Optimising office design to support a more productive workforce featured widely in last year’s commercial interior design trends, and in 2019, we predict experimentation with more sculptural forms and technology leading the charge.
Forward-thinkers will thrive
Innovation is vital to operating a successful business, and increasingly, the work environment is becoming perceived as an opportunity for forward-thinking practices.
We expect that the 2019 interior design trends will build upon the foundations set in 2018, such as the creation of agile spaces and the incorporation of eco-friendly features. We’re also anticipating fresh approaches to colours and more organic forms, drawing upon the natural shapes of the earth and creating abstract spaces within open plan working environments.
Design with your people in mind
Employers are increasingly focusing on the happiness of their employees, so expect this to translate into an uptick in interior design elements being centred on the human experience. We are anticipating the trend of space optimisation to evolve beyond agile workspaces and into features designed to boost employee morale and wellbeing – think espresso bars, meditation areas, games rooms, and even on-site massage therapy. As evidence continues to prove that people work best when given opportunities to relax and refocus, giving your employees’ office perks based on direct experiences will soon become the workplace standard.
Open co-working spaces
The popularity of co-working spaces is set to explode in 2019. We recommend breaking open the workspace to encourage an environment of collaboration, ideation, and community – leave cramped and isolated office cubicles in the past. Replace walls with glass or green walls as an attractive alternative – or remove them altogether, as popularised by ‘tech incubators’ in Silicon Valley. Promote flexibility in your business operations with mobile furniture, and create a ‘free-range’ workspace that allows employees from different departments (or even businesses) to co-mingle and share resources, ideas, and talent.
In with the old (and the new)
Nostalgia is always in style, and we’re predicting a heightened interest in adapting old buildings into modern workspaces – particularly in the creative industries. When executed tastefully, this has the potential for stunning results. Minimal, modern furniture and sleek glass features offer the perfect complement to classic architecture with a weathered, rustic interior, and balancing earthy elements like wood and exposed brick with indoor plants and metal can create an intriguing textural palette that embraces the present while paying homage to the past. We love this revivalist movement, as not only does it give your workplace a unique personality, it promotes the historic preservation of amazing architecture while touching on sustainable construction.
Green, green, and more green
The benefits of including plant-life in your workspace are well-documented – it improves air quality, aesthetics, and employee wellbeing as a result. Green walls remain an excellent option for air and light filtration, natural cooling, and dampening sound. As interior walls are knocked down to open up space, you should strongly consider green walls as an alternative – particularly as biophilic design within the office evolves from a trend into a workplace standard.
Geometric patterns
Geometric patterns add personality to an everyday office environment, along with eye-catching colours, wall graphics, organic carpets, and sculptured furniture – each present an opportunity to refresh your interiors and inspire a surge of creativity in your employees.
One of our favourite 2019 trends is geometric detailing in interior layouts and workstation arrangements. This detailing adds depth and challenges office configurations – allowing staff to personalise their individual space and have ownership over their unique office design.
Design to inspire
Whatever route you take when designing your office interior, make sure that it inspires and helps create a form of identity that is unique to your business. Nothing stifles creativity more than corporate dullness, and curating a distinct and exciting personality will make people want to come to work each day – not to mention, position you as an innovator and an attractive destination for new employees. For tips on how best to integrate these trends into your workplace, contact the experts at Merit Interiors.