation is the most expensive of the three and a renovation needs to be planned carefully as a result.
Whichever option you choose, it’s important to think carefully about what you want and have a plan in mind. Look at all options and work out what is the most cost-effective route, but also which route is going to give you the result you really want. This will stop you having to go through the entire process again too soon, therefore costing you more in the long-run.
We mentioned talking to your employees about what they would like in the office and that’s a big must-do. This shows your employees that you care, but it’s also where you will find the most productive ideas. Remember, your employees sit at their office desks every working day, so they’re the ones who are the experts in how your office works at a functional level. Tapping into that knowledge will allow you to create a more effective and productive office.