Picking a proper office décor is more than an aesthetic choice. An office should serve a particular purpose – to allow a company to conduct business effectively and present its values to clients and customers. Décor is an important tool in achieving these goals.
It’s important to think how the offices will be used and to choose the décor accordingly. This means that the objective is to make the employees as comfortable as possible while promoting productivity and task – oriented environment.
Lighting
Spending long hours under bad lighting can make work feel tiresome and draining. If you have that option, try to use as much natural lighting as possible. Make sure all the desks are close to the window and provide both light and a nice view. If natural light isn’t an option, your main concern should be task lights. Every room should be equipped with at least a couple of table lamps. This’s also an opportunity to show off how trendy you are, by picking a slick looking, minimalistic lamps with straight lines and no switches.
Walls
Wall color will determine a mood in the office more than anything else. Most go for neutral colors, such as beige or white to avoid making mistakes. However, sometimes being boring is worse than being wrong. It’s best to choose the color based on the type of work that will get than in the office. Bright and vibrant colors, like yellow and red will promote creativity and brainstorming. Blue has a calming effect and it’s best used in executive offices where the decisions are being made and strategic thinking is key. Green should be reserved for break rooms and rest.
Layout
This is a tricky decision because you don’t want the offices to feel uniform and some people like clutter and a bit of creative chaos. However, for the most people, it’s important to lay out the furniture in a way that promotes easy workflow and leaves enough open space for a room to breathe and for the visitors to feel comfortable. The desk should be the focus of a room and the work should revolve around it, especially if you use the room to meet with important clients. The central position creates a sense of authority.
Ergonomics
Selecting a good ergonomic chair can really make a difference and make things more comfortable and enjoyable around the office. It’s easy to find ergonomic office chairs in Sydney if you know what to look for. Almost all parts of the chair should be adjustable, but the height and reclining backrest are the most important. The chair should provide sufficient upper, middle and lumbar support. That means that the backrest should follow the curve of a body and be at least 30 centimeters wide. It’s also important for the seat to be wide enough and properly padded. Back pain starts as an annoyance, but it can evolve into a serious problem, so take this issue seriously right away.
Plants
A carefully placed plant can make the office come alive. It adds warmth to the room and the oxygen it creates makes for a more productive and healthy environment. However, have in mind that aesthetic isn’t the only criteria in choosing plants. If you don’t have enough time to water and take care of them –either get a plant that requires little maintenance or don’t get one at all. Withered plants don’t look nice and send a wrong message). Ivy, philodendron, and aloe vera are the most popular choices, exactly for this reason –they are nice to look at, but don’t require almost any work.
Art and personal touches
There’s nothing wrong with picking art pieces you actually like, an office is (among other things) a personal space and being surrounded by objects you like and find inspiring will make you more productive. The same goes for personal memorabilia – photos, children art projects, and favorite movie posters can find their way into any office set up and not clash with the design. However, you might want to think about rotating the pictures every now and then, just to change things up. Changes in the environment can lead to changes in thinking and attitude.
Offices should be designed and decorate to help those who occupy them work productively and with ease. In order to accomplish this, you should provide a mix of universal features created with this goal in mind and just enough personal touches to make the occupant feel at home.