Infusing Offices with New Energy Using Fresh Interior Design Office Tips

Interior Design Office Tips Friant System 2 Screen

The upcoming year have many of us starting anew and looking for ways to freshen up our office.  And like most things, we want our workspace to look and feel better, as well as work more efficiently for our needs.  These great interior design office tips not only help revamp and elevate your office space, but truly are more practical than you’d think — and incredibly simple to incorporate.

All in all, it’s all about bringing in new positivity, so don’t forget to have fun.

Interior Design Office Tips ODS Artiv Workstation
Photo: ODS Artiv Workstation

Interior Design Office Tips

Boring office environments should fade away because there are tremendous options available to design a workplace that reflects your brand. Don’t worry about busting budgets since modular furnishings make it possible to start small and expand as needed.

An office that’s planned well can boost morale and be a key to retaining top talent. This leads to greater productivity and profitability.

But how do you capture the best interior?

Plan the Area

The first of these interior design office tips is planning.  Take note of the personnel, their tasks, and how often they’re in the office. Who works full-time, in-office, and who works a hybrid schedule of working in the office and working remotely?

List your needs including:

  • The number of workstations
  • Flexible meeting areas
  • Communication plans with remote workers
  • Storage


Photo: Deskmaker Catalina Storage

Don’t cram an area with furniture; leave open space where possible. This acts like white space on a website to draw people in.

Reflect Your Brand

Designing your office is a reflection of your brand. If you’re a professional firm, you don’t need to be stiff and formal, but you should inspire confidence in your staff and clients who come to visit.

Begin the moment the office door is opened. Make sure the first impressions in the reception area and foyer are well received. Use furnishings that are welcoming so they don’t have the appearance of barriers.


Photo: Global Adaptabilities Reception Desk

Look at the DeskMakers Overture Reception Desk as an example of a light color that also brings a unique wood look into the office.

Have comfortable seating arrangements for visitors who need to wait.

You can also check out 2010 Office Furniture’s Office Inspirations page to see how colors, placement of cubicles, and open plan benching impact the surroundings, in conjunction with these interior design office tips.

Light Up Your Spaces

One of the most important interior design office tips is to address your office lighting.

Stream as much natural light as possible. Enlarge windows, use skylights, or create outdoor spaces on patios and balconies.

Natural light is proven to boost morale, aid employees in being as productive as possible, and helping them to sleep well at night.


Photo: Koncept Gravy Desk Light

A well-lit office is part of the overall use of ergonomics. Check for the best lighting accessories so sore and tired eyes don’t become problems.

Desk lamps, floor lamps, and LED concept lights like the Koncept Mr. GO! Lantern, with a curved light handle, provide the right amount of light at the workstation. You can easily move it around the office or to a common waiting area.

Use Natural Materials

Compact offices can be inviting and reflect a brand just like their sprawling corporate counterparts. Eye-catching concepts bring greenery into the office in unique ways like the Nevins Bio Canvas Frame. It’s a maintenance-free collection of moss, bark, and stone on easy-to-install frames.


Photo: Nevins Bio Canvas

Incorporate Green Office design to bring more of nature into the work setting, known as biophilic design. The concept isn’t new; think back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This design helps us renew and rekindle our connection to nature.

Get more ideas and learn from a retail tea shop in Brazil that’s home to a popular brand. The shop uses plenty of natural materials and items like rope on the staircase, as seen on Dezeen.com.

Have a Health-Conscious Focus

Today’s offices can promote employee health through the use of specialty fabrics and plenty of accessories that reduce the spread of harmful bacteria. An example is the Social Distancing Office using antimicrobial fabrics, countertop shields, and privacy screens.


Photo: Enwork Deskwrap Screen

Freestanding screens come in a variety of heights and hues.

Try Plywood

Plywood is well-known in residential construction for walls and as decking on roofs, but you can also use plywood to create stylish offices as seen in the article Ten stylish plywood interiors that give the material a luxurious upgrade.

Create benches or increase your storage using plywood.

The material can act as a warm space divider and sound barrier. Decorate using hanging baskets filled with indoor plants, decorate the wood with fabrics, or both.

Get in Touch for Interior Design Office Tips

Get input on your potential design or re-design with a commitment-free consultation. Our team at 2010 Office Furniture has decades of experience advising and supplying major corporations, leading universities, and small businesses throughout the Los Angeles basin, Orange County and the Inland Empire.

Contact us for more interior design office tips and share your questions.  We’re happy to help!

Read Also: Plan Your Office for the Employee Experience
Main Photo: Friant System 2 Screens
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Deskmakers, Enwork, Global, Koncept, Nevins & ODS

Equipping Employees for Both the Corporate Office and Home Office

Equipping Employees for Both the Corporate Office and Home Office

Today’s corporate and home office environments will remain dramatically changed in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Are you seeing it in your work setting?

