Decor Tips for Your NJ Office Space
Functionality is important in an office. However, aesthetics is also important – not just to create a good impression on clients and customers, but also to boost employee mood. Employees who work in a dull, drab office will not feel very enthusiastic about their job, while employees who work in an aesthetically pleasing space will, all other factors equal, be a lot happier with their job.
In this blog, we would like to share some of our favorite office décor tips with you, so you can get your NJ office space looking nice without spending a lot of money.
Décor tips that help you maximize productivity at your NJ office space
While you’re decorating your office, you might as well kill two birds with one stone, and up the office productivity as well! Here are some simple décor tips that’ll increase the overall productivity at your organization.
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Increase lighting
A bright, well-lit space is not only more attractive, but also easier to work in. If your office has poor lighting or incorrectly placed light fixtures, your employees may have low productivity due to eye strain. So let there be light! The Spruce suggests:
“If you’re able, maximize the natural light you’re working with as much as possible by utilizing sheer, breezy window treatments rather than heavy and opaque. But even if your control over your natural light is limited, opting for bright white bulbs will make a big difference”
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Reduce clutter
A cluttered workspace causes stress and anxiety, and can decrease productivity dramatically –because your employees can’t find the things they need to, and because basic tasks are difficult because of items getting in the way. Decluttering is an easy idea to implement while on a budget, because it entails downscaling, which doesn’t necessitate much expense.
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Introduce some plants
Your office won’t just look better, but it’ll also feel better with some nice, green plants in it. They add oxygen to the air, remove pollutants, and some herbs also smell wonderful. You can get ornamental pots and trellises that add to the beauty of the plant. If you’re downtown, your employees will appreciate having some greenery to look at through the day.
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Harness the power of colors
Colors have a direct effect on our emotions, so use them strategically in your NJ office space. Since you’re already in the process of decorating, work productive colors into the items you add. From The Spruce:
“Blueish colors stimulate the mind, yellow hues inspire creativity and green induces feelings of relaxation, but of course, this can vary from person to person. Identify colors you find personally stimulating and incorporate them wherever you can.”
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Have practical yet attractive storage
Minimalism doesn’t mean you make do without things you need. The goal is to get rid of unnecessary items, and to hide away the things you don’t use every day. Have some practical storage so your employees can store things they don’t need on their desk. Having attractive furniture is very important, because the furniture has a huge impact on how a room looks. If in doubt, go with simple, white pieces.
Décor tips to add some personality to your NJ office space
Now comes the fun stuff. While good light, storage and colors are important in an office, they aren’t very interesting. Here are some tips that will be a lot more fun to work on, and that will add a lot of personality to the space. We suggest you adapt these tips to fit your company’s image and the preferences of your staff.
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Store things in baskets
Practical storage is useful, but it isn’t pretty. To add a touch of whimsy to the office, give your employees baskets to store things such as books, files, and perhaps samples in. You’ll still need a storage cabinet, but instead of looking bleak, they can look charming with cute little baskets on them. If you do this, you can get away with a cabinet that’s a lot more simplistic, which will save you money.
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Rearrange your office
This is a budget-friendly option for those who have invested in office décor, but find themselves craving change after a few years. The problem with trendy or out-of-the-box décor is, unlike a classic design, you get used to it eventually and then find it boring. You may even think it’s an eyesore. If you’ve invested a substantial sum on decoration, redoing the office is not a cost-effective solution. Instead, just spend a weekend moving things around and rearranging the office. Some paint, wallpapers, plants and other easy décor will provide the finishing touch.
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Two words: colorful desks
If you want to add some color to the office but have a tight budget, you can kill two birds with one stone by getting a colorful desk. Your employees might find it a little odd at first, but the sudden change will inspire creativity and help them work better. And once you get used to it, you will love the look!
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Make your windows look better
In an office space, people don’t usually pay much attention to the windows. Be different! Make your windows look bigger by using clever patterns, or with the help of curtains. A curtain rod placed a little above the windows, extending outwards by a foot on either side, will make the windows look a lot bigger than they are. If curtains don’t go with your office décor, consider getting extra-large window frames instead. A more budget-friendly option would be painting a border around your windows in the same color.
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Use vertical space
If your NJ office space is small, create the illusion of spaciousness by using vertical space. Keep the desks as light and simple as possible, and build shelves and overhead cabinets (if necessary) to use the available space optimally. This will give your employees a little more room to move about, while still keeping things within easy reach.
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Choose a color scheme that makes sense for your business
You’ll see dramatically different décor styles in a corporate office and a boutique store. Both can be attractive, but they will be attractive in vastly different ways. Color scheme is an important element that is determined by the nature of your business, and if you get it right, it will make a huge difference. From Business News Daily: “Banks are an almost academic setting, and the decor should inspire trust and reassurance. This can be done with the use of dark reds and greens – saturated colors – and accessorized with black and white flooring or granite.
More creative industries should look for color and pop, using murals and accent walls to entice creative thinking and innovation. You can still create a chaos-free environment with the use of warm gray or white walls.”
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Rugs make a space comfortable
An office should look professional, but there’s no harm in having it look comfortable at the same time. Your employees spend a huge portion of their day in it, so add an area rug to their office to immediately make the space feel more cozy. Get one that’s easy to clean, so your cleaning crew don’t have to spend extra time on it.
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Textures add depth
Having different textures in your NJ office space will add some depth to the décor. These engage with your senses in a soft way. Drapery and upholstery are excellent places for playing with texture. In an office the options for upholstery are limited, but you can still have some fun with textures. Rugs, curtains, carpet, chairs, sofas – work with what you have.
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Get some modern furniture
Business News Daily writes: “Modern furniture is more rounded than traditional office furniture, said Schlotter, and gives a “softness around the technology.” Use of fur, padded seating and pillowy accessories alleviate the feeling of urgency and pressure that ebbs from hard, pointed furniture and uncomfortable seats. Thoughts of a person at ease flow freer than those under pressure, and decor can do a lot to relieve that sense of pressure.”
Your employees will be more comfortable, and the break from tradition will be appreciated by most. Avoiding sharp shapes and corners will also make your office space a little safer.
These were some of our best tips, but this list is by no means comprehensive. If you want more ideas, try asking your employees. How the office looks will have a huge impact on their mood and productivity, so it’s worth it to consider their preferences.
Get the perfect NJ office space with help from Blau & Berg
There are lots of other things that can make your office look better – more floor space, glass walls, a good view… These aren’t possible to build if you’re renting. However, if you have your heart set on a particular look, you can still get it by working with Blau & Berg. We have helped hundreds of companies in NJ find the perfect office space for their needs. Just tell us what you want, and we will sort through thousands of available offices to find the perfect fit for you.
