What office design trends will 2016 see?

If you’re planning to renovate your office this year, you’ll want to make sure that your design scheme is on-trend and stylish. To help you, we’ve investigated some of the office design trends we expect will make a big impact in 2016. Make sure your office has the ‘wow’ factor by following these cutting-edge design techniques – not only will you love your new workplace, but your guests and your staff will be delighted by the fresh new décor!

Lose the clutter

A trend towards minimalism has been apparent in interior design for many years, and this has affected all kinds of locations – not least the office. To support people in their aim to create a sleek, minimalist office space, many new office design features aim to strip back clutter and develop seamless working environments that look professional, organised and clean.

When you’re considering your new office design, think about how you can eliminate some of the clutter that messes up the room at the moment. Just think about the following issues:

– Wires

It might seem like almost everything is wireless nowadays, but I’m sure there are wires trailing all over your office. Not only are these ugly, but they are also a health and safety hazard – guests and workers can easily slip or trip over exposed wires, and footfall can cause cables to become frayed and damaged.

Fortunately, there are a range of products available that offer a quick and simple solution to this issue. From specially-designed desks, to wire tubes, and from wires hidden behind computer stands to wall-mounted displays, there’s an option for every office.

But other people in your office might clutter the place up with their docking stations and smartphone chargers – consider hiding their wires too with bespoke storage solutions.

– Storage solutions

Many modern storage units have been designed with technology in mind, and can hide wires and other clutter capably without intruding on the appearance of the office.

Handle-less cupboards and cabinets are becoming a very popular design feature – in an effort to avoid obstructions and create a smooth and relaxing minimalist interior, people are forgoing handles and using a number of clever alternative opening mechanisms.

One of the real benefits of a minimalist design scheme is its ability to allow you to draw a lot of attention to one particular feature. Consider creating a focal point within your office, perhaps with your lighting – this will not only break up the space, but it will also create a personalised twist to your design scheme.

Lighting

Office lighting no longer needs to be stark strip-lights. There are plenty of quirky lighting choices to choose from – and not only can lighting make a huge difference to an office’s appearance, it can also promote a company’s ethos. If your business touts its green credentials, then make your lighting choices environmentally-friendly, or if your business is based on creative design, then choose something bold and expressive!

– Feature lighting

Feature lighting suits all kinds of office designs – in the minimalist space, it can appear as a beautiful centrepiece that draws the attention, whereas in a more traditional design, it can help to establish a fusion between the classical and the modern, or can add rustic charm and style to the area.

– Spotlights

Draw attention to particular areas with spotlights. You can position spotlights so they provide light for certain workspaces to aid with particular tasks, or to enhance the appearance of your working environment, or a combination of both. The flexibility of spotlights is one of their main charms!

– Glass and reflection

A common choice in office design is to base the room around natural lighting, and to maximise the amount of sunlight that enters the room through glass and reflective materials. Fishbowl-style wall-length windows are becoming more and more affordable, and glass-brick or toughened glass dividers allow natural light to reach rooms that would otherwise be blocked off from the sun.

Consider boosting the amount of light each desk space receives by avoiding large barriers, rearranging layouts, and using reflective or transparent surfaces to bring light through the whole room. An office space will become considerably more pleasant when it’s full of daylight!

Natural materials

When you’ve opened up the office space as much as possible, a popular choice for 2016 will be to continue to enhance the outdoors feeling by using natural wood grains inside the office.

– Wood

There are plenty of options, including reclaimed wood and upcycled materials. These details and tones are associated with feelings of homeliness and warmth, and not only do they reduce stress and promote calmness, but they also look great, too.

– Greenery

Offices of 2016 will also see an explosion in plant life. Sunlight, plant life, natural wood tones and similar design choices are not just a great way to create a natural design scheme, but are also associated with improved employee morale and increased creativity and productivity.

Furthermore, these design choices support the continual move towards eco-friendliness and green considerations – and concerns about the impact that we have on Earth looks likely to increase in 2016. There’s no better time to promote your firm’s environmental awareness than now!

Breakout areas

Kitchens, lounges and breakout areas have seemed like more of an afterthought in recent years; seating, tables and entertainment centres have remained unused, and workers often only use these areas for a quick cup of tea or a quiet word in a colleague’s ear.

But as wireless technology and remote working becomes more and more common, breakout areas are getting a second wind. The modern office is recognising the potential of breakout areas and other more subdued areas, and is adorning these with enough features and fittings to make them a suitable location for people to spend a lot of time.

Integrated design features, such as power outlets and audio jacks, are appearing within items of furniture in the breakout areas of offices. As the years go on, this trend is likely to become more and more common – in a few years time, office furniture could be full of embedded monitors, in-built speakers and keyboard trays!

If you would like to find out more about the future of office design, then check out our case studies. Don’t hesitate to contact us for further information, or to get started on your own amazing design!