Good office space design is a driving force behind a positive working environment that encourages productivity and creativity. A poorly utilised space that has not been optimised to its fullest potential can in the same vein feel cramped and uncomfortable to work in.
That said, by reimagining your office space with a few useful office décor hacks, you can make even the smallest workplace appear more spacious and inviting.
The illusion of colors
Color is known to have a profound impact on how we feel. But did you also know that when applied strategically, color can also influence our perception of space?
By painting your office walls with bright or light colors such as white, light green and yellow, you effectively brighten the interior and radiate light throughout the room, creating the illusion of a larger space.
The same goes with the ceilings. Employ the same bright color scheme used on the walls for your ceiling to provide your office with more vertical depth.
In this case, the use of mirrors lends a complementary touch to your office space décor by reflecting the vivid wall colors to further promote a sense of space.
On the contrary, darker colors create the illusion of a panel extending further. Darker flooring thus contributes to the impression of a bigger room.
Interior furniture choices
To make the most out of the available space, only incorporate furniture that you realistically need and select thoughtfully designed pieces which occupy as little room as possible.
The surface of the furniture you use also has bearing on the perceived spaciousness of an area.
Transparent or light-coloured furniture with sleeker frames tend to convey a spacious and airy vibe, whereas certain styles can make a furniture look bulkier compared to their similarly-sized counterparts.
Functional office layout
It is not enough to select the right furniture for your office – the way you arrange your tables, seats and shelving units can also affect how comfortably you work.
A rule of thumb is to ensure that your furniture does not obstruct the flow of traffic in office walkways. This can be done by adjusting your office furniture layout to provide ample room in major thoroughfares and around workstations for employees to easily navigate the space.
Furniture that is laid out in a rational manner helps to stimulate a greater sense of space where employees can collaborate freely with one another.
A simple design tip is to arrange your furniture in a horizontal fashion along the pathway to make the workplace appear as if it extends even further while looking well-organised at the same time.
Vertical storage solutions
If you lack space for storage, consider installing shelving units and upper cabinets onto your office wall.
In addition to solving your spatial constraints, built-in storage solutions also help you keep the office tidy and organised as it reduces the things you store on the tables and floors. This gives your office a feeling of openness and makes it less cramped.
The use of wall-to-wall storage not only provides more space to house documents and other office materials, but also adds depth to a space.
Minimise clutter
Cluttered offices are often associated with high levels of stress and poor concentration.
To rectify this, you need to get rid of unnecessary items and have everything neatly in place and preferably out of sight. This may be paper documents, cables and other office essentials.
Storing your physical paperwork and files as digitised copies on a computer or cloud software is another way to create more space. Consequently, you can free up previously utilised document storage areas for other office essentials or simply remove them.
A clutter-free office will look more orderly which promotes the illusion of spaciousness.
Minimalism is key
Keeping your office space décor to a minimal can go a long way in maximising the visual gains to your office space, especially when faced with space constraints.
By paring down the distracting elements in your office layout, you allow the remaining free space to instantly stand out, thereby making a space look and feel bigger than it actually is.
