Month: November 2021

3 Tips for Choosing Breakroom Furniture

Post author By Key Interiors
Post date November 30, 2021
No Comments on 3 Tips for Choosing Breakroom Furniture

A company’s breakroom plays an important part in employee wellness, offering a space not just for workers to grab a bite to eat, but a place for them to relax, connect with colleagues and ultimately recharge so that they can face new challenges throughout the day. Studies show that even small breaks interrupt the monotony of daily work-life, improving employees’ overall job satisfaction and increasing their productivity. Thus, one of the best ways for companies to show they value and respect their employees is to provide them with a comfortable, functional breakroom that allows them to periodically unwind and then regroup for the tasks ahead. Here are three tips for choosing breakroom furniture that employees will use and appreciate:

Prioritize Functionality

Think about what your employees want out of a space and try to incorporate the type of breakroom furniture and other design elements and that will facilitate those objectives. For instance, coffee is an important part of Swedish culture, with Swedish workers taking 15 minutes in the morning, as well as the afternoon, to enjoy a cup with their colleagues. A breakroom in Sweden, then, will necessarily need to accommodate the presence of multiple people, multiple times as day. Coffeemakers, tables and chairs will need to be provided for employees using them en masse, rather than individually. Smaller companies, however, might well get by with only a single table and chairs set. Whatever the case, it’s vital to include breakroom furniture that is durable, comfortable and suitable for the activities for which the room will be used.

Consider Versatility

Remember, too, that there will be people of all types using the breakroom. While you don’t need to — and can’t — cater to everyone, you can provide breakroom furniture that is flexible in its use and purpose. Instead of fixed tables or built-in seating, think about providing compact, moveable pieces that can be rearranged as needed. After all, not everyone will want to sit at a communal table. Some might prefer a quiet seat in a corner where they can escape small talk and lounge in peace. A combination of single and multi-seat options, both plush and structured, will allow all employees to find a seat that suits their bodies, as well as their personalities.

Remember Aesthetics

Of course, no one wants to escape to a dingy, ugly room. Just because breakroom furniture needs to be functional and versatile, it doesn’t mean it can’t also be pretty! Attractive, well-made breakroom furniture will draw people into the space, encouraging them to use it and, thus, encouraging overall improved employee productivity.

Want to Learn More?

To learn more about office design and choosing breakroom furniture that boosts morale and expresses dedication to your employees while showcasing your company’s own unique style, please contact our design team at Key Interiors. We work with our clients to create a design plan that matches their needs with their resources, enabling them to provide a better working environment for everyone involved.

Click Here to check out some of our most recent office renovation and design projects!

References:

https://smallbiztrends.com/2021/04/breakroom-furniture.html

https://www.carrollseating.com/casework-millwork/choosing-break-room-furniture-your-staff-will-love/

https://www.residencestyle.com/tips-to-choose-furniture-for-an-office-break-room/

https://www.quill.com/content/index/resource-center/office-furniture-tips-ideas/buying-guides/how-to-choose-the-right-seating-for-your-break-room/

https://www.thegenaugroup.com/selecting-office-furniture-tips/

https://officefurnitureonline.com/break-room-and-kitchen-furniture/

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190312-the-tiny-breaks-that-ease-your-body-and-reboot-your-brain

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20160112-in-sweden-you-have-to-stop-work-to-chat

https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/5-reasons-your-office-design-really-does-matter.html

Tags breakroom, breakroom design, office breakrooms renovation

Collaborative Workspace modern office design noisy workplace Office Design Office Renovation Space Planning workstation design

Improve Your Office’s Privacy with a Cubicle Door

Post author By Key Interiors
Post date November 15, 2021
No Comments on Improve Your Office’s Privacy with a Cubicle Door

Modern office design is all about matching business needs with employee well-being. There is no one right or wrong workplace plan, as every company has unique needs that influence the choice of individual design elements. But these needs can — and do — change over time. Thus, a good office design is one that can evolve to meet new demands when they occur! At some point, an open floorplan might be suitable. At other times, it might make more sense to have individual offices or team-sharing suites. Of course, there is always the cubicle layout, a popular office design born in the 1960s that many organizations still make use of today. Indeed, approximately 60% of American workers spend their work lives inside a cubicle. And while that might have worked well without any modifications 50 years ago, today’s employees often want a different type of workplace setting to facilitate their highest level of productivity. The good news is that companies don’t have to initiate a complete office redesign to ensure employee wellness or efficiency. Oftentimes, a small office renovation can do the trick, such as adding cubicle doors. Cubicle doors can improve your office’s privacy without costing you a lot of money or downtime. Here’s why that’s important:

Privacy Often Equals Safety

Personal space is a valuable commodity. It not only helps protect us from physical dangers, it helps shield us from mental stress and discomfort. During a pandemic, personal space also helps keep us away from germs. An easy way to provide more privacy in an office, and, thus, further ensure that your employees are mentally and physically safeguarded, is to add a cubicle door to each cubicle station, separating employees so they are less exposed and are able to concentrate more fully on their work.

Privacy Preserves Security

Adding a cubicle door to a cubicle means both corporate data and employees’ own personal details are kept confidential. Information security is a big deal these days, with federal and state regulations tightly controlling the way customer information is stored and shared. Creating a barrier between employees and the rest of the office allows companies to protect sensitive data from prying eyes, as well as allows employees the space they need to conduct personal affairs without an audience.

