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Wellbeing continues to drive the resimercial office

November, 2019

 
Whilst productivity has long been the driving force of office design; a new wave of design trends, office layouts, and use of colours have changed the workplace beyond all recognition in the last few years. And while changes like the Activity Based Workplace may have changed the way we work, resimerical office design is trying to change our wellbeing.
 
What is resimerical?
 
The word itself is a portmanteau of RESIdential and comMERCIAL, and the basis of this design theory is that employees feel more comfortable with areas of their workplace having a homely feel. Whether this is a breakout area for brainstorming or a separate break room where staff can get away from work, being able to switch our brains away from work for a little while has great benefits.

Areas with soft couches and more subdued lighting can provide a stark contrast from a brightly lit office with its desks and office chairs; certainly much more comfortable, and certainly more like home.

With the rise of remote working, many office workers might have experienced working from home already. Resimercial design crosses the boundary between the office workplace and home working comforts, giving employees the chance to work in an area of their own choosing.
 
How to create a resimercial office
 
The key to creating a more relaxed zone within an office is to differentiate the areas clearly. Flooring is an obvious choice that can set out a boundary for this area and very much alter the feeling within it.

The new zone doesn’t have to be a lounge styled area either, you could consider:

• A kitchen and/or cafe area
• A library area
• A quiet comfy zone
• A colourful TV & console zone

A great way to separate these areas might be, for example, to have a carpeted office giving way to a wood-look vinyl flooring for the kitchen/cafe idea. Easy to clean in the case of the odd coffee spill and hard-wearing for those bar stools perhaps.

A library area might need to be carpet tiled to reduce noise, and possibly a single coloured floor to minimise distraction. A TV and games area, on the other hand, can be as bright and vibrant as you like. Something like the hexagonal tiles in our Hexxtile range can create a colourful and edgy zone to set it apart.
 
Industrial decor and feature elements
 
Bringing a homely feel to the workplace might seem like a reversal of the industrial home decor trend, as the use of industrial fittings for kitchens, and particularly lighting has been sweeping through homes. Wood effect vinyl flooring and some copper lights and fittings are an ideal way to transform an open space like an office.

You can even create some amazing effects with your own products. Newell Brands HQ has several feature walls, one made up of 26,000 coloured pencils and another of fishing lures, highlighting a couple of their brand products with their office decor.

Whether it’s colour or texture, decor or lighting, creating an alternative space within your office can boost productivity and the wellbeing of the employees in it.

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