As more and more businesses transition back to in-person offices, many companies are relying on interior designers to create a welcoming and energizing environment for their employees. We recently had the opportunity to design two offices to embody this "back-to-office" trend. Our goal was to create inviting spaces that fostered collaboration and creativity while providing the necessary level of privacy, since many of us have grown accustomed to having our own spaces while working from home.
When it comes to designing an office spaces, the challenges is creating an aesthetically pleasing and functional space that is also practical. For us, the process begins by understanding the company's DNA, so we spend time asking questions about the brand and the company's mission. We talk to employers and employees, and use the principles that drive the company to drive the design.
Ergonomics and furniture placement are an important element of the equation; but just as important to consider is how color and lighting impact employee productivity and happiness. To add a more residential feeling to workplace environments, plants have become a integral component of today's office design. We prefer real plants, but if that's tricky for a company in this remote-hybrid world, we have found some great trade-only and local vendors from which we have procured high-quality, realistic-looking plants for our projects.
Plants are an important addition to office spaces. We used real plants in one of our office design projects (left) and faux plants in another project (right), and both approaches helped enhance the spaces.
Interior Design For The Hybrid Office
There's no doubt that hybrid offices are here to stay. Most companies are now offering a mix of in-person and remote work options, creating a more flexible and adaptable place that isn't only about work. One of the biggest elements driving employees back into the workplace is the ability to personally interact with fellow team members. As such, the office kitchenette has undergone a makeover and has become a key amenity that often includes a coffee station, a supply of snacks and offers an open seating area where employees can congregate for informal conversations.
The office kitchenette is now a major amenity for employees.
The New Conference Room
One trend we love is the "huddle room," which allows for privacy and smaller group meetings. But for companies that need larger conference rooms, adding art and plants can help to make the space more inviting. Giving employees flexibility on how they prefer to meet with each other is crucial to creating a shared workspace that works well for every type of worker.
The two huddle rooms in our recent project (left) allow for smaller group meetings. To make a large conference room feel more inviting, arts and plants are a key addition.
One advantage of working with a design studio that has experience in both commercial and residential interior design is the access to vendors from both realms, as well as the understanding of code requirements in a commercial space. While it's possible to furnish an office space with some products from residential vendors, we also work closely with companies that specialize in commercial products designed to last longer in higher traffic environments, be highly versatile, and cater to ergonomic needs that residential furniture simply can't address. One the flip side, when it comes to decorative rugs, lighting, window treatments and decor accents, there are vendors that cater to high-end residential design that offer a broad variety of textures and colors suitable for commercial application. These products will elevate an office space, make it feel less corporate, and create an environment that people want to work in.
We invite readers to engage with us for their office interior design needs and to follow us on social media for more updates. Our design team is committed to creating modern, innovative, and functional office spaces that inspire creativity and promote business growth.
For more pictures from our two office design projects, visit the Projects section of our web site.
Lead designer for both commercial office projects: Lisa Parcell
Photographer: Doug Walters