One third of your life will be spent working. That translates to 90,000 hours over your entire lifetime.
If you’re going to spend so much time in one place, you may as well enjoy being there. Personalizing your office space and amenities in today’s dynamic business environment has a number of benefits, including:
- Increasing productivity,
- Improving emotional wellness and morale,
- Boosting collaboration and creativity,
- Keeping staff happy,
- Reducing employee turnover.
Here are 11 ways to personalize your office space and make it unbelievably epic.
#1 First, Tidy Up
Before you know it, your office can end up looking like one gigantic storage closet. Empty boxes of take-out food and Girl Scout cookies, old project files, and abandoned iPhones make an office look unprofessional, unfun, and definitely unproductive.
Although cleaning up is at the bottom of everyone’s to-do list, it is one of the most basic ways to make your office look better. Plus, it sets the stage for the fun part of personalizing your office space.
#2 Pick a Theme
Capture the personality of your company, your mission, the business that you’re in, and of course your employees. High tech, low tech, sports, green energy? Keep it simple and subtle and be sure not to go overboard no matter what the image of your business is.
#3 Fun and Professional
It is possible to be both at the same time. Just be sure to maintain an even balance. Since you spend so much time in the office, it makes sense to make it enjoyable and comfortable.
Show off your business personality – but also show clients that you’re professional and worthy of their business.
#4 Art Doesn’t Have to be Expensive – or Boring
Corporate art and motivational posters with words like teamwork, spirit, and hope aren’t authentic. They also probably don’t convey the image your business needs or your employees want.
Consider hanging locally-made art on your walls. You’ll be supporting the local arts community and have one-of-a-kind decor that might increase in value over time.
#5 Anything but Beige
Is beige your favorite color? Probably not.
But it’s surprising how many offices spaces are painted in boring beige or an industrial-strength shade of grey. Where is it written that offices can’t be colorful?
Primary colors in an office like yellow or blue, or vibrant shades of orange and green can be dramatic when used sparingly to complement the scale of your office space. Color is also a great way to integrate your brand colors into your office space.
#6 Looking and Feeling Good
Professional office interior designers know that a little bit of texture can go a long way. Accent pillows, upholstered furniture, window treatments and flooring make your office space visually stimulating.
Dividers and area rugs are a great way to create smaller areas in a large room. Taking down walls and putting up dividers boosts interaction and creates the synergy you’re looking for.
#7 Make Cords and Cables Invisible
Offices aren’t meant to be obstacle courses. Putting cords and cables in their place by running them behind a desk and securing them with Velcro or tie tags keeps your office space from looking like a tangled nest of vipers.
#8 Minimize Artificial Lighting
Overhead fluorescent lighting leaves a lot to be desired. It’s bad for the eyes, even worse for the complexion, causes migraines, and increases stress and anxiety.
Even if your office doesn’t have much natural light, there are still things you can do to minimize the bad effects of fluorescence:
- Keep window blinds open,
- Use table lamps and space lighting,
- Reduce glare by maximizing indirect lighting,
- Hang mirrors.
Even high-quality fluorescent bulbs can make your office much more pleasing to work in and your employees much more productive – and happier.
#9 Flowers and Aromas
Who doesn’t like flowers? They look good, smell good, and make everyone happy. They also add an elegant vibe to the office and help make a strong first impression when clients come to visit.
Using aroma in the office is one of the most inexpensive and neglected aspects of personalizing office space. A recent report out of the UK notes that aromatherapy can have a huge impact on boosting productivity.
Lemon is the most favored scent, followed by jasmine and lavender. But just as with bright vibrant paint colors, be sure not to use too much scent in the office.
#10 Break Areas are Office Space Too
Break rooms in an office aren’t just places to grab a fast lunch. They’re a place for staff to relax and take a quick fun break away from the working environment.
Creating a great staff room or break area in any office is also easy and inexpensive to do:
- Sit down space should be comfortable and include a table and chairs, or even a sofa.
- Provide activities for the staff like books, games, chess or checkers.
- Locally sourced coffee, healthy snacks, and organic fruits are much better than what comes in a cardboard box from the franchise donut shop.
#11 How About an Office Dog?
Pet-friendly office spaces are much more than just a passing fad.
Allowing your staff to take turns bringing their well-behaved pet to work shows you’re thinking outside of the box. In fact, research has shown that having an animal around helps to reduce stress and boosts morale throughout the entire office.
