Employees generally spend half of their waking hours inhabiting the office. Therefore, the office space’s interior design is paramount to their health, wellness, and productivity. Color, floor plan, and furniture play a huge factor in an office’s energy and employee enjoyment. This year, office furniture designs focus on technology, physical health, and collaboration, seeking to unite the workforce and inspire innovation.
Open Plan Desks
Popularized during Silicon Valley’s boom days, open floor plans were initially created to inspire collaboration and share talents. They remain increasingly popular among startups and businesses seeking to keep costs low while remaining attractive to a younger work force. Open plan desks implement less material than traditional desks, but allow optimum seating for multiple employees. They also foster a lively energy and attract employees looking for workplace engagement with peers.
Attractive and Ergonomic Seating
The struggle that many office interior designers have had with ergonomic chairs has been their mundane colors, angular shape, and overall unappealing aesthetic. Recently, office furniture designs have begun to combine the science behind ergonomic chairs and attractive fabric that are good for the body and interesting to look at. The Diffrient World and Smart chairs by Humanscale boast firm, yet comfortable seating, ergonomic shapes, and sleek frames that complement any office décor. Similarly, the Trea and Cinto chairs are lightweight and subtle options for conference room seating, and their beautiful frames make a statement.
Acoustic Furniture
While the open office plan, shared desk space, and collaborative break out zones are all the rage, employees will also need areas to carry out private conversations or to completely focus on the task at hand. Acoustic furniture is the perfect complement to open office spaces. Acoustic panels are large felt swaths that attach to conference room walls and create an interesting art piece while acting as additional insulation. Hoods are semi-enclosed, padded boxes that affix to walls and act as phone booths where employees can take or make private calls. Wings are sleek, half-partitions that affix to the roof and create nooks where employees can privately collaborate or work alone.
Smart Thermostats
For large office spaces, smart thermostats are increasingly popular. Energy costs can be a huge monthly expense and if companies are looking to save while keeping the space comfortable, smart thermostats are the answer. Motion sensors and geo-barriers allow the thermostat to operate when needed and save energy when no one is around.
From attractive, ergonomic furniture to helpful co-working spaces, 2019’s office furniture trends are beautiful and functional additions for any office. At Environments, we keep up with current trends and offer cutting edge products to make your office space an enjoyable place to be. Regardless of the size and design of your workplace, we will help you utilize innovative furniture that best fits your needs. Contact us today to learn about our products and services.
