Renovating a small office can prove to be challenging and that’s why we’re providing these 10 helpful office renovation tips. It can be hard to know what will look good when you have a limited area to work with. It’s far too easy to overwhelm the space, making it feel cluttered and cramped.
So how do you make changes when there’s not a lot of room? Here are a few office renovation tips to help you make the most of the space you have.
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Put Function First
When renovating office space, your first priority is designing a functional layout. Take an objective look at the space you have and decide the best way to use it. Ask yourself questions such as:
- Should workspaces to be organized by department or by activity type?
- Will employees be able to move easily from one area to another?
- Which would work best, individual desks, co-working stations, or a hybrid layout?
- What type of atmosphere do you want to foster? One of collaboration, visibility, and openness or one of individuality and privacy?
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Choose Understated Furniture
When you’re renovating office space that’s limited in size, now is NOT the time to “go big or go home.” You might want a large comfy leather sofa in the break room or stately wooden desks, but you’ll end up with an office that’s way too crowded.
Now’s the time to start embracing your inner minimalist. Find office furniture that’s functional and comfortable, but simple. Selecting smaller models will help make the space you have feel more open and accessible.
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Keep the Future in Mind
When designing your layout and purchasing furniture, you should think about more than just your current needs. Try to plan for future growth by creating a floor plan that’s flexible and buying furniture that’s easy to rearrange.
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Make the Most of Natural Light
Natural light is key to making a small space feel much bigger than it actually is. When you’re renovating office spaces that are small, consider enlarging the windows to bring in as much natural light as possible. Also make sure that you don’t unnecessarily block the windows that you have – keep them free from desks, file cabinets, etc.
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Focus on Light Colors
The colors you choose to decorate with can have an enormous impact on how big a space seems. You might think that a bold, bright color would enliven a small space but in reality, it will make the walls seem oppressive. It’s best to stick with whites and light neutral colors to keep the space feeling open and airy.
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Include Bold Colors as Accents
You don’t have to do without color altogether. In a small space, the best way to use color is as an accent to add variety to your color palette. This will keep your office from feeling too bland and monotone.
Accents colors can be used on smaller items such as lighting fixtures, chairs, or artwork. This is also a great way to incorporate your company’s brand or other significant colors into your work space.
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Use the Wall
When talking about office renovation tips, it can be easy to focus solely on floor space. But there’s a whole lot of vertical space that shouldn’t be overlooked. Make the most of your wall space by adding white boards for brain storming, a projection screen for presentations, company-wide calendars, a bulletin board for announcements, etc.
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Get Creative with Storage
When space is limited, you can’t rely on bulky file cabinets and book cases. You need to get creative and find space where there seems to be none. Try installing floating shelves, wall caddies, and monitor risers with drawers underneath to create additional storage space.
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Plan for Tech
When renovating office space, you need to keep in mind the technological needs of your company. Will each work station be equipped with its own computer? If so, then you’ll probably need to have electrical floor outlets installed. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a tangle of unsightly cords tripping everyone up, and you run into problems with the Fire Marshall too.
Before you start remodeling, sit down with your IT team to ask for their office renovation tips. How can your current systems be improved? Is your Wi-Fi keeping up with network load or does it need an upgrade? Do you still need a traditional land-line or will you switch to Internet-based phone services?
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Incorporate Plants
This may seem like one of the oddest office renovation tips, but it’s also one of the most useful. Bringing in some outside greenery serves a number of purposes.
For starters, incorporating plants will make the space seem more inviting. They also help clean the air and reduce noise levels. But the biggest benefits come from the effects that plants will have on your employees.
Studies show that having plants in the work place reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue. The presence of plants also increases worker productivity, boosts creativity, and cuts back on absence rates.
Keep in mind that not all plants will thrive in an office environment. Consider how much light and water the plants will regularly have access to and choose accordingly. Some of the more popular office plants include peace lilies, rubber plants, succulents, fiddle-leaf figs, and Zanzibar gems.
If you’re in the Winston-Salem, NC area you should check out A New Leaf. Not only are they experts at incorporating plants into renovating office space, but they also offer maintenance services where they will take care of the plants for you. And when you have special events & celebrations they can really spruce things up for you.
Office Renovation Tips – Next Steps
For more help in planning, cost estimating and other factors involved with renovating office space, be sure to contact MEP Painting & Wallcoverings, Inc.
MEP experienced contractors help client’s prepare for their construction projects. MEP has the right people for the job! For twenty years they have provided top quality work, on time and within budget. Their portfolio and testimonials of past projects demonstrate great client satisfaction. When renovating office space call MEP at 336-215-0284 or submit the contact us form.