Ever since COVID-19 started, our perception of workplace design has shifted considerably. Throughout the epidemic, many businesses had to come up with creative methods to keep workplace safety a major priority while still sustaining corporate culture, ensuring high levels of productivity and efficiency, and encouraging a much-needed feeling of employee well-being.
Many businesses have found it difficult to adjust to the various changes that have occurred over the last three years, so it is not surprising that top commercial office design trends have also evolved with the times.
Although some of these trends came to prominence with the pandemic in mind, many offices are finding that a renewed focus on flexibility, comfortable surroundings, sustainability, and digital technology is better for productivity and the bottom line. Here are 5 key trends that will revolutionize the office environment in 2023, and some suggestions for implementing them in your space.
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1. Creating Dynamic Office Layouts
The Dynamic Spaces Movement emerged a few years ago, introducing people to the concept of multi-functional workplaces. Indoor-outdoor access through garage doors, moveable green separators, television and video equipment, and step-style seating were among the features of these places.
Given that many people have spent at least some of the previous few years socially isolated, the best strategy to encourage greater cooperation and teamwork among your staff is to ensure that your workspace is adaptable enough to enable a range of interactions with colleagues.
Add Pods To Your Office Space
Flexible workstations and “pod” style layouts grew increasingly common as more organizations embraced an open-concept office design. They were especially beneficial during periods of social separation, but they are also ideal for lending an aspect of privacy to open areas in post-pandemic office situations.
When employees are at the workplace, they frequently seek safe and discreet work environments. Employees may lack a sense of belonging in their office as remote workers return to the office and the number of employees in the workforce fluctuates. This is where pods come into play.
Many of these pods have small private spaces with ample space to work alone or in a small group, as well as soft seating and laptop charging outlets. Some pods are even soundproof, allowing employees to have meetings and communicate with one another in a comfortable and safe environment.
Incorporate More Flexible Furniture
If pods are unsuitable for your office space, consider adding furniture that can easily adjust to the needs of your workplace. Rather than large tables and fixed chairs, opt for smaller tables and chairs with wheels that can be pushed together during times of collaboration, and then pulled apart later for independent work.
This workplace design is incredibly popular in small office spaces in the post-pandemic era, as most employees are more conscious about health and safety in their office environments. This flexible office design not only allows your workforce to feel safe and comfortable in their offices but also to modify their space for ideal levels of productivity.
2. Viewing Commercial Spaces As A Home Away From Home
Especially after spending the last few years in and out of home offices (which may or may not have felt like an office at all!), it is essential for the success of your businesses to create a pleasant office design for employees and clients alike.
Basically, you want everyone to feel as though they are in their own home. There are many ways to go about this and every workplace is different. But the key is to find a balance between comfort and rationale that works perfectly with your brand.
Have a look at A Simple Guide To Interior Landscape Design to make your employees and customers feel at home.
Include Tasteful Furniture
More offices are adding couches and armchairs with throw pillows to their lobbies and office spaces to create a sense of home in their work environments. Not only can these fixtures provide an appealing place for relaxation, but they are also incredibly versatile and will suit any open space in your building.
If it suits your space and brand, you may even consider adding coffee tables and beer fridges alongside your new comfortable furniture! Whether it’s a lobby for your waiting for clients or break rooms for your employees, these features are sure to create a social environment that no one will be able to resist.
Embrace Natural Light
Exposure to daylight has been scientifically proven to increase our well-being and mood. It also brightens rooms and makes the office feel bigger and more spacious. So it goes without saying that adding more natural light to your building can benefit your office environment tremendously.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as moving furniture away from windows to allow for more sunshine to illuminate the space. However, in commercial spaces where natural light is limited, you may create a sense of natural light using strategically placed mirrors or a warm color palette.
No matter what works best for your office space, adding more natural light is key to a more comfortable, homey office environment that will surely boost productivity and morale in your office.
3. Tell The Story Of Your Brand With Interior Design
Nowadays, companies are finding the need to get more creative with their marketing strategies to retain current clients and make a lasting impression on future ones. One way to achieve this is by using your office design to create an overarching theme for your brand. Obviously, the story behind every business is different and you will need to choose design elements that tell yours in the best way possible, but here are some ideas to get you started.
