Companies shell out serious dollars in the name of creating a working environment that optimises productivity and/or attracts customers. However, the design of a commercial property plays a crucial role in setting the tone for it’s activities, and can be one of the trickiest spaces to decorate. The main requirements to consider when decorating the interiors of a commercial space is that it has to be efficient and inspiring, functional yet stimulating. It must create a vibe that gets employees excited to come to work everyday, while attracting customers and staying true to the company’s image at the same time. How do you achieve that balance? Here are some tips on how you can go about designing the interiors of a commercial space.
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Flexibility: In order to keep employees sharp and engaged, you might want to opt for a workstation layout as opposed to the traditional cubicle and separate office plan. Having different workstations peppered throughout the workplace gives employees an opportunity to easily move between departments, engaging with different minds to integrate ideas, which works in the company’s favour at the end of the day. Try and have non-specific and multi-functional meeting rooms for brainstorming and you’ll have yourself one buzzing and productive work environment.
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Creative Furniture Solutions: An open plan space with interestingly arranged and unique furniture is a great way to encourage intermingling between employees to promote collaboration, productivity and creativity. Other details like standing desks, elongated work surfaces and acoustic panels are very progressive workplace furniture options that can help you to optimise your staff’s stimulation and productivity.
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Fun Designs: Include playful decorations to keep things fresh and help employees take their minds off the seriousness of work, even if it’s just for a few moments. Think out-of-the-box murals, colourful artwork and 3D statues. All of these details create a visually stimulating ambience and can serve as great conversation starters among customers as well.
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Comfort and Functionality: When it comes to office furniture, one would expect comfort to come at the cost of functionality. But new innovative designs have been able to marry the two elements to create office furniture that is not only cost-effective and long-lasting, but comfortable with adjustable features as well.
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Eco-friendly design: The push towards creating a more sustainable future means adopting eco-friendlier standards when decorating commercial property Is the way to go. Things like using LED instead of fluorescent light fixtures, or opting for photovoltaic glass instead of the regular variety are just some of the small but significant ways in which companies can incorporate eco-friendly design.
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Sharing is Caring: Instead of going with the old model of isolated offices and high walls, more companies are opting for shared spaces between two or more employees. The result of this setup is often better communication and collaboration between the employees. For those worried about privacy, you can use sound absorbing acoustic tiles and ceiling beams to provide minimal partitions, maintain privacy and curb noise pollution.
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Patterns: Instead of painting your walls with the usual dull grey, opt for vibrant patterned wallpaper instead. If you feel your space is too conservative for that, you can incorporate it in a small scale by adding a few strips here and there. Colourful designs have been known to stimulate the mind and awaken the senses, helping employees to stay focused and on their game.
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Functionality: A functional office space ensures that each space on the floor layout is accounted for, with some spaces even serving multiple purposes. So an elongated standing desk can double as a collaboration space, while kitchens and cafeterias can make great brainstorming facilities, and this was my major takeaway from the conversation I had with Andree, the Founder and architect of Design Principle, to create a space that is practical and well thought-out.
Bonus Tip! Think outside of the box and choose unconventional pieces instead of traditional office furniture. Or allow employees to customise the décor in their own workspace with personal touches.
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