Privacy Inspires Creativity

Privacy also inspires creativity by providing a quiet, restful space for reflection, discovery and innovation. A cubicle door closes off employees from the chaos of the surrounding work environment, permitting them uninterrupted time to concentrate on the work at hand, think outside the box and, hopefully, develop new insights. The result: increased ingenuity and productivity!

The Key Advantage

Research shows that natural sunlight improves employee health, boosting their mood, improving their sleep patterns and encouraging longer nightime sleep duration, better sleep quality and more physical activity for those with access to natural light during working hours when compared to those without it. To foster a zen office design, remove obstructive window coverings and/or arrange mirrors to reflect light where needed. You could repaint walls using white or light colors to help brighten the room, as well.

Focus on People, Not Things

The real focus of any zen office design is people, not things. Many traditional office designs center around workplace efficiency, arranging square footage in ways that maximize workflow. Zen office design, however, puts the needs of people above the needs of the company, connecting people to each other instead of to a specific area or item or any particular aesthetic ideal.

Add in Decorative Accents

A peaceful environment soothes the senses. Think about adding a water feature, artwork, and plants to generate a relaxing tone throughout the office space. The sound of moving water, coupled with living plants, evokes a feeling of serenity that science shows can “reduce stress and increase creativity and focus,” all desired results of any zen office design. To the same end, pretty artwork can also be added with little effort.

The Key Advantage

Of course, an experienced office design partner helps companies explore all types of design elements, suggesting the best ones to match any and all issue(s). To learn more about adding cubicle doors to your company’s office design or other possible design features that might improve your employee’s well-being and/or efficiency, please contact Key Interiors.

References:

https://nuserve.co.uk/news/5-steps-achieve-complete-office-zen

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2014/08/natural-light-in-the-office-boosts-health

https://www.environmentsatwork.com/workplace-trends/get-zen-effective-workspace-design-fosters-well-being/

https://blog.vantagefit.io/create-zen-office/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/augustturak/2012/03/15/zen-leadership-the-toughest-best-business-decision-i-ever-made/?sh=38d9537e7c9a

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrismyers/2017/06/14/how-to-master-the-art-of-zen-leadership/?sh=f5f53e433bbb

https://www.healthline.com/health/natural-light-benefits#ways-to-get-more-sunlight

https://som.medium.com/for-a-better-workplace-put-people-first-2d3dcabc5f30

https://theconversation.com/not-just-nice-to-have-nature-in-the-workplace-makes-employees-happier-and-healthier-80077

Tags cubicle door, modern office design, office design

Office Design Office Furnishing Office Renovation Space Planning workstation design

What to Do When Employees Request a Zen Office Design

Post author By Key Interiors
Post date November 1, 2021
No Comments on What to Do When Employees Request a Zen Office Design

Zen refers to a state of calmness where a person can be guided by his or her inituition. It has become a buzzword in the business world, with terms like “zen business,” “zen leadership,” “zen office” and the like being used when employees (or companies) want to focus on well-being, creativity and productivity. The belief is that a company’s policies and procedures — even its atmosphere right down to its physical setting, as well as its furniture — can be used to initiate peace and harmony amongst employees, thereby enabling them to be healthier, more engaged and more effective in their work lives. This is what to do if your employees are suddenly requesting a zen office design:

Don’t Panic

Fortunately, designing a zen office doesn’t have to involve a complete office overhaul. There are plenty of design options available for reimagining established spaces and using existing fittings and fixtures in new ways. None of them has to be expensive or disruptive to normal business functioning!

De-Clutter

One of the easiest ways to quickly facilitate a zen office design is to clear out all unnecessary objects and debris from the office itself. File away papers, straighten desktops and hide cables and cords. A clean and ordered space allows workers to focus on the work at hand and not the chaos of their surroundings.

Let in Light

Focus on People, Not Things

Add in Decorative Accents

Want to Learn More?

Creating a zen office design plan doesn’t have to be a daunting endeavor. You can start small and add in design elements based on any type of time or budget constraints; you can also partner with an experienced commercial design firm like Key Interiors. We can help you reconfigure your space to maximize zen-like qualities, or we can work with you to imagine a zen office from scratch. Please contact our office to learn more about creating a zen office design that matches your vision, as well as your resources.

References:

https://nuserve.co.uk/news/5-steps-achieve-complete-office-zen

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2014/08/natural-light-in-the-office-boosts-health

https://www.environmentsatwork.com/workplace-trends/get-zen-effective-workspace-design-fosters-well-being/

https://blog.vantagefit.io/create-zen-office/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/augustturak/2012/03/15/zen-leadership-the-toughest-best-business-decision-i-ever-made/?sh=38d9537e7c9a

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrismyers/2017/06/14/how-to-master-the-art-of-zen-leadership/?sh=f5f53e433bbb

https://www.healthline.com/health/natural-light-benefits#ways-to-get-more-sunlight

https://som.medium.com/for-a-better-workplace-put-people-first-2d3dcabc5f30

https://theconversation.com/not-just-nice-to-have-nature-in-the-workplace-makes-employees-happier-and-healthier-80077