Designing your office is not a simple task. Especially if you have clients coming over all the time. And, even if you don’t work with the client face to face, you still need to have a comfortable space designed to boost your productivity and creativity. Regardless of the industry you are in; your office should be the visual representation of your brand and the message you are trying to communicate across. Plus, it needs to be cozy and to feel like home. Here are three simple but effective ways of how to do it.
Lighting Solutions
Do you think a simple ceiling fixture is enough to illuminate the whole office? It doesn’t matter if it is small, medium, or big; your office should be adequately illuminated with lighting solutions that create a cozy and familiar feeling and still produce enough lighting for you to be able to work tirelessly in front of a computer or handling documentation. It is incredible how a few selected lighting solutions can transform the office in a cozy space resembling home.
That being said, consider recessed lighting, desk lamps, wall sconces, pendant lamps, and floor lamps.
- The recessed lighting will bring even overhead lighting all over the office without having to buy large fixtures. This lighting solution includes bulbs that are recessed into the ceiling, and they don’t hang down.
- The desk lamps are great if you are in need of targeted lighting, and the best thing about them is that they come in a countless variety of styles so that you can use them to up the aesthetics in the office.
- The wall sconces give supplemental or direct light. They are mounted to the wall and are usually targeting desk spaces.
- Pendant lamps are used for getting direct light by hanging down from the ceiling. They hang very low to the area they need to illuminate and, in this way, create quite an exquisite visual effect.
- The floor lamps are positioned on the floor and give targeted light to a desk or a sitting area. They are excellent in combination with an extra decorative element that becomes the focal point of the room.
Personal Touch
Your office shouldn’t be impersonal. If it lacks character, it will make you feel moody, stressed, and eager to leave and go home. Not to mention that the clients will be noticed and leave them with a wrong impression. The solution is decorating the office with a beautiful frame with a family photo, capturing a memorable event in your life, or some souvenir you got on an exciting trip. Moreover, you can hang a loveable art piece on the wall or an inspiring quote that motivates you. Depending on the business you are running, if you receive thank you cards, for example, keep them and pin them on a board so they can always remind you that you did right by your clients.
Adding a personal touch in your office is not just an aesthetic need. It is part of the branding process, too. It shows who you are and gives access to a part of your personal life, the one that you are ready to share with clients. On the other hand, it is essential to feel like being home and going through work-related stress more efficiently.
Furniture Like Home
It is not easy finding furniture that will make you feel like home and, at the same time, be healthy for your body. Usually, when it comes to office furniture, the most important thing is to get an ergonomic chair and workstation that will make your seating comfortable. Inappropriate furniture might look extra appealing at first, but it will take its toll later. Becoming stiff and with a painful posture is everything an office worker resents. So, finding ergonomic solutions are simply a must.
Still, it is not impossible to find the perfect combination of healthy furniture and furniture looking like the one you have at home. You can get a sofa similar to the one you have in your living room and use it as a seating arrangement for the clients.
Some Final Thoughts
It is always good to test the waters before jumping to renovations. For example, you can test out every idea by consulting a virtual stager who does staging an office digitally. They can put all the elements you want and fix the lighting solutions the way you prefer so you can see how the look is completed eventually. This way, you will see even the tiniest details in the office and decide whether this is the look that most resembles home. Once you are sure, you can proceed with the renovations.
