Designing an Office using Color and Personality - Commercial Design Control Inc

Many clients come to us asking us to design their offices.  They give us a few words such as “make it look good” or “modern”.  Those words can mean a lot of different things to different people, so we are left with a lot of room to figure out what they really want! When I go in to design an office I look at the following things to determine what they mean by the above because what is good and modern for one usually is totally different to the next. First, I always check to see the current conditions of their office.  Do they have workstations?  Do they have good lighting?  Do they have leather chairs or fabric?  What is the atmosphere of the office … friendly and open, or private and quiet?  This usually gives me the clues to what “good” and “modern” means to them.

There are two distinct and basic ways to go when designing an office.  Once I have spent a little time observing, I lean towards one or the other. 

1)  Contrasting Bold - Outstanding - Colorful, Dynamic with lots of interest and focal points.  You can usually judge the general atmosphere of the office by these same traits.  If your office has a lot of bold thinkers, colorful and dynamic personalities who are encouraged to let their talents loose and come forward … you would probably be happiest with a contrasting style of type of office design.  This shows you are out of the norm, and stand alone on your own merits.  You want to show your individualism and like your staff to express their ideas.  You seek flare and creativity in your business as well as encouraging your staff to do the same.  In terms of style and company image, your concern is not about getting the most for your money or for the long term; you want to show you are in the here and now and understand what is happening in the world today.  Although you plan for tomorrow, you focus on today.  You are a risk taker in general, and like to be on the edge.

Your best look would be contrasting - Colors to use would be reds, navies, chocolate browns, blacks and white with lots of accents, feature walls and unique furniture designs.  Open concepts with lots of low partitions and glass.

2)  Blending Muted – Peaceful – Stable – Professional - traditional with limited accents or outstanding features.    If you like to have your office maintain a certain degree of privacy with a focus on stability and professionalism, you are probably better to use a blending design that stays in a safe creative zone. Blending allows you to portray an image of professionalism focusing on showing that you use your business dollars wisely and that you gravitate towards longevity versus here and now.  Your image is built on managing your money and staff wisely.  You are not so concerned about having a trendy updated image … but like to focus on the future as a long term investment instead.

Your best look would be blending - Taupe, gray, eggplant, cream and muted colors such as blues, browns and caramel would work best for you.

 

How to organize small office space - Commercial Design Control Inc.

Things can easily clutter around you when you have a limited office space. The next thing you know you are ready to abandon your workplace because there is no space for you to sit. If you are one of those space challenged people then keeping a few tips in mind while working in a small office can maximize the space and you would like to work there more often. Free Yourself: Look around and see what is it that you really need in your office and what you can live without. We all know that the computer, desk and chair stays; but what about the stack of files or the extra office equipment around you. Do you really need a separate scanner, fax, copier and printer? Why not get rid of all and get a 4 in 1 machine that serves the purpose. What about the extra bookshelf or file tray on your desk? Do you really need it?? Most of the information these days can be scanned or saved digitally or on the computer. This saves space by not having too much paperwork around you eliminating the need for extra filing cabinets. But if you still need some storage invest in functional storage or store items vertically. But, first you need to figure out what you really need in your office. Off the Wall: What about the old notices on the bulletin board; are those policies still in place? Didn’t Sue cancel that meeting schedule last month which is still hanging on your board? You’ll be amazed how much difference it makes when you get rid of the old or unused paper work on the side of your cubical or wall. My advice is to change it with a pretty calendar with beautiful pictures which not only organizes all your appointments but also provides you an escape from your mundane routine. Sleek & Savvy: If you have nothing more than just office desk, chair and filing cabinets but they are large and old then it’s time to replace them with something new and more efficient and less space consuming. With the on going need for more space and efficiency modern furniture designers have introduced great solutions to fit your style and needs. The new furniture is not only comfortable but ergonomically designed for all day use encouraging productivity. Multi purpose furniture such as an ottoman, bench or chest which can store some of your stuff or take the place of a coffee table will serve the purpose. A desk with lots of compartments and drawers should eliminate the need for filing pedestals or cabinets. Buy a chair which has wheels and lumbar support so that you are able to move back and forth in a small space from your desk to the filing cabinet and have a proper back support all day long. Colour my World: Dark colors may look modern but they seem to make a small space even smaller. You can create an illusion of openness by using light paint colors. If you use different tones of the same colour that could make your room appear bigger and spacious depending on the light and windows. Night Light: If your work space has table lamps or floor lamps, get rid of them and invest in ceiling lights. Track or recessed light works best for small office this gives an illusion of spaciousness. Use blinds where needed instead of curtains but let the natural light flow in because it’s the best way to make a space look bigger. Mirror Mirror on the Wall: A wider and lighter colour floor will open up the space and so does a mirror if positioned in front of a window to reflect light in the room. If this is not possible then add mirrors on the wall where possible so that the ceiling light reflects in the room and on the floor creating an illusion of openness. Last but not least stay away from too many prints in the office. Having a small office isn’t the end of the world; everyday if you set 10 minutes aside to clean up and de-clutter your workspace things can become clear, comfortable and you can become more productive.