The work-from-home mandate since the onset of the pandemic blurred the boundaries between “home” and “office.” With offices opening again, the re-adjustment to working environments looms, and to entice employees to come back, companies are revamping their workspaces to feel more comfortable and residential. 

There is a good reason behind this new trend. The pandemic brought much more awareness to the mental and physical health of people and their positive correlation to productivity and innovation. Creating a space that fosters these qualities requires radical re-thinking of how the workplace should function and what it should look like. Instead of cubicles and stark, fluorescent lighting, open-layouts and social spaces have become more appealing. After all, employees spend 40 hours or more at the office, so it only makes sense to offer a workspace that is warm and inviting. 

 Here are three simple ways to achieve this “resimercial” aesthetic: 

Home-Inspired Finishings: 

The idea is to use accessories that one would use to decorate a home to give a familiar home-like aesthetic. For example, using lamps and wall sconces for lighting fixtures, and including carpets, sofas, curtains and pops of colour to give the space a more comfortable feeling. 

Social Spaces: 

Having areas that are dedicated to relaxing and mingling are vital in today’s workplace. More specifically, making those spaces comfortable and intimate to ease the transition back into the office and help employees truly feel at home is important. Many offices are now equipped with fully functioning kitchens, which are reminiscent of home, and enable employees to eat a healthy lunch. Comfortable seating such as sofas and armchairs and the inclusion of soft furnishings such as colorful cushions and carpets would add warmth to the area, encouraging collaboration and teamwork as well. 

Sectional Layout: 

While collaborative spaces are important, it is often hard to focus on individual tasks or conduct important meetings with an office that has an open layout. Further, returning to a workplace that is loud and bright after being home for so long can be anxiety-inducing for some people. Therefore, it is necessary to include cordoned off areas where employees can retreat to complete their work and hold meetings without disturbance. To maintain a pleasant, homely environment, this can be achieved through café-style booths, tactile separation accessories such as tents, curtains etc. These separations help people customize their experience in the workplace and choose the way in which they want to operate on a given day.  

Providing workers with a space they look forward to coming to not only improves their performance, morale, and productivity but also inspires creativity and innovation, which are essential for any company to grow. Further, it is a small way to show appreciation for the people who work to help the organization thrive! 

Creating your unique workplace strategy and understanding how your people work best plays a key role in your enhancing workplace culture.

 

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