The office space has become a point for quite some deliberation, as corporates move towards a more holistic company culture. Startups and Silicon Valley have inspired many an established business to rethink the way in which they design the workspace, to make for a happier workforce. If you’re looking to spruce up your office space, but don’t really know how or even where to start, we’ve got some ideas for you. Why not look into the renowned philosophy of Feng Shui? While you might have heard this term from the mouth of many a trendy youngster trying to harmonise their flat or bedroom, you can apply this Eastern philosophy to your office. It can have great benefits for your staff – resulting in increased morale and, subsequently, productivity. Here’s how Feng Shui can help you get the most out of your office design:
1. It’s all about placement
The rules of Feng Shui are based on creating a space within which people and their surroundings are in harmony. Whether or not you believe in this Chinese design philosophy, it certainly does carry some valid – and practical – points about creating a collaborative space. You want everyone in the office to feel comfortable in their allocated office space – especially as they spend at least eight hours of their day in it. A general principle of Feng Shui states that objects (in this case desks) need to face the door. This brings good fortune and gives people the inspiration to look ahead into the future to what’s beyond the door, so to speak.
2. Bring the elements of Feng Shui into your office design
Feng Shui is based on five natural elements: water, fire, metal, wood and earth. While we don’t suggest you build an indoor pond, install a fireplace and erect a metal statue, you can bring in these elements in other ways to help create a harmonious office space. Luckily, all of the abovementioned elements are related to a colour, season, animal and sense. Bring in water with hues of blue colour, fire with warm lighting and lamps, wood with green or brown furnishings, metal with stone or even marble tops, and earth with earthy colour palettes.
3. Let the outside in with plant life
Let’s face it, no one really wants to sit in an office all day long, especially when it’s a beautiful day outside. Having plants goes a long way to combat this ever-present feeling of office cabin fever. And it isn’t just Feng Shui that suggests this – many other design theories strongly advocate that you need to bring natural elements into the workspace. Not only does this combat the feeling of being confined to the concrete jungle, plants also generate oxygen – something every hardworking brain needs to function optimally. According to Feng Shui, plants also increase the level of happiness among people and are conducive to getting the creative juices flowing.
4. Declutter the space and improve the flow of positive energy
Clutter in the office is a big Feng Shui no-no. You have to be smart about the way in which you place furniture, office appliances and other office design elements. Calling in the help of an interior designer that specialises in Feng Shui, will save you the time of trying to figure out where everything needs to go to improve the flow of positive energy, as well as the easy movement of staff. You can boost this design philosophy by encouraging employees to incorporate Feng Shui at their individual desks. According to a blog by Earth Home, the Bagua Map is a great way to stimulate life areas such as wisdom family, wealth and prosperity, love and relationships, as well as health at one’s desk.
5. Create Zen zones
As much as people are pack animals, we all need alone time. Whether it is to recollect our thoughts, or to simply concentrate on a really in-depth task with minimal disruption – we need a space to do this within the office. Without a lot of effort, you can easily incorporate a Zen zone as part of your office design. Through the use of glass partitions, you can create a separate space that still allows natural light to flow through and doesn’t obstruct the view of the rest of the office. You can further encourage creative and positive thoughts by using vinyl stickers in the form of shapes or famous quotes to decorate the glass Zen zone.
Window Art is dedicated to helping you create the most effective and productivity boosting office space. Our vinyl stickers are great not only for communicating your brand to clients, but also bringing positivity and colour into the office. For more on creating a great workspace, download our free Corporate Guide.