Combine Old And New Design Elements
Trends are like the weather; they come and go. So no matter if your organization is a brand-new start-up or a company with an established reputation, you may consider creating a fascinating mix of past and present by incorporating modern and vintage design trends.
One trend that is coming back in style is the wooden office fixtures of the 1960s. Other modern “old” styles include brass, industrial-style metal, and stone. Even if it’s impractical to redesign the entire office from wall to wall, complementing your interior design with some wooden coffee tables or brass art pieces can spark interest in your clients and creativity in your employees for years to come.
Cover The Walls
Many offices include wall coverings to display the history and culture of their businesses. These fixtures absorb light and other elements in the room to add ambiance to your office space. The harder surface is easier to clean and maintain, and it helps keep your environment clean and safe.
Whether it’s a textured, wooden pattern that adds a retro vibe or a patterned wallpaper that incorporates the colors of your logo, wall coverings are a wonderful design tool for a simple office that can make employees and customers feel comfortable and welcome.
4. Reconnecting With Nature In Our Offices
Many offices are starting to use plants more generously because of their positive effects on employee well-being. Sometimes rooms lack windows or good illumination, so introducing greenery can add an element of nature and bring the outdoors inside. One way to do this in your space is to learn about and prioritize biophilic design elements.
What Is Biophilic Office Design?
As the industry has evolved over the course of the last century, humans have essentially separated themselves from the natural world. The biophilic design recognizes the detriment this disconnection has to our overall health and aims to reconnect human organisms with surrounding life through direct experiences with nature, including plants, water, animals, natural light, habitats, and ecosystems.
We know now that inauthentic experiences of nature are simply not enough. You can’t just hang a painting of a green pasture on the wall and reap the benefits that nature has to offer us. Instead, here are some trends that modern offices are using to improve our health and moods through plant life and sustainable practices.
Learn How To Incorporate Biophilic Office Design Elements Into Your Office Space
Living Walls
There are so many benefits to adding green walls to your office space. Indoor plants are scientifically proven to improve air quality and circulation, especially in small spaces, which makes them perfect for offices.
Not only will they boost well-being and inspire creativity and productivity, but they may also reduce noise levels in open office spaces. This will lead to less headache and fatigue amongst your employees, and make them feel more relaxed in their workplace.
Indoor Container Gardens Featuring Jay Scotts Fiberglass Planters
Our high-quality custom fiberglass planters can create the perfect ambiance in any office environment. Whether your office design is sleek and modern with a neutral color scheme, or you’re looking to add a pop of color to your quirky vintage space, we can supply the perfect planters for your office environment.
Learn more about Choosing the Right Colors for Your Planters: Key Things to Know & Most Popular Color Schemes
Bringing potted plants into the office opens up a whole new world of options and possibilities. Besides health benefits, potted plants, in particular, can serve a variety of applications in office spaces, including:
- Separate the space: Potted plants create privacy without closing the space up completely. This can be easily achieved by using rectangular planters such as the Miami planters or the Darwin tall planters since the straight sides enable you to connect them together smoothly, rectangular planters are the ideal choice for seclusion.
- Creating a focal point: Plants catch the attention, especially if they are planted in a stunning container to create a statement piece on their own. A tall, round planter is the best for creating a focal point. Imagine a combination of a gorgeous Bird of Paradise plant with a gorgeous Brannan round planter!
- Changing the perceived scale: The relationship of a plant’s size to other items in a space influences the overall sense of scale. A plant that grows to the ceiling will make the entire area feel taller, providing a visual hint of the office space’s real height!
Learn about The 12 Best Indoor Office Plants: Experts’ Top Choices
Jay Scotts Featured Projects
See Our Planters Make A Difference
Learn how Jay Scotts planters are used to meet the goals of our customers – from the Philadelphia International Airport to the Gates Hotel South Beach in Miami.
5. Using Technology To Create Safer Office Environments
After fighting a global epidemic and dealing with its effects, new technologies have certainly improved our outlook on office design. Even with a growing number of employees still residing in remote areas, companies are encouraging modern offices to enhance workplace security and promote overall health and safety.
