You’ve probably done some decorating in your home, apartment, door room (or at least had some say in it), but one space people often forget about is their office space. We spend 40 hours a week in that desk, chair, cubicle or office – so, shouldn’t it be an aesthetically pleasing space? Having a work environment that reflects your own individual style not only allows us to enjoy our space more, but also helps us to be more creative and productive! Here are some top trends for the 2017 office space.
No Pesky Wires
No matter how organized you actually are, laptops, chargers, phones, HDMI cords, lamps and ethernet cables can make a work space appear very cluttered and unorganized. Plus, pesky wires and cords are never aesthetically pleasing! Here are some ways to hide them: Use zip ties to keep them bound together and tuck them behind your desk.
- Hide computer wires under your desk using binder clips.
- You can also mount the power strip on the underside of your desk.
- Use command hooks to keep cords from laying on the floor. It’s not good to keep rolling over them with your chair!
- Use double sided tape to mount power strips.
Pops of Color
We all know office buildings can be drab. Talk to the person in charge and ask about painting walls. If not walls, then maybe just the columns or a couple of accent pieces around the area. Have a blue logo? Blue columns could look awesome! Is your company’s color red? Paint the main wall when you walk in red! If you can’t go all out like this, no one ever said you couldn’t bring in your own pops of color. Fake flowers, fun streamers/banners from the craft store, colorful vases and brightly colored bean bag chairs are all good ways to brighten up your office space.
Hints of Nature
Speaking of flowers…they don’t HAVE to be fake! Bring a little bit of the outdoors in with fresh flowers. During the holidays, you won’t believe some of the cool stuff you can find outside. Think pinecones, cranberries, holly leaves and more. Create your own little oasis on your desk in a vase. Plus, flowers bring cheer to every room – including the office.
Lounge Areas
As technology continues to expand, making our lives more and more wireless, the workday revolves more around iPads, tablets and laptops than it once did around desktop computers. This makes us more mobile and more able to collaborate with co-workers in spaces other than our cramped cubicles and offices. Dedicated lounge areas are a GREAT idea. They’re easy to DIY, too! Throw some beanbags and/or throw pillows and a white board in the corner for on-the-go brainstorming sessions. Move your cubes around so that a couch and a table can go in the middle of your quad. There is no “wrong” way to create a lounge space. It’s a great place for employees to go when they need a change of scenery.
Collaboration Tables
Piggybacking off of lounge areas, collaboration tables are the newest way to share inspiration! Instead of a one-on-one meeting in your cube or in an office, why not invite more people to toss ideas around? Especially when it comes to launching a new product or brand or planning a new event or slogan. Your collaboration table should fit at least four and then have room for others to stand or pull up chairs. Make sure you have notepads and pens there and a charging station for people to bring their laptops and tablets. It may even be a good idea to have a white board nearby to write down ideas or a TV to plug someone’s computer in for easier follow-along.
Say Goodbye to Cubicles and Walls
Cubes and walls can be, well, restraining and it sometimes makes for less of a collaborative environment. Consider lowering the walls on your cubes (if possible) and creating more of an “open” office space. This is very “start-up tech company” sounding, we know, but when employees feel they have more freedom to collaborate, you may just be surprised by the increase in efficiency levels!
Exposed Brick
Exposed brick never goes out of style. Many office buildings may be old warehouses or old buildings in general. Don’t cover up the character! There’s no need to cover up walls. Exposed brick is very IN and provides for a more laidback “techy” environment.
Pets in the Office
This is about as forward-thinking and modern as you can get! Of course, you should take an office poll first because many people are allergic to dogs. If your building allows it and you have ample clean up supplies for accidents, you can set a designated day each month that people can bring their dogs in. Cats, too? Make sure you set a rule that ONLY the most well-behaved pets can tag along.
Looking for property management services in your area?
Find out about our services and fees from one of our experienced agents. We provide management & brokerage services for community associations, residential properties, and commercial properties.
