Wondering how to design your commercial office space in order to improve employee welfare? Here are some ideas…

A commercial office space is nothing without fitting it out with the gadgets and gizmos required for office life. This not only helps build a solid company brand and culture, it may even help boost staff productivity along the way.
Of course, it’s important to note that not every commercial property will be free to redesign. After all, it is completely up to the landlord whether rented or leased properties can be painted and tampered with.
So, the key thing to remember before changing anything is to check with your landlord to avoid a commercial property dispute. But, if everything has been arranged, what are some great ways to design your commercial office space? Take a look…

1.  Stick to Brand Colors

If your company is often client facing, it might be smart to begin decorating with a base of branded colours. Of course, you don’t have to plaster a whole wall with branded colors, but you can perhaps dot some key colors and fonts here or there. This means that any client walking into your space knows exactly who they’re dealing with.
On top of this, having branded furniture and walls also offers great marketing options. From providing great backgrounds to photos for social media, to reiterating your brand message, there’s plenty of benefits.

2.  Consider Having Zoom Background Walls

Speaking of branded colours, a very current and practical idea could be to have a few branded walls dotted around the office for Zoom backgrounds. The world of hybrid working means that many meetings will be conducted across the virtual world. So, why not add your stamp to the mix on all your webinars and online meetings.

3.  Maximize Office Lighting

Lighting is truly key to creating an office space that encourages your staff to be productive and not strain their eyes. According to the CCOHS, this is because “appropriate lighting, without glare or shadows, can reduce eye fatigue and headaches”.
Not every commercial space will offer the best lighting, however, there are some ways you can achieve a light and airy feel without many windows. These are:

• Painting walls white
• Using LED lighting to save money and boost employee productivity
• Considering lighting color to boost warmth
• Making sure the lighting brightness complements the job

4.  Add Some Greenery

The benefits of adding plants to an office space can’t be overstated. They can lower levels of stress and anxiety in employees, boost productivity, and increase immunity, whilst also looking good.
There are plenty of plants that you can purchase which require minimal care, and provide that little bit of nature. For example, cacti, snake plants, spider plants, peace lollies and succulents are all easy to look after.

5.  Invest in Proper Office Chairs

Health and safety should always be a key consideration when it comes to your employees. This means that something as seemingly trivial as office chairs are actually far more important than you might think.
Office chairs should be able to support employees’ bones and joints whilst they work at their desks all day. So, considering substance over style for this pointer is paramount.

6.  Communal Areas

Enjoying time together as a team is paramount to create a strong and loyal workforce. This includes not only collaborative meeting rooms or comfortable seating areas, but also kitchen space. Having these spaces to hang out in during the working day is sure to boost team morale, improve communication, and allow for well-earned breaks.

7.  Quiet Areas

Whilst communication and collaboration are key to any great business, it’s also important to prioritise quiet time. After all, how else can your team expect to be able to execute the fantastic ideas they’ve come up with?
By implementing quiet spaces throughout the office, where people can take themselves off to work in peace, there’ll be something for everyone.

8.  Add Artwork

Art has the ability to inspire us, calm us, make us happy, and make us feel more creative. So, why not consider adding art to your commercial office space?
This article provides a fantastic breakdown of what certain artwork does to the mind, and therefore which art to avoid. Then, you can take a look at some of the recommended art to consider for your office space. Depending on the sort of work you do, you can make a decision about the atmosphere you’d like to harness and choose the art accordingly.

9.  Make Things Open and Airy

Being cramped together in a dark and claustrophobic space is never going to harness the creativity you’re after. So, ensuring a workspace is spacious and open is also a key to employee productivity.
There are a number of ways to do this, and some of these include:

• Spacing desks out.
• Purchasing large desks for everyone.
• Making sure there are wide walkways between desks.
• Adding in large open spaces where possible.

Not only is this ideal for productivity, it also creates an accessible workplace, perfect for anyone with a disability.

10. Work Hard, Play Hard

A communal office space isn’t complete without the outlet for a bit of play. Whether it be an area to enjoy drinks after work, play board games, or a bit of foosball, there’s so much choice. Why not ask your employees to vote on their favorite ideas, and create a fun office space tailored to them

Ready to Vamp Up Your Commercial Office Space?

As you can see, there are plenty of ways you can design the interior of your commercial office space to reflect the atmosphere you’d like for your employees. Whether you’d like them to be more creative and collaborative, enjoy downtime together, or anything else, the interiors can help.
The key thing is to ensure you’ve sought the approval of your landlord before doing anything, to avoid a property dispute. What’s more, don’t forget to ask your employees what they’d like to see in the office space to get their input too. Have fun!
Images:
1 – Austin Distel, https://unsplash.com/photos/wawEfYdpkag
2 – Yann Maignan, https://unsplash.com/photos/rRiAzFkJPMo
3 – SOCIAL.CUT, https://unsplash.com/photos/1RT4txDDAbM
 
Although it’s not deemed compulsory, we respectfully ask that you consider crediting the photos, as per the Unsplash guidelines: https://help.unsplash.com/en/articles/2534409-crediting-photographers