How to elevate your office

Creating a Brighter Landscape

The working landscape has dramatically changed over the course of the last two years, so much so that expectations and predictions for what the office should be has never been more contrasting. Companies are now far better equipped to support their staff wherever they are working and the uncertainty of hybrid working has worn off. Despite workplaces seeing less traffic day-to-day, the office now has an exciting opportunity to re-engage and formulate new ways to approach decor and furniture for the office.

Office design will keep moving forward and progress our ways of working. From adapting to changing markets to decorating our spaces in new, refreshing ways, here are some key-design considerations that will define workplaces for companies in 2022.

Sustainability & Green Options

Sustainability has moved higher up the list of many business operations and the same applies to commercial property and office design. Companies are looking for ways to make their offices more sustainable day-to-day. You can see this in new workplace and product designs.

Many modern office spaces now feature living walls (also known as green walls), which are real gardens and plant displays that are fixed to interior walls. It may be too much for some spaces, but many offices are embracing more plants in general. For spaces that are lacking in natural lighting, incorporating greenery helps to add a bit of nature and bring the outdoors inside. Adding greenery can also serve as an accessory to the natural design properties of wood flooring such as engineered hardwood and LVT. Plus, plants in corporate settings are not only part of the comforting, home-like trend, but they also provide numerous health benefits.

Depending on the type of greenery you choose, the perks of adding plant life may also include:

• • Increased productivity by 15%

   

• • Improved air quality and oxygen flow

   

• • Reduced toxins in the air from carpets and other office furniture

   

• • Reduced noise

   

Neurodiverse Spaces

While creating inclusive and accessible workspaces is not a new concept, the changes that would need to be made to create such a space have not always been backed by companies. Office design should provide employees with a sliding scale of spaces, offering them the option of where best to conduct their work depending on their wellbeing and psychological needs. In the same way that mothering rooms, prayer rooms, and yoga spaces are being added to offices, the workplace is now becoming better equipped for neurodiverse workers. 

Incorporating Lighter Colors

A huge 2022 office interior trend is using lighter colors. Colors help companies stay on brand, so choosing them intentionally makes all the difference. Lighter shades, such as light grays, greens, and neutrals create a calm, aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for your staff – and for you. 

Natural Lighting

Adding natural lighting – if possible – is a trend we have seen and that is continuing into 2022. If you don’t have the option to add natural lighting, incorporating dimming lights can help have a similar effect. 

Configurable Workspaces

With hybrid working on the rise, this factor will continue to dictate a large portion of how our offices look and feel. While the time individuals spend in the office has decreased, they want the time they do spend in the office to be productive and purposeful. Even with the increase of transient employees, the physical office will still be an area of importance. Remote working is expected to remain in some capacity, so when staff visits the office, they will be looking for the things they can’t access at home. This will push office design to enable greater collaboration and improve staff experience.
 

Office space will integrate more agile workspaces such as benches and booths to accommodate for a fluctuating amount of staff. Rather than the large open plan layout of the past, the new settings need to be able to scale up and down with ease. The office will need to support the emerging needs of hybrid and flexible working both in the office and for remote workers. To maximize autonomy and flexibility in the workplace, the office must serve a wider purpose than previously. As we adopt work models that empower staff to work from anywhere, we must consider how best to ensure staff remains engaged and productive throughout the workday.

See These Practices in Action

Getting excited to integrate a new look into your office now? NeoCon is the perfect place to gather inspiration. With hundreds of showrooms and booths, you'll be able to see all of these design practices in action. This year at NeoCon, Ghent will be featuring a plethora of our products, including some of our newest releases, that you can use to help elevate and magnify all the best parts of your office. 

What is NeoCon, you ask? Since 1969, NeoCon has served as the world's leading platform showcasing products in the commercial interior design industry. Serving as a launchpad for innovation, NeoCon offers ideas and opportunities that shape the offices of the future. Ghent made its first appearance at the event in 2005, and we’ve loved being a part of this event. Take a look below at a list of some of our products that we will be showcasing this year!

Coda Circle Glassboard: Blending art and purpose, Coda has the look of floating glass with all the functionality of a glassboard. Display multiple in a cluster on the wall for a sleek art installation that doubles as a place for all your best ideas. 

Pointe Mobile Glassboard and Partition: marrying functionality and form, Pointe doubles as space division and a writing surface. Line up multiple units to create unique workspaces or use a single unit by itself to brainstorm all your best ideas. 

Aria Glassboard: Admire the look of weightless, floating glass with Aria, a sleek glassboard with no visible hardware – the perfect modern addition to any space. 

Stroll Mobile Glassboard: Create on the go with Stroll, a mobile glassboard that allows you to use one board on its own, or line up multiple to double as a space partition. Stroll also offers the option to integrate acoustic buffering or tackable surfaces on your board.

Join us June 13th-15th at theMART in Chicago to check out our products and begin the journey of elevating your space into a place you love to be even more.