A new office design fitout or renovation of an existing space, can be an expensive project. But if it’s done right, it can transform your office and bring business improvements. It’s also an opportunity to promote your brand, when you design your space using decorative elements and colour. We’ve been doing some research on the latest trends in design for new office fitouts.
New Directions In Office Design
Designers are creating spaces that more accurately reflect the brand of a company, with the use of colour and the injection of personality into office spaces. The results are some pretty amazing work spaces, that have effectively thrown off the boring corporate image.
Furniture
Popular at the moment for office fitouts include upping the ante on comfortable furniture for people to relax and work with laptops. Big comfy couches, and the latest cosy pods allow for comfort and privacy. The trend is about overturning the traditional work space as a desk with a desk top computer. Workers are more free to move about the space and are also encouraged to sit together at large, central tables.
Colours
The latest colour trend in office design is green – reflecting a desire to create calming work spaces that connect people with the natural world and plants. Also popular are shades of blue, pink and yellow.
Inexpensive Design Ideas
When many people sign an office lease and move in, the new space can look pretty drab. There are inexpensive ways to add impact and style and inject personality into an office space with colour and frosted window film.
Paint Colour Schemes – Choosing a great colour palette can be a first step. For inspiration, there are lots of colour palette websites to help.
Design Using Frosted Window Film – There are lots of ways to create highly visual signage for your business and promote your logo. One of the most inexpensive is using frosted glass film. Most office spaces make use of lots of glass, and retail spaces have large shop fronts, which work as a blank canvas for the creative application of any design using frosted film.
Forget about frosted film being about a solid section of opaque glass in a bathroom or meeting room. Frosted glass film comes in all colours and can be cut to almost any design. The design potential is endless. With the right design and application, glass film looks decorative, promotional and provides privacy all at the same time!
Flexible Space
An important element of good office design is a flexible layout and the use of furniture and technology that allows for multiple purposes.
Making use of common areas between offices, to work as both recreational areas and alternative work spaces with flexible desk and seating arrangements, is a popular aspect of current office design.
For smaller office spaces, the use of clever partitioning can work the same way, allowing for areas to be opened up or divided into smaller work rooms and break-out spaces. If your space is small, it could be time to get serious about the paperless office and repurpose the filing room for something more useful.
Future Proof Your Office
When it comes to the nitty gritty of office accessories, wireless desks and adjustable desk heights that allow for easy hot-desking are practical considerations. These elements are also about future-proofing the office layout for possible re configurations down the track.
Biophilic Office Design
Changes in technology, as well as changing approaches to office communication and a better understanding of what makes people productive and happy at work, has led to office designs that improve the psychological and physical wellbeing of workers.
Biophilic design is all about nature and how incorporating natural elements such as light, fresh air, natural materials and greenery make for more pleasant work environments for people. In turn workers have been found to be more productive in these more natural spaces.
Incorporating biophilic elements into your office can be as simple as bringing in some plants. Using natural products, like timber, stone and cork, and maximising natural light over artificial light will create a more pleasant environment.
Energy Saving Office
By opening up a space and bringing in natural light, rather than relying on artificial light, businesses can also save on electricity bills.
The downside of too much open space, however can be a lack of privacy. But by using frosted film and incorporating interesting designs, windows can provide both light, privacy and a fun design element. Think about using shapes and elements that reference nature – curves, waves and asymmetrical motifs.
The design of corporate office fitouts and commercial spaces in recent times has become increasingly more adventurous. While in the past most office spaces were bland and devoid of personality, today they are increasingly responding to the needs of people. If you thinking of a new office design, there’s now more reason than ever to get adventurous and start making your office a place where people want to stay.
If you are doing an office fitout in Melbourne and looking for decorative window film designers or installation, we can help. We install privacy window film and decorative window film for businesses across Melbourne on projects large and small. We only use the highest quality frosted film to withstand UV and moisture, and we’ve been in business for 20 years.
Contact us at Apply To Glass.
