The office is the birthplace of genius. It’s where all the greatest ideas are born, where innovation happens, and where success is created over time. But it’s also where disagreements arise, where conflicts occur, and where the strongest persona breaks down a little.
In more ways than one, your office is like a home. But instead of blood-related members of the family, this home is for your business and the various employees that make up your organization. This is a place where you share your ideas and bring them to life.
And since you’re spending the better part of your day inside the office, you might as well make the place comfortable enough for your liking. That’s not to say that you should have beds in the office, but comfy furniture that won’t induce back pain can go a long way to promoting restful breaks for everyone.
Creating an office environment that is conducive to working can increase employee productivity and inspire better outputs. That is why sprucing up your workspace can be highly beneficial to your business, especially if you focus on growth and development. Here are five office aspects for you to focus on:
The Walls and Floors
As a basic foundation of any commercial establishment, the walls and floors aren’t being utilized properly in a way that can showcase their potential. Most people see these aspects of the office as something that is merely walked on or built to provide privacy and division.
But walls and floors are much more than those — they can act like a canvas in which you are the artist. You might have never thought about it before, but both the walls and floors can set the tone of the environment where they are in.
For instance, having bare walls and concrete floors can insinuate a cold or standoffish demeanor from the environment. On the other hand, having solid colored walls with strategically placed art pieces and hardwood flooring can make the place appear more inviting.
This is because you create an environment that can be likened to a home instead of a barren warehouse where machines are kept. Using the potential of your office’s walls and floors, you can be raising the level of comfort that your employees can get from just being in the workspace.
The Decorations
As mentioned earlier, bare spaces can make any environment appear cold and stripped of human existence. This is why you should take advantage of simple decorative pieces that can elevate the appearance of your workspace without disrupting the professional image you are building.
A good example of this is by placing indoor plants in strategic points throughout your office. They can be placed in empty corners, blind spots, and other open spaces where they won’t cause traffic or serve as a distraction for your employees.
Plants are also a great way to introduce the natural world indoors, especially if your office is situated in a high-rise building or a location that is far from trees and parks. Other decorative pieces can be artwork, informative posters, or bookshelves with literature and artifacts that can inspire creative thinking.
The Windows and Air Circulation
An office with no windows or sources of natural light can induce anxiety and claustrophobia because it can mimic the feeling of being underground. Imagine working in a stale room with bare walls, cold floors, and no windows. How does that make you feel?
No person can work under such circumstances unless their profession requires being in complete darkness. Windowless offices are not conducive to working, particularly because it might make your employees feel like they are being held there against their will.
If you want to make your office a bit homier, then having wide windows and good air circulation is necessary. Your windows don’t even need to be functional for them to serve their purpose. All they have to do is let natural light so your employees can see the outside world from their desks.
A good ventilation system is important in creating an environment fit for human activity. That’s why you should make sure that your vents are maintained and kept clean so that they won’t be safety hazards. The indoor plants can also naturally help cleanse the airflow inside your office.
Treating your office as an extension of your home doesn’t mean you walk around the space barefoot during working hours or leave dirty dishes in the sink. It just means that you’re recreating the comfortable environment of your home to make your workdays less gruesome and exhausting.
