The Beaux-Arts Group has
posted another great blog on the latest trends for the office this year
and we were delighted to see that it included indoor plants!
“A look at the hottest office trends of 2016 gives us a sense of how
firms are adapting to meet the needs of mobility and better attract
millennials while keeping an eye on efficient use of real estate space.
The beginning of the year is a great time to assess the office
landscape and determine whether improvement to layout, materials, or
color might have a positive impact on your company.
As design executive Joan Blumfeld notes, it’s critical in today’s work
world to embrace flexibility. It’s clear that employees will thrive when
they are given access to different types of spaces, especially if the
general layout is an open floor plan. You also want to generally consider
access to natural light and plants as well, since both of those
elements have been proven repeatedly to improve mood and cognition.
Other than those basic parameters, what office trends do designers believe will be particularly dominant this year?
1 – GETTING THE WIRES OUT OF SIGHT
In an office setting, you can end up with electronics cluttering up
the feel of a space if you aren’t careful, notes designer Scott Lesizza.
“Between wires, laptops and other electronic devices, to docking
stations, paperwork and personal items, there are many things that can
make a room full of open desks appear very disorganized,” he says.
Consider choosing furniture that pays special attention to concealing
these elements.
2 – BREATHING LIFE INTO THE OFFICE
The patterns on materials are becoming increasingly natural.
Businesses are also starting to install more living walls so that plants
are built into the environment more prominently. Plus, in the interest
of employee comfort, designers increasingly want office space to feel
like home.
3 – JUMPING ONBOARD WITH JEWEL
What about color? You may be familiar with the notion of a statement
piece in jewelry: often a necklace, this piece draws the eye and gives
the general look of an outfit a natural focal point. Jewel is used by
many designers in a similar manner, as a sort of “statement color” to
draw the eye and give an otherwise neutral room a more high-end
ambience.
4 – NONSTANDARD MEETING AREAS
Many offices are introducing smaller areas for discussion. These
alternate areas to which people can go to escape the din of the open
office are considered necessary by many professionals. “Private booths
and other innovative work spaces are increasingly popular for one-on-one
collaboration,” explains Inc.