Ever since the first white-collar working industries opened up their offices, the game was changed forever. Now, we see how those effects have reverberated for years and culminated in what we often know as the cubicle, but it doesn’t end there.
The cubicle office has been scrutinized, defended, and even updated over the years but it still remains one of the most iconic scenes of the American office culture. Since then, we’ve had prominent opponents to this style usher in the era of the open-space office, to varying degrees. The point is that offices across the country, across industries, and across the world have changed.
What hasn’t changed is our love for an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable place to work. A good litmus test for employees is how much they like their environment. The reason is that employees want to go somewhere they feel gives them energy or makes them feel welcomed, so here are 7 hacks that can help accomplish this goal.
1. Add More Natural Life
The office shouldn’t be dull and drab, and part of that feeling is the repressive nature of being away from nature, ironically. The easiest way to overcome this issue in any office is to add some plant life. The plants at Pots Planters and More are a good reference point for the greenery you can add to any office, and there are some potent benefits. Some people like how it adds color, others feel happier, it may also help with air filtration, but the point is that some plants on desks or hanging in corners should make an appearance.
2. Focus on Natural Lighting
Keeping with the theme of natural here is the focus on natural lighting. Focusing on providing natural lighting is less jarring on the eyes and creates fewer problems like headaches. Artificial light doesn’t provide as many benefits as natural lighting in terms of health, because sunlight gives you more energy through vitamin D. Open up the windows, add reflective surfaces, and allow more sun in to brighten everyone’s mood and make the place nicer. Mirrors are a good way to make a room feel bigger as well, but they help in bouncing light around so that sunlight is amplified and can illuminate a space as big as an office.
3. Opt for Wood and Other Materials for Furniture
Again you can see that natural materials are a major focus. The purpose is that natural materials like wood just look better. Sure, they cost more, but the reason is that we can’t deny our need to see an attractive design and wood desks or tables just look classier. Nothing is wrong with metal, but it feels cold and sterile while wood materials are more Earthy and warm. Dark green, browns, burgundy, pepper, are some very good colors that play well with each other and help get those Earthy tones you might be looking for.
4. Go Semi-Minimalist
Minimalism as a design philosophy works for some and doesn’t work for others. In this case, it works 50/50. Minimalism is nice because it removes clutter and makes a space cleaner, but too much minimalism feels alien-like there’s nothing around. You can go semi-minimalist to get the best of both worlds. This means more compact desks and filing cabinets or other furniture choices that don’t feel as suffocating without removing everything from the office.
5. Go Semi-Open Concept
The open-concept office sparks quite a debate for some. While some office workers love it because it feels less cramped, others hate it because there is no privacy. There’s a simple compromise and it’s once again opting for a semi-open concept office. You can create a common lounge area or kitchen area with nice, comfortable seating arrangements as well as spaced out desks, but keep small partitions so that people can still enjoy some privacy in the office. It’s a good way to focus on letting people get the best of two different types of environments without making them clash.
6. Add a Splash of Color
Earthy tones like the brown of wood furniture, greens for plants, and muted tones are nice and feel familiar, but the color should always be a big focus for a nice office. The drabness of an office often comes as a result of typical colors used like light blues, greys, whites, blacks, tan, sand, etc. These colors can really feel boring so it’s best to avoid them. Pick complementary colors so that the office feels like it has an injection of personality, based on your company's color pattern, or go crazy with a statement wall that uses a bounty of color to catch eyes and make the room feel more alive. Color is important and it can be used to help stimulate an emotional response.
7. Use Ergonomic Office Supplies
Ergonomic office supplies might be a head-scratcher here. You are probably wondering how ergonomic accessories are considered aesthetically pleasing but it actually will make sense. The purpose of ergonomic supplies is to 1. Help workers feel more comfortable and reduce chronic pain and 2. They look much nicer in all honesty. It’s hard to describe because it could be a subjective thing, but walking into an office that has ergonomic accessories gives off the vibe of a place that values the health and productivity of the workers. It also helps modernize the office so it doesn’t feel dated or tacky and it really does play a big role in improving the look of the space.
Creating a great office space is a delicate balance of design and psychology. The immediate problem is that people often don’t associate the words “great” with “office” so it can be difficult creating one that looks and feels natural. Thankfully that thought process is changing as companies understand more about the importance of creating a good working environment, so these 7 easy hacks might be of use.