There are many reasons why you need to consider upgrading your office on a regular basis. First of all, it’s a place where you spend most of your day and you need to make it as comfortable as possible for the productivity to be as high as possible. Also, your clients and business partners who come to your office base most of their impression of you and your company on what they see and you want them to be impressed. Finally, by improving the working conditions you’re also making a positive effect on the health of all employees, thus protecting your most valuable asset – your colleagues.
Contrary to popular belief, improving doesn’t have to break the bank. Sometimes you really need to invest a little to get much more out of it and what you should do is definitely look at such expenditure as an investment. Here are some of the things you might consider next time you plan to upgrade your office.
Colours bring life
It’s a well-known fact that colours have a profound effect on people and their mood. Green helps you relax, while yellow oozes creativity and warmth, which is why it’s often chosen as an excellent background in conference and meeting rooms. What you should definitely avoid is using dark tones, since they can make the office appear uninviting.
Office furniture
This is one of the vital points when it comes to office design. Not only should it look neat and new (or at least well-maintained), but even more importantly it should provide the necessary comfort and support to the bodies of people working there. Any investment in ergonomic chairs and desks, no matter how substantial it may be, is nothing in comparison with the health problems that might arise as a consequence of working in inadequate conditions.
You also need to think about the size and the number of furniture items in the office. One of the most common problems is a cluttered room, where any movement requires extreme care. Also, oversized desks often become nothing more than shelves for piles of documents. That means that your office is a mess and, as such, frustrating.
Shine a light
This is another extremely important issue, both in terms of the health of those spending several hours in the office and the overall atmosphere. If your offices don’t have enough windows which would provide sufficient natural light, you need to compensate for that. That used to be a problem with old lights that needed to be replaced quite often and consumed a lot of energy. Luckily, modern solutions, such as the contemporary LED panel office light, are not only energy-efficient, but they also last longer. Depending on the type of work done in the office, you may wish to choose one of several different types of lights, or even a combination, but you might want to talk to either a designer or shop-assistant, who can shed more light on the matter.
Invite the nature in
If your office is not located in a pleasant neighbourhood, with a park and lots of greenery around, you should definitely consider introducing a touch of nature to it. Most people are only too happy to take a break and get some rest during the working hours by sitting outside, enjoying the nature. If they can’t do it outside the office building, you need to think about what plants you can have in the office, bearing in mind the amount of light and other conditions. Again, this is probably another area where you might want to consult an expert.
Something in the air
Indoor air quality is of utmost importance for everyone’s health and productivity, which is why you need to consider paying special attention to that matter. State-of-the-art systems regulate the temperature, humidity and air circulation, while filtering it at the same time. Such options are not so expensive any longer and are definitely worth having a look.
As you can see, upgrading your office doesn’t only mean it will look better. Even more importantly, you’ll have a healthier office, which would help you and your colleagues become more efficient. All of you who enter the office every working day will do so without dreading the idea of spending another day in it. On the contrary, you’ll know that the best possible conditions will be waiting for you. In return, you’ll also do you best at work.
