Share this post: 
Have you heard of Mood Boards? You might have seen them on home improvement shows or even created one yourself when decorating your home, but have you thought about using one to plan your office space? Read on for our top tips and favourite inspirational boards, and to find out about how Alle Interiors here in the iCentre can help you create your own.
International mega-businesses like Google use Interior Design to create working environments that attract the best employees, and get the best from them while they are at work. They employ a team of designers to ensure their offices are at the cutting edge of design. What about those of us in a small office with just a few employees though? Can we apply the same concepts? We did a bit of reading around and found the following 5 top tips for creating a great working environment:
1. Flexible, Fit-For-Purpose Workspace
Spend some time thinking about the various activities you and your employees do in the working day, and evaluate whether your existing set-up is really fit for purpose. Can you make your space more flexible for different activities? Would wheels on desks mean that you can move them apart for individual working, and push them together for planning sessions and meetings? Could a height adjustable table make stand-up tasks like packaging easier? Think about practicalities like power cables. Google Garage is a truly flexible workspace, so cables extend from the ceiling towards the floor, so that they can be accessed at any point in the room. No trip hazards there then! One of the great things about renting your Commercial Space from Bucks Biz is that our units are flexible. You can adapt them to suit your needs and move up to a bigger premises if you need to.
2. Bring Nature Into The Workspace
A massive trend in America right now is Biphillic Design. Put simply, it means connecting your workspace to nature. You don't need fancy tropical atriums to bring nature in though. How about a houseplant or two? If you've got a window, open the blinds and let some daylight in. If there's no window, how about a daylight lamp? You could even add a fish tank with water feature - just make sure you're near the loo!
3. Create a Home-Like Environment
You don't need to bring in sofas and ping-pong tables, but the odd cushion, desk lamp or framed art could really make your office feel like somewhere your employees want to be!
4. Think About Your Colour Scheme
Did you know that the colours on your walls and furnishings can impact your emotions and productivity? This article by Entrepreneur.com explains in more detail, but it's certainly worth thinking about the colour of your walls in relation to the kind of work you're doing - don't just match your corporate logo colours, if they inspire the wrong kind of productivity.
5. Ditch The Clutter
This one might seem a bit of a no-brainer, but it's easy to let things slip when we're busy at work. Keeping a clutter-free office increases productivity and organisation, but if there's nowhere to put stuff, you can't expect your employees to keep the office tidy, and then there will ultimately be wasted time while people search for things! Think about organisation and storage when planning your office layout, and always include more than you think you'll need, so you're not shoving everything in!
All sounds good, but how do you get started? Well, luckily for us, we've got an expert in the building! Alle, from Alle Interiors is running a Mood Board Workshop right here at the iCentre on dates in August, September and October which would be equally applicable to your home or office space. You can read more about Alle's workshop and see her available dates here. During Alle's 4-hour workshop, she will teach you how to create a mood board to use in your home or office. Alle will cover topics such as Colour Theory, Colour Psychology, Interior Styles and Finishing Touches.
Alle says the benefits of planning for your new office are:
- The space will reflect your own style
- The space will be well planned and optimized for the size
- Your office will be a positive environment to work in
- Employees will feel happier, meaning that retaining staff is easier
- Productivity will improve
- Clients will feel welcome and those all-important first impressions really do count
Pictures courtesy of Alle Interiors, Farrow and Ball, iliv, and James Hare
Alle also holds regular 'pop up shops' in the iCentre's reception area. Drop in and see her on: 5th September, 2nd October, 6th November, 5th December and 18th December - an ideal chance to get some Christmas shopping done!
If you've planned your office space and feel like you need a bit more room, click the button below, to find out how Bucks Biz can help you.
