Home interior design

Office interior design has a much bigger impact on productivity than many people realize. The most productive office designs are beautiful, efficient, and comfortable. They also promote physical and emotional health.

Whether you want to transform your spare room into a home office or you’re designing a commercial space for your business, these office interior design tips will help you stay happy, healthy, and productive.

Choose an Ergonomic Desk Setup

A productive workspace needs to be a comfortable one. A bad desk setup can lead to neck pain, back pain, and other injuries that can make it hard to focus on work. Ergonomic principles can help you design a workspace that’s healthy and conducive to productivity.

Ergonomic office chair

Your workspace should encourage “neutral posture,” which means your body is aligned, balanced, and under minimal stress. Here is an in-depth guide to designing an ideal ergonomic workspace.

Organize Everything

As you design your workspace, think about what kind of storage you need. What items must your space accommodate? Incorporate shelves, drawers, and cubbies to create logical, easy-to-access spaces for everything. Depending on your work, this could include a phone and headset, books, physical files, scratch paper, knick-knacks, photos, and even your coffee cup.

Karen Linder Office Design

In commercial offices especially, this extends to your floor plan and how you arrange communal items like the coffee machine, snacks, or the TV in a conference room. A great interior designer can help you work with your particular space to create a floor plan that “flows” with the way people will naturally move in the space.

Personalize Your Office

Interior home office design

Being surrounded by meaningful, inspiring items can help you think creatively and stay motivated. Personalizing a home office is a bit different than a commercial workspace. At home, you have free reign, though most people are more relaxed and productive in spaces with minimal clutter. Be selective about which items you include to avoid making your space too busy.

If you’re designing a commercial space, you may want to let your employees decorate their own spaces, but consider choosing wall art and other decor that aligns with your business’s mission and values.

Let in Natural Light and Fresh Air

Multiple studies in the past decade have shown a strong link between daylight exposure at work and improved productivity. According to one study, 78% of employees reported that access to natural light and views improves their wellbeing. 70% said it improves their work performance.

Christine Everett, a New York based interior designer, says: “Exposure to daylight is critical to maintain your body’s circadian rhythm, which manages your cognition, serotonin production, and digestion. We literally feel more awake and happy with exposure to daylight” (Business Insider).

Home office design

Another recent study suggests that good indoor air quality can significantly improve cognitive function.

So how can you put this knowledge to work in your own space? Here are some tips:

  • Set up your desk(s) near windows that you can easily open and close.
  • Install curtains or high-quality blinds so you can adjust the amount of light coming in.
  • Opening more than one window encourages better airflow.
  • Make sure you also have adequate artificial lighting for cloudy days and early winter mornings.

Think about Temperature

cold weather temperature

As important as fresh air is, extreme weather can make it hard to leave windows open. You want to keep the temperature of your workspace comfortable all year round. Here’s how:

  • Make sure your office space is well insulated.
  • Use fans to circulate air.
  • If you have central heating and/or air conditioning get your ducts cleaned regularly to improve air quality.

If you share an office with multiple people, some may prefer their workspace warmer than others. You might consider bringing in a few space heaters in this case.

Decorate with Plants and Greenery

Indoor plants are calming and nice to look at, but did you know they can actually improve your work performance too? Researchers in the UK discovered that plants can increase productivity by 15%.

Plant in your home office

Decorating with plants can sometimes be tricky. It’s important to choose plants that can survive on the amount of sunlight in your space. Also, think about how much time you are willing and able to spend attending to office plants. The following are all good options that do well in low-light environments and don’t require much maintenance:

Use Color to Your Advantage

Color affects how we feel. Different colors can even influence how productive we are. So what colors should you use if you want to create a productive workspace?

Home office design

According to the world-renown color psychologist, Angela Wright, the best color for your productivity depends on the nature of your work. For example:

  • Blue is best for mind-intensive work.
  • Yellow is best for creative, artistic work.
  • Red is best for physical work.
  • Green creates a strong feeling of balance and stability. It can work in a variety of environments.

When you choose colors for your office, the specific shade you choose is just as important as the color itself. Also, think carefully about how different colors will work harmoniously together in your space to influence your productivity in different ways.

Let’s Design the Office of Your Dreams

Whether it’s a cozy home office or a commercial space for your startup, our design team can help you create a beautiful, comfortable, and productive space that you’ll love to work in.

Call us today at (503) 515-4745 or contact us online to get started.