Did you know, the average person in the UK will spend 29.4% of their total waking hours at work over a 50-year working-life period? And, although the post-pandemic trend of working from home is still high, for many workers, this time will be spent in an office.
It goes without saying that an office environment has a significant impact on those who work there — be it in terms of productivity, physical well-being, or mental health. And the size of the office, although often overlooked as a factor, plays a huge part in determining the quality of the workplace experience for employees.
If your office has been feeling cramped, or you’ve recently moved into a smaller office, here are some tips to maximise the space, and make it feel much larger.
Natural light
We’ve written elsewhere about the benefits of natural light to a workplace, including the fact that 72% of workers identified natural light as a ‘very important’ office feature. There are multiple reasons for this: employee mental well-being, reduced tiredness, increased ability to concentrate, etc. However, one of the most valuable benefits of natural light is its ability to make spaces feel larger.
Installing larger windows is a surefire way to brighten any room. The same effect occurs by removing obstacles, such as shutter blinds.
If you’re renting an office space and cannot change the amount of natural light in a room, experiment with artificial lighting systems. You may, for example, wish to invest in certain light fixtures that mimic natural light throughout the day, instead of dim, overhead lights that cast shadows.
An office can also be made to feel larger by ‘bringing the outside in’. Make sure there is a steady flow of fresh air — from either open windows or ventilation systems — and introduce some plants, too. Biophilic office design has multiple benefits, and contributes to the freshness of the working environment. You can see how we’ve incorporated plants into the design of our offices.
Colour choices
The colour of a room is one of the most influential factors in how large it seems, and there are definite guidelines to follow in terms of colour palettes.
Oftentimes, offices will decorate in their brand colours. However, when it comes to small spaces, neutral, lighter colours are preferred. Lighter colours such as creams, pastels, greys, and whites are more reflective and will help maximise the effectiveness of A) natural light or B) artificial lighting that mimics natural light.
Another option, if you are still looking to tie in brand colours, is feature walls or accent walls.
Interior design
While offices are primarily intended to house productivity, there’s always the potential to add style to function. Intelligent office design can completely transform the perceived size of a workplace, while also doing wonders for employee satisfaction.
There are a number of tips used in successfully-designed workspaces. For example, symmetry and the incorporation of mirrors and lighting to make a space seem larger than it is. Also, the creation of what’s known as a ‘focal point’ in the office can help, but this largely depends on the layout of your office.
For some spaces, dividing the room up into separate ‘zones’ can help you get the most out of it. While, for other, more compact rooms, creating a continuous flow with the furniture and design is more effective.
Myo’s interior design
When we designed our Victoria Street offices in the Landsec-owned building, we worked with interior architects, SODA, combining calming colour palettes, premium finishes, and iconic furniture to create modern, functional shared spaces.
For the design of our Liverpool Street office, at Landsec’s Dashwood, click here to read about our work with Bluebottle Architecture & Design.
When it came to designing Myo St Paul’s, we collaborated with Basha-Franklin who made clever use of artificial light in a central stairwell. Myo Bankside brought the outside inside with its roof terrace, while Myo New Street Square, where every office is a corner office, has two sides of fenestration to make use of natural light.
Furniture
Every office worker needs a desk, a chair, a monitor, power cables, and somewhere to store their things. And that’s without any ergonomic or specialist equipment, and not including the furniture in recreational areas.
As such, offices can get pretty overloaded with furniture quickly. One solution is to try to use multifunctional furniture wherever possible, such as built-in cabinets.
It is also a good idea to regularly review the set-up of your office, making sure there are wide enough pathways between desks for both comfort and accessibility purposes. Trying to create an open, clean working environment will also help to give the illusion of more space, so, unless private working is a priority, reduce the reliance on screens in central areas that block the view from one side of the office to another.
Clutter
The same can be said for clutter. If each of your workers has their own desk, encourage them to keep it clean, using drawers to hide the clutter that can pile up and look messy.
In many cases, offices will use hotdesking. This method of working is helpful as it reduces the temptation for employees to leave things lying about. Regardless of how your employees prefer to work, think about reducing the amount of ‘things’. For example, does every desk need a bin, or can there be a waste station at one point in the room?
Here at Myo, our offices have a daily cleaning service to keep the workspace pristine and support a healthy environment. At our Victoria Street offices and our Liverpool Street offices, 94% of members are highly satisfied or satisfied, with the cleanliness of the office and its facilities. What’s more, we’re aiming for the same in our new Bankside, New Street Square, and St Paul’s offices.
Storage
One thing about workers: they need equipment to work with, from, and often to get them to work.
As we’ve established, without suitable storage, offices can feel cramped. So, invest in some smart storage solutions for your office. One of the best tips to maximise the space is to think up, not out. Using vertical space is always an excellent idea.
Also, making proper provisions for the storage of larger items, such as e-scooters and bicycles, helps. At our Victoria Street offices, for example, we have 25 bike racks and even a cycle repair station to make it easy for our customers to leave their bikes in a safe space, and not be tempted to bring them into the office with them.
‘Storage’ also extends to the storing of digital files too. So, be sure to look into cloud storage to keep documents safe instead of bulky, unreliable filing cabinet systems. You’ll be surprised at how much space this one saves you.
Looking for an office upgrade?
If you’re tired of working in a space that feels cramped, or your business is rapidly expanding, it might be time to make the move.
Here at Myo, we’re the office space experts. With five luxury London-based locations to rent offices from, Myo Bankside, Myo Liverpool Street, Myo New Street Square, Myo St Paul’s, and Myo Victoria Street, we understand the value of quality space to businesses.
So, if you’re looking to relocate to an office space that can fully accommodate you, download our free brochures and book yourself a tour today. Or, feel free to ask our friendly team any questions you may have by emailing [email protected] or calling us on +44(0)20 3876 669.
