How to create a lively environment in your office space

What does your office space say about the work environment and the people bustling about? Is everyone welcomed by a bright and airy space promoting productivity and success, or is there gloominess caused by a lack of natural sunlight and cold corners?

Offices should be designed to promote engagement and success, so it’s essential to have a space that’s comfortable and conducive to achieving those goals. This is how you can create a lively office space for everyone.

Bring in the greenery

Let’s start with one of the simplest workplace additions: plants. Indoor plants are a must-have for any office because they add colour and life, all while bringing a touch of nature indoors. That can be hard to achieve in some bland work environments.

As far as the actual plants are concerned, options are available to suit any budget. Just head to your nearest nursery, indoor plant speciality store or hardware store to see what’s on offer. You might even find a local market with great plants at an affordable price! They will have the best advice for your specific needs, such as which plants are best suited to an office space with limited natural lighting. 

There are also some unique options to consider for a point of difference, such as easy-to-manage succulent plants or terrariums. For those who are less familiar, a terrarium is a small-to-medium glass container with layers of sand/soil and plants – kind of like a mini rainforest. They require little daily maintenance and are great to look at.

Personal touches

Offices should reflect the organisation and the people working there. That’s why personal touches are critical to creating a welcoming work environment. Otherwise, you have a space that’s not going to encourage your staff to be their best selves.

• Encourage staff to bring personal items for their desks, such as indoor plants, pop culture figures, family photos, etc. Although subtle, personal elements are conversation starters while showing off staff personalities. 
• Reconsider hot-desking if you use it. Although it can benefit casual work environments where staff turnover is higher, established staff who want to personalise spaces often prefer set spots.
• If you have the budget to suit, talk to your staff about standing desks or unique seating options. By accommodating their preferences you are showing an increased level of commitment to their comfort.
• Create an office mural or pinboard where staff can share photos of themselves, including those from work activities. It shows your company values staff interaction and engagement.
• Whether it’s a wall dedicated to staff achievements or even caricatures of staff members who have been with the company for a certain period of time, visualise your appreciation of dedicated team members.
• Although workplaces are busy environments, set aside an hour each week where each staff member can be the office DJ. They can take control of the speaker and play some of their favourite music for others to hear.

Fun colours and decorations

Placing some greenery in front of a bland white wall only goes so far when you’re attempting to create a lively office space. If you want something contemporary it’s essential to strike the balance between fun and professional. Depending on the space you have, this could be through a combination of colours and decorations like a feature wall, feature lighting, paintings or murals or wooden or brick textural elements (even as wallpaper).

Just remember there’s no need to go overboard with colour and decorations in the office, but it does create something modern and unique. 

Lighting and climate control

There are two often-forgotten elements in an office space worth investing in: lighting and climate control. For the most part, organisations renting an office space have little control over either of these, but they do heavily impact an office’s vibe and atmosphere. Few things are worse than sitting in an office that’s too cold or not bright enough, so you should consider:

• Dimmable lighting to give staff greater control over the brightness of a workspace
• Warm lighting in lunch/break rooms to better differentiate between spaces – especially those in open-plan rooms
• Portable heating or cooling options that can complement underperforming climate control systems. Heating and cooling are expensive and often hard to change, so it’s up to you to help staff feel comfortable where you can.

Pets!

Last, but not least, nothing livens up an office like bringing in your pets. Of course, you need to make sure the animals coming in are office-friendly – no one wants a terrified cat scrambling over desks – but well-behaved pets are always welcomed. And rather than bringing them all in at once, avoid the chaos by having a rotating roster. It’s a great way to avoid major distractions while bringing a touch of joy to work.