Whether you're just setting up your office space or redecorating, keeping up with the trends is becoming necessary. In a personal, home office that you don't share with anyone else, sure, you can compromise on style and decor a bit, but in a corporate office setting, this is not the case.
Office furniture trends exist for a reason, and you should follow them when you can! Employees want a good working environment where they feel motivated to work and be productive, while also having a space where they actually enjoy working.
On top of that, trends develop over time as needs shift, so keeping up with office trends would equate to caring for your employees' needs.
Keeping up with trends for office furniture can be a challenge at times, especially since they change so fast nowadays, but there are plenty of trends that last, and can be implemented without too much effort.
Private cubicles - but different!
Private cubicles have been around for a long time now, and were meant to help people with concentrating on their work. However, when everyone is shoved into a box, it can actually reduce productivity because of how suffocating a small space can be. When people don't get enough social interaction or breaks, their energy and motivation goes down.
That said, private cubicles are still very helpful. While open work spaces are the trend nowadays, adding a few private cubicles for people to use at will can be helpful. These can help individuals when they're having trouble focusing in the open space, and get work done without distractions.
These private cubicles don't have to be for one person either! You can have bigger ones for groups to work together. The fact that people can opt to use these spaces to work in makes it more likely for them to actually get work done there, rather than forcing them into a situation that may not be well-suited for them.
Plants and Natural Light
Having social interaction is important - albeit something to be careful about in the current climate! - but having a healthy amount of interaction with nature is just as important. There are many benefits to just being around nature in general, so spending the entire day surrounded by concrete will naturally have some downsides.
You obviously can't bring an entire garden into your office (though some with larger buildings do have designated space) but you can keep plants around to liven up the space.
Whether these are small plants you keep on your desk, or larger potted plants in corners, having greenery around helps keep the air fresh and your mood lifted.
Keeping glass walls and large windows is also helpful because it lets in a lot of natural light and helps you maximize on the benefits of that (as well as cutting down on costs as a bonus). Natural light is great for making sure your mind remains fresh, and you can work productively.
Sustainability
While aesthetics are important, that's not all there is to your furniture. Nowadays, having sustainable furniture is much more important than it was considered maybe a few decades ago.
This means multiple things: for one, you should avoid furniture that includes harmful chemicals since these emissions can make you sick. If you spend too much time breathing in these emissions, you could be in danger, and office furniture is generally the one people spend most time around.
It also means that you should opt for furniture that is sustainable in that it's good for the environment. Materials like stone and bamboo, for example, are better since they are durable and long-lasting, and don't harm the environment.
These materials also don't go out of style, so you don't have to worry about consistently changing your accents or furniture to keep up with trends.
Functional Spaces & Modular Furniture
Moving away from how to arrange your furniture or what it's made of, it's also worth considering what kind of furniture it is and what it can do.
Functional spaces are in, because of the lightweight and multi-functional furniture that are included in them. They're called functional spaces because you can do more than just set up one kind of workspace.
For example, you could set up your desk to work at your laptop on your own, but you can also move the desk to fit with a colleague's so that you can work together. It allows you to create a social setting or a personal one, and manage your work accordingly.
These kinds of spaces become important because it allows employees to choose how they work based on what they think is the optimal way to do so. Giving this level of freedom makes employees feel less suffocated by boundaries and rules, and encourages creativity.
Another part of functional spaces is modular furniture. This is furniture that you can adjust to fit your needs. One of the most common examples of modular furniture would be standing desks, which are great for keeping your employees' health and ergonomics taken care of while also helping boost productivity.
Ergonomics is practically a necessity for all office furniture in this day and age, but many furniture items don't manage to get everything quite right. Standing desks are different, since they are designed specifically to be able to cater to a wider range of people.
Kana Bamboo Standing Desk
One example of a standing desk you can use for your office space is FlexiSpot's Kana Bamboo Standing Desk.
This is an excellent example of ergonomic furniture, since the desk comes with a height adjustment feature that lets you set it to whatever height works for you. Taller people may need it at a higher level while shorter people may need it at a shorter level. Having one desk for everyone is not a good idea, since it prevents them from keeping good posture and thus may end up causing injuries or pains.
The structure of the Kana Bamboo desk is robust and strong, and can handle about 275lbs of load, even when it's at the highest setting. The desk comes with a motor function that is smooth and quiet, and allows you to adjust the height easily without bothering the people around you or losing your focus.
It also comes with an advanced keypad that can preset heights and has an anti-collision feature so that you don't accidentally damage your belongings while adjusting the desk.
Another benefit of this specific desk is that it also follows another trend - sustainability. The tabletop is made of bamboo, which is a sustainable and durable material. If you're environmentally conscious, you'd want to get furniture that is good for the environment while also being aesthetically pleasing and functional, and this desk is perfect in that sense.
The bamboo top is also durable and resistant to scratches and insects, as well as water stains. It's also chemical-free, so you don't have to worry about any emissions.
Comfort & Style
We know style is an important consideration to make when designing your office. After all, you want to sit in a space that's pleasing to the eye. Many office spaces opt for minimalist setups to avoid clutter and distractions, but in a way that follows aesthetic trends.
However, style is not everything! On top of making your office space stylish, you should also make comfort a priority. This holds whether you're decorating your office space or your home office. No matter what, if it's the place you'll be working in for long hours during the day, you must keep comfort in mind.
This doesn't mean you have to compromise on style, though! There are plenty of ways to make sure your office remains aesthetically pleasing while also being comfortable.
For example, gaming chairs are usually designed with a recliner function so that if you need a break you can simply lie back in your chair and take a nap. When you're ready to work again, you can just pull the seat up. Your comfort is prioritized, but so is the aesthetic!
Monochromatic Colors
With minimalism being the current trend, monochromatic color schemes are in. Monochromes are often taken to mean black and white but this is not the case. It just means that you use the varying shades of one color.
So, if you want your office to be black and white, that works, but it could also be varying shades of green, blue, brown, or even pink! The important part is to make sure that you use it in a way that's not just stylish, but also banks on the natural light and maximizes its efficiency. You don't want to pick colors that are too bright because they can get distracting, but colors that are too dull can tire you out.
You can also combine the color with neutrals to add some flair. Monochromes don't really go out of style, so you don't have to worry about that either.
Everyone has their own way of working, so it's important that the trends you follow when decorating your workspace be those that allow for maximum creativity and productivity, keeping in mind everyone's differing needs.