Expect a hybrid trend to continue. Employees will work up to a few days each week in the corporate setting and then put in the remaining hours each week at a home office or other remote location.

Savvy executives and office managers will plan and design their spaces so employees will be properly equipped at home and in the work setting.

Read on to see how you can create spaces that are productive and also meet expectations for workers and the company.

Why Employees Want to Work at Home

Surveys shows that office workers have a lot of practical reasons for working remotely at home or another location.

Reason 1: Plenty of quality furnishings are available for home offices like height adjustable desks, ergonomic chairs and accessories to create a professional setting.

Reason 2: They don’t face stressful commutes and they save money by not going to the office. You know the stories of what it’s like battling traffic every morning and late afternoons on freeways like the 405 through West LA and the 210 into Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley.

The people surveyed estimate that savings in gas and other personal expenses saves them up to $ 5,000 a year.

Reason 3: Concerns about Covid—and this comes in a distant third.


Photo: OFS Aptos Private Office

Here’s a breakdown from a survey of 2,000 adults that Flexjobs, an employment agency, did in April 2021:

  • 84% of people didn’t want a daily commute
  • 75% personally saved money
  • 32% still had Covid concerns
  • 26% enjoyed being closer to their pets and home responsibilities
  • 15% said a home office made childcare easier

Another reason workers like their home office is they don’t have to wear face coverings. Physical distancing and mask requirements are easing up in California beginning mid-June. But according to updated guidelines from the state’s department of public health, masks are supposed to be worn in indoor settings:

“In indoor settings outside of one’s home, including public transportation, face coverings continue to be required regardless of vaccination status…”

Exceptions are made for people working alone in a closed room or office.

The on-going regulations may sway people to work from home.

What CEOs Want for the Corporate Office

Not surprisingly, CEOs and other executives surveyed wanted their people at corporate workstations, although they understood that workers got used to remote locations. In a survey conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers in January 2021, most corporate leaders agreed that a hybrid office model can work.

Here’s the breakdown of how many days the CEOs want their employees to spend in the office:

  • 5 days a week—21%
  • 4 days a week—18%
  • 3 days a week—29%
  • 2 days a week—15%
  • 1 day a week— 5%
  • Only 1 – 3 days monthly—6%

The most pressing concern for executives was keeping their teams aligned with company culture. Too many days spent working remotely would lead to drifting and a loose association with the company’s goals and values.

Companies can attract employees by offering quality settings that can’t be duplicated remotely. The other draw of a corporate setting is the social interaction. Make the office a positive place to be.


Photo: HON WestHill Lounge

The Power of the Flexible Office

A property management authority was commenting on commercial office leases in Long Beach and remarked “that a lot of tenants that don’t really know what the world looks like — don’t have a good grasp of, once we’re out of this pandemic, what their office space needs are going to look like.”

Products made for a flexible workspace design are more important than ever.

If you need more workstations, or fewer, then consider solutions like the DeskMakers TeamWorx Open Plan Desking. It’s easy to configure and comes with many different privacy options.


Photo: Deskmakers Teamworx Workstation

The Attraction of Ambiance in the Office

A popular office trend in workspace environments is known as Resimercial, which means combining the best of a home office and residential setting with the durability and demands of a commercial space.

The lines between work and home are more blurred than ever.

It’s acceptable for office lounges to look like living rooms when they’re properly furnished and arranged well.

You can also create an upbeat office setting where people want to be. Use primary colors and furniture with clean lines. Triangular shapes and circles add depth and intrigue.


Photo: Arcadia Contract Domo Benches

Add plenty of indoor plants to bring in the best of nature and make sure a maximum amount of natural light is flowing into the space.

The Support of the Healthy Office

Show employees that they’re safe and well-protected with mobile glass screens and an array of space dividers. Private and semi-private office cubicles are useful for distancing while still offering a sense of collaboration.


Photo: HON Ignition Chair

Get the Ideas You Need for the Corporate Office and Home Office

Smart space planning is essential to laying out an office setting for maximum productivity and employee engagement. The team at 2010 Office Furniture has over 50 years of combined experience working with office managers and executives at the most distinguished companies in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.

Contact them with your project needs and questions.

Read Also: How to Help Protect Workers in Open Office Floor Plans from Covid-19
Main Photo: Arcadia Contract Avelina Table
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Arcadia Contract, Deskmakers,HON & OFS

(IMPORTANT NOTICE: The recommendations on this article are NOT from health experts, and have not been medically tested nor proven as an effective cure or prevention for COVID-19 or any other diseases.)

Designing Your Office Space from Top-Down to Bottom-Up

Designing Your Office Space from Top-Down to Bottom-Up

If you’re looking to create a new office design when designing your office space, an effective way to begin the process is to consider how different layouts will benefit the workflow. The goal is to help your company function efficiently. After all, work needs to get done.