Businesses may help your staff and clients feel more at ease about returning to work by implementing some of the technology trends that made work feasible throughout the epidemic.
Contactless Technology
Investing in automated light switches and faucets in your new office space was already a key feature of modern office architecture prior to the epidemic, but today this technology is critical for health and safety. Limit the number of surfaces that your staff and customers must touch to interact with your environment wherever possible.
Photo https://www.thequint.com/tech-and-auto/tech-solutions-to-increase-hygiene-in-corporate-offices
Voice Recognition Technology And Mobile Apps
Although the implementation of facial recognition has been met with controversy, it is a useful tool for reducing the amount of physical contact in the office. However, one popular alternative is voice recognition. Imagine: planning meetings and making task lists could be as simple as asking Alexa to do it for you.
This can also open up many doors for online offices to integrate with offline spaces in a seamless manner through the Internet and other mobile apps. With automated scheduling and meeting room booking, everyone has equal access to the office at the touch of their fingers (on their own personal devices, of course!).
FAQs About Office Design Trends
How do you design an office environment?
It can be a challenge to work with your current space to design an office that is on-trend, but still functional. The key here is to always consider the needs of your workforce and clientele.
If your office is a co-working space where many people work independently and collaboration isn’t a priority, small desks and office pods might be an investment worth considering. However, if your office is a tight-knit community where people often share ideas and socialize, then a dynamic office layout complete with a lounge and comfortable furniture may be the way to go.
If it’s possible, try to survey your employees to figure out what they want and need from their workplace as they return to their offices. This will surely give you some ideas to improve your office design.
You should also consider color schemes carefully. Studies have shown that exposure to certain colors for long periods of time can affect us differently. For example, red supposedly agitates us, yellow promotes feelings of joy and blue can produce a more calming, serene effect on our mood. So if you plan to add a wall covering displaying your company’s colors, make sure to use colors promoting productivity and peace!
What are the current trends in interior design?
Office design trends are always changing, but it’s obviously impractical to redesign your office on a regular basis so you should go with designs that will withstand the test of time. Some of our favorite office design trends can include the following features:
- Retro geometric patterns, like chevron and herringbone styles
- Neutral color schemes with bright pops of color
- Arches
- Red earth ceramics
- Wavy and curved furniture like Jay Scotts Alicante and San Jose fluted planters.
What trends do you expect to see in the future of office space?
As more offices start to incorporate biophilic design trends in the workplace, more importance will be placed on bringing the outdoors inside. This isn’t limited to plant life, but rather there will be a shift in our overall focus to reconnecting with more natural design elements.
This means we will see fewer hard lines and geometric patterns and more wavy, curved lines that mimic the authenticity of an outdoor environment. Natural materials like wood and stone are also making a comeback in the office, so adding these elements to your interior design will go a long way when it comes to unifying our work lives with the natural world around us.
If you want to see our planters in action, be sure to check this project out!
Office Design With Jay Scotts Planters
The client was looking to find planters that would not only compliment the office space but also keep the plants healthy and not be a potential nuisance or safety hazard.
View ProjectElevate Your Commercial Space With Jay Scotts Planters
If you are considering using plants to improve your commercial space, the most important thing to look for is durable, high-quality, and professional planters.
High-quality planters are essential as they provide the foundations for lush growth and beautiful botanical ambiance. Plus, using commercial-grade planters will save you money and help achieve your business goals – which is the reason you are investing in biophilic design in the first place!
Our planters are made from lightweight yet durable fiberglass (the best planter material). They are perfect for companies both indoors and out. Offered in a wide selection, there are many styles and colors to suit your business’ design needs.
If you are worried about the longevity of your investment, do not. Our planters withstand diverse weather conditions, from frosty winters to scorching summers, and perform best in high-traffic commercial settings.
To underscore Jay Scotts’ value and commitment, all our planters come with an industry-leading warranty.
No matter what color scheme or layout you choose for your post-pandemic office environment in 2023, our fiberglass planters are sure to add life to your space. Call us today to order from our huge range of custom and standard fiberglass planters that will transform your office design!