Have you ever found yourself wanting to revamp your workspace but not having the cash or time to commit to such a sizeable project? We understand that this can be a pretty frustrating position to be in and want to shine the spotlight on some effective alternatives.
Of course, if you think your office might be in need of a full fit out or refurbishment then that will call for further conversations. However, if you think your workspace could be improved with a few simple updates then keep scrolling for our recommendations.
It only takes a couple of tweaks – whether it’s some new technology or experimenting with trends – to transform staff engagement, morale and creativity so these ideas might just be the perfect solution for you right now.
Start small: focus on office reception design
If you’re working with limited time or budget, focusing your efforts into one specific space is a great way to feel some of the refurb benefits without having to carry out a full-scale project.
Your welcome space (or reception area) is the ideal space to choose as it acts as the face of your business and your opportunity to create a fantastic first impression.
When designing an office reception, be sure to consider the following:
- Brand messaging and how you want your business to be perceived or understood
- Inclusive design and accessibility for a diverse range of people, both internal and external
- Clear and concise wayfinding (through digital signage, functional flooring etc)
- Plenty of places to plug in and power up
- Maximum comfort and making visitors feel ‘at home’
Repurpose or upcycle existing furniture
As part of our added value services, we offer an Assess & Reuse audit where we evaluate our client’s current furniture to see what can be reused or repurposed.
This can be a much quicker and most budget-friendly way to update the space without having to invest in a full set of brand-new office furniture.
Ways to upcycle office furniture:
- Get soft seats reupholstered with a new fabric
- Retrofit new arms or parts on tasks chairs
- Replace worn or outdated table tops
- Varnish or paint chair or table legs for an alternative effect
Rethink your office layout & space configuration
If you work in an enclosed office, reconfiguration of the space ‘quickly and easily’ might be a little tricky. However, if your workspace is open plan, you could consider updating the layout of the space to introduce a more diverse range of work settings.
Obviously, this is most effectively executed during the fit-out process when partition walls and space division can be strategically planned. However, you might find that swapping some furniture around to introduce even one new work setting can have a massive impact on the look and feel of the office.
Some examples:
- Collaboration space where staff can work creatively together
- A dedicated place for privacy, concentration and individual focus work
- A social space where staff can communicate casually and build relationships
- A breakout area which facilitate impromptu discussions or touchdown work
Get in touch with current interior design trends
It goes without saying that the overall look of your workspace needs to be ‘on brand’ in order to communicate your company values and identity effectively.
However, if you’re looking for quick and easy ways to refresh your office, experimenting with industry trends is the ideal solution.
As we enter 2019, the biophilic design and resimercial workspace trends we identified last year are showing no signs of shifting.
So, if you want to bring your office interior up to date without a huge injection of time or money, trend-conscious accents can be highly effective.
How?
Start small and subtle then build up from there so as not to upset the balance of consistent brand identity and the fluidity of design trends.
For a biophilic workspace: incorporate office plants, natural light and raw materials such as wood and concrete where possible.
To introduce resimercial design features: introduce more warm domestic colours, accessorise soft seating with cushions, incorporate more design-led lighting, experiment with non-commercial mats and rugs.
Update your office technology repertoire
Remember – updating your workspace isn’t just about evolving the aesthetic value, it’s about product and resource too.
When it comes to a brand-new portfolio of commercial furniture, this can be fairly time-consuming and costly depending on project scale and requirement.
However, introducing even just one new piece of office AV or technology can have a huge impact on employee engagement, workplace dynamic, collaboration and productivity.
Technology we recommend:
- ClickShare – plug-in collaboration and screen sharing without messy cables (pictured below)
- Reserva – an electronic room booking system to boost space and time management
- Google Jamboard – supports touchscreen technology and remote participation
- Media:scape – tech-integrated furniture to revolutionise idea-sharing and collaboration
- Video conferencing – streamline communication; connect mobile and resident workers
Evaluate your approach to office storage
Another resource which can bring about a whole plethora of benefits when updated quickly and simply is your office storage.
Something like Steelcase’s Share It or the Spacestor Snugglestor offer innovative multifunctionality by providing a place for safe storage of personal belongings which also:
- Help declutter the workspace
- Improves mental wellbeing and stress levels of staff
- Enhances security within the workplace
- Integrates storage with seating, display of information and/or collaboration tools such as wipe-clean brainstorming surfaces