Now consider the human element and how your team can work at its best.

An office isn’t just about placing workstations and then fitting your people into slots. Social and psychological dynamics matter as well.

Designing Your Office Space from Top-Down to Bottom-Up
Photo: Allermuir, Arcadia Contract & OFS

Chart Your Basic Workflow Needs

Analyze the different functions in your business, ranging from your core function—the reason your business exists—to the support functions like sales and marketing, finance, and customer care. The principles of laying out an office are timeless. A write-up from 1995 in MIT’s Sloan Management Review noted that “technological innovation and creative space design together make solutions possible.”

Here are the “tactical initiatives” highlighted in the article that benefit an organization:

  • Ergonomic planning
  • Defining group and personal workspaces
  • Offering shared workspace
  • Accommodating remote workers

This is the top-down approach that relies on higher authority figures who see the wider goals and filter decisions down to the tasks of lower-level employees. In contrast, the bottom-up style gathers staff input and gives everyone a voice.

Ergonomics works well based on employee input since the concept is to fit the workplace to the needs of people and how they function. Their suited to say what’s comfortable and what works or doesn’t work.

That’s what co-working spaces have done. They’d set up shop, sign up freelancers and remote workers who wanted to use the facilities, and took feedback on what the users liked or didn’t like. Then they’d make adjustments as necessary.

A “bottom-up” approach when designing your office space can fine-tune plans to arrive at a satisfying solution.

Create an Invitation—Not a Maze—When Designing Your Office Space

When you design or freshen your office space, imagine that you’re working with your team to make a space that’s inviting. You’re not creating a maze of modular workstations, so let your employees know that you’d like their thoughts on what makes an office welcoming.

Some may not have much of an opinion while others may want to share what works for them and what can be changed. If they’re recent hires then they may have positive or negative opinions about their previous office environment.


Photo: OFS Height Adjustable Workstations 

Take the approach used in the book Life of Work, What Office Design can Learn from the World Around Us. The authors, Jeremy Myerson and Imogen Privett, undertook a major research project and concluded that while “most contemporary offices satisfies physical and functional requirements, it seldom supports the psychological comfort and individual needs of the people who use them every working day.”

Get ideas for how people relate to design by doing what the authors did: looking at diverse spaces like theater layouts, newsrooms and medical offices.

Take a look around and adapt what works for your people within the physical space available.

Select from Different Office Styles

2010 Office Furniture’s Inspiration page reveals several different layouts and their aesthetics. Each layout makes a statement and can easily be tailored to reflect your company’s brand and enhance the office atmosphere.  It’s a great resource for inspiration when designing your office space.

A modern, abstract office uses bold colors and fascinating shapes. Modular lounge furniture can work well.


Photo: The Senator Group Mote Lounge

Contemporary industrial style offices pay homage to a city’s past while bringing comfort and functionality into present times. Google’s office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania brings in original brickwork into a space that’s “unconventional and inspiring.”

Use your surrounding city to spark features. A space in Irvine may be sleek and modern while an office in Ontario or the San Dimas area can harken back to local history.

How about an upbeat, contemporary look? You may have a traditional accounting firm but why not add splashes of color? Should pediatric dental offices have all the design fun?

In an open office plan, use different styles of workstations and colors to differentiate teams with their distinct responsibilities.

For private executive offices, choose between elegant designs or more casual ones, with both options being able to integrate technology in the desks and cabinets.


Photo: AMQ Work-From-Home Workstation

Health and wellness is a major consideration in this age of Covid-19 precautions so consider accessories and layouts for a social distancing workplace.

Don’t forget the breakroom. Create a small gathering place with chairs and tables that are easily moved or create a lounge near a kitchen space. Offices aren’t just about desks and cubicles so invest in plenty of healthy snacks and drinks that people enjoy.

Consider the Types of Work

Different functions are needed to make a company hum along the road to profitability. People with unique skill sets can have different personalities. It’s not your task to please everyone with a layout, but you can take into account the various needs that people have when designing your office space.

A graphic designer, computer programmer or engineer will need hours of quiet to focus while a marketing and sales team is going to be more collaborative and creative.

Make the office a positive social environment and don’t hesitate to experiment with new trends and refresh a look every few years.

Know your goals. Do you project growth in the near future using staff who are on-site or through remote workers? You can be nimble to provide for current needs and still plan for what can happen in the years to come.

Need Help Designing Your Office Space?

You don’t need to go it alone in office design. The team at 2010 Office Furniture has nearly 50 years of combined experience helping leading companies and nonprofits in Southern California lay out office spaces and provide furnishings that promote employee well-being.

Contact them with your project needs and questions as you undertake designing your office space.

Read Also: The Best Office Spaces are Responsive to Employee Needs
Main Photo: Groupe Lacasse
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Allermuir, AMQ, Arcadia Contract, Groupe Lacasse, OFS & The Senator Group