For small business owners, opening your company’s first-ever office space is a huge milestone. You want to do everything in your power to make sure the office is a place both you and your employees want to be. A space that is inviting and warm, while still being conducive to productivity and collaboration. A space that is beautiful but still functional. With so much to watch out for, creating the perfect office space for your organization can sometimes feel like a tall order.
Below, you’ll find five simple and effective tips for making your office space beautiful and productive in 2021. Read on to find out more.
Aim for Light and Bright Spaces
Light and bright environments are perfect for encouraging creativity and efficiency. Natural light in particular is incredibly beneficial in a variety of ways. For instance, it boosts vitamin D, lowers susceptibility to seasonal depression, and improves the quality of sleep.
Natural lighting in office spaces can also ameliorate workers’ productivity and their overall job satisfaction. A 2017 study discovered that workers with high levels of exposure to natural light in offices reported better quality of sleep, in contrast to workers who did not receive any exposure to natural light.
When designing your office space, be sure to prioritise natural light wherever possible. Aim to have the majority of your light coming from windows or skylights. To make it feel like your space has even more natural light, you can hang mirrors on the wall to reflect the light around the room. Additionally, pick light paint colours for your walls to keep that airy and bright feel.
Appeal to All Senses – Including Smell
It may sound strange, but the scents that fill your office space are incredibly important in shaping your employees’ productivity. Just like all of our other senses, smell has the power to affect our mood and mindset, and therefore our productivity as well.
According to Lifehack, some of the best efficiency-boosting scents to use in your office include:
- Pine – Heightens alertness
- Cinnamon – Helps you maintain focus
- Lavender – Alleviates stress during the most high-pressure workdays
- Peppermint – Boosts your mood and clears your head
- Citrus – Invigorates you and puts you in a better mood
When creating your office space, invest in some oil diffusers and essential oils with these scents. Alternatively, you can also buy some incense sticks; just stay away from candles as these can present a fire hazard. You should also remember to keep the scents as subtle as possible to account for anyone with sensitivities to particular odours.
Consider Collaboration in Your Design
According to Forbes, collaborative spaces are an absolute must when it comes to creating effective office spaces. While a meeting room is an excellent start, this kind of initiative needs to extend far beyond that. If space allows, you should aim to create an open space with a few tables and chairs that anyone can access at any time. Whether it’s for an important meeting or a brainstorming session, these collaborative spaces are vital for fostering teamwork and productivity in the workplace.
These environments also need to be enticing. Explore interesting décor and layout ideas that will not only facilitate collaboration but will make workers genuinely want to spend time there. Incorporating durable custom business signs is one way to achieve this. Thoughtfully placed signage can enhance the appeal of shared spaces, reinforce the company’s brand identity, and provide functional value, such as wayfinding. This added touch combines style with purpose and contributes to creating a cohesive, professional office atmosphere.
Get a Professional Fit-Out
If you want to ensure you get a high-quality finished space, it’s always a good idea to seek professional help. Who better to consult than a company specialising in fit-outs?
A fit-out is the act of supplying the necessary furniture and equipment to a given space, whether it’s a bar or a medical clinic or a small business office. Fit-outs often concentrate on the final decorative touches and fitments in particular.
Fit-out businesses can be found just about anywhere. Looking for Fit-outs in Perth? London? Toronto? No matter where you’re based, you can benefit from the services offered by expert fitout companies.
Bring the Outdoors In
Plants are great for adding beautiful touches of greenery to a space and brightening it up. But believe it or not, there are several productivity-related benefits to having live plants in your office.
Firstly, office plants can reduce the number of sick days taken by workers. Plants help to filter toxins from the room, which are especially rampant in environments with poor air ventilation. Poor ventilation can lead to headaches, nausea, concentration problems, and even flu-like symptoms.
Research has also suggested that employees perform better when plants are added to their work environments. Specifically, one research team concluded that employees are 15% more productive with houseplants in their space. The reason for this is because workers are more likely to engage with their surroundings when natural elements are there. People who engage with their surroundings tend to achieve greater work outputs and stay focused more easily.
Creating a beautiful and productive office space in 2021 can sometimes feel like a challenge. However, when you follow these simple steps, the process can be made much easier. Rest assured, the results you’ll see in the long run will be worth every bit of investment in the design process.
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It is tough to maintain productivity every workday, so I am happy I found this article to find ways to stay productive. Thank you for posting this. I consider your writing. Great post!
I like all your suggestions. I love to work in a good ambiance workspace.