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Bring summer into interior office design

June, 2019

How to make summer last all year with your office design

 
The feeling of summer can help wellbeing within your office. Here are ways you can turn your office design into summer no matter what the weather outside.

While the UK maybe seeing a little extra rain than we would want, summer has arrived and the warm weather has benefits for offices no matter what staff are doing. Firstly, people tend to be more positive during the summer than during the winter. This is often because more sunlight is linked to happier moods.

If workers are happier and more positive, their productivity will increase and this can help improve revenues and customer service. So it is no surprise that you would probably want to have that summer feeling in the office throughout the year. It is just another angle to wellbeing tricks that are already used, but perhaps gives added inspiration to office design.

1. Maximise natural light

The first thing you should do is to ensure that you’re maximising the natural light within the office. Ceiling windows and large windows are the easiest way to ensure that you allow the maximum amount of light into the office. The more natural light you let into your office, the higher the level of well-being for staff due to the regulation of body clocks.

Another way to maximise natural light is to use natural, light colouring within your office. This should include light yellows, greens and blues. The lighter the colours, the more light that is reflected that brightens up the office. However, using too much white, should be avoided. This can cause depression with some members of your staff.

2. Add plants to your office design

Plants are a great way to signify summer within your office. Avoid using evergreen plants like firs as these are associated with winter. However, plants like tulips, daffodils and bluebells are very good at representing the summer season.

Plants have been shown to improve mood throughout the office for various reasons. They also improve local oxygen levels and help to remove carbon dioxide that can inhibit productivity. This is a process known as phytoremediation. The best indoor plants for this are: bromeliads, dracaena and spider plants.

3. Commercial flooring options

Commercial flooring options are an important part of making an office feel warm and comfortable. In a office environment that doesn’t have much light a good option is likely to be a light wood effect vinyl as this will reflect light and make rooms feel natural and sunnier while offering the ease of maintenance benefits associated with this type of flooring..

4. Open up the office

Another important aspect to consider is opening up the office to be more open plan. Open plan offices allow for light to filter throughout a floor. In addition, open offices allow for better communications between staff and can improve moods throughout. It is however important to have quiet spaces where calls can be made and people have a place to concentrate, using natural, and light materials in these areas and thinking about plants etc. can help concentration, especially if natural light itself isn’t an option in these areas.

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