Avoid These Scary Office Interior Design Blunders

We say this a lot (because it’s true) — the interior design of an office space can influence employee and customer behaviors. Through careful office space planning, a positive impact can be achieved, while on the other hand, no planning at all could be disastrous. You want your employees to feel good about the space they work in and you want your customers to be impressed with what they see. Avoid making the following mistakes and you should be just fine with design.

 1. Not properly planning an office space.

Whether you’re adding new furniture to a current space or re-locating to a new one, we can’t stress how important office space planning is. Everything should be carefully planned – from the color of the walls to the sizes of every single desk.

2. Visible clutter.

Since it’s impossible to control how neat and tidy your employees keep their workspaces, it’s important to incorporate pieces of office furniture in your space that can be utilized for storage purposes. From bookshelves, to file cabinets, or even a fun ottoman on wheels (that doubles as storage), provide your employees with the tools to keep clutter hidden.

3. Poor lighting choices.

If your employees can’t see clearly, they can’t do their best work. Not only does poor lighting affect your employees’ ability to see, it can affect their mood, health, and behavior. Whenever possible, make natural light available. With most office spaces, we usually recommend creating well-lit spaces with LED lights. Make sure your office space has ceiling lighting first and foremost. Some employees prefer additional lighting at their desk, so you may want to consider smaller LED tubes that can be added onto cubicles.

4. Not having a functional waiting space.

Reception areas truly make the first impression. Visitors should feel welcome. If you elect to have a receptionist / greeter, their space needs to be professional and appealing but still provide a proper ergonomic work environment.

5. Not asking for help.

While we hope you learn a lot about interior design from our blog, if you find yourself struggling while planning your space, ask for help. Being unsure about what you’re doing and proceeding to do it anyway can be costly in the long run. Have a question? Ask our experts on Facebook and Twitter, or contact us for commercial interior design services in the Greater Toronto area.

There are even more design blunders in addition to the five listed here. Stay tuned for office interior design blunders, part two.