Office furniture design trends still favor the open office concept, where private offices and even cubicles have been replaced with community spaces for collaboration. In some offices, desks aren’t even assigned, leaving the office furniture allocation up to the trend of hot desking. But what is missing in all this community and collaboration? That’s right, privacy. When employees don’t have their own space, they may miss having the opportunity to go somewhere quiet and private, even those employees who love open collaboration spaces. Luckily, with the right furniture, you can plan an office space with privacy that doesn’t destroy your collaborative community.
When employees don’t have their own space, they may miss having the opportunity to go somewhere quiet and private, even those employees who love open collaboration spaces.
Create Communal and Private Spaces
If your industry thrives with collaboration, use the majority of your space for open floor plan layouts. Take into consideration that even the most gregarious of employees will likely need some quiet space as well. Ensure there are a few areas set up for solo work, away from the busy communal space. Include small, individual desks with comfortable chairs, while the community areas may have benches or couches with larger tables. Make sure your employees know that they are free to wear headphones in private spaces or otherwise zone-out the noise to concentrate on their work. While you don’t need one of these spaces for every employee, make sure that there are several so more than one employee will have access at the same time.
Distinguish The Spaces Visually
There are two significant ways that you can distinguish the spaces visually. The biggest is with wall colors. Consider marking your quiet, private workspaces with more subdued colors, like blues for calm ambiance or yellows for a creative charge. Alternatively, you could use bold yellows or even reds in communal areas where you want energy and creativity to flow.
Use Alternative Barriers
Distinguish the private work areas with physical barriers and visual cues, such as bookcases or plants. These can help limit the noise and create a sense of privacy without creating new rooms. Using plants to create temporary or even removal walls can benefit aiding depression and fatigue by giving them a small bit of nature and fresh greenery indoors.
Choose Edwards & Hill for Your Hospitality Furniture and Design Needs
Are you ready for hotel rooms and lobbies that welcome and excite your guests? Edwards & Hill can help you design and install the perfect hospitality design for your facility. Edwards & Hill is a leading office, education, medical, and hospitality furniture provider with high-quality design and installation services for any style or scale. If you are ready to get your classroom design started, contact us online or give us a call at 301-317-4250. For more furniture design tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Flickr, and YouTube.
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