The job is never easy for the commercial interior designers. They need to balance between efficiency and cost effectiveness on the one hand, and unique and engaging experience on the other.
As if that’s not enough, clients’ expectations are constantly raising the bar, so businesses must regularly rethink their interiors if they want to keep up with the evolving tastes of their consumers, visitors, and employees. Paradoxically, those same trends are sometimes the only lighthouse for designers that help them stay in the top game.
Big-scale geometric patterns
Floors featuring small-scale designs used to be somewhat of a standard in hotels, waiting rooms, and public buildings around the country. Now they are phased out with more dramatic, large-scale geometric patterns. Their seemingly endless designs work together to create a strong personality statement and a lasting impression on customers.
Form before function
For the previous generation, cost was the primary denominator that dictated the purchase of office furniture. However, with an increasing appreciation of industrial design, the furniture today needs to be comfortable and functional, as well as cost-effective. Apart from office chairs with adjustable features and lumbar support, standing desks are becoming a trend in youth-driven startups. With strong competition, businesses are looking for ways to distinguish themselves – even if it means through more impressive and durable interior materials like rustic wood, metal, tempered glass, and natural stone.
Multi-functional solutions
On the other hand, business owners are aware of budget tightening and are always looking for ways to save money. Commercial interior industry follows the trend, offering many solutions that made multi-functional or dual-purpose designs popular. One example of such money-saving functionality are filing cabinets with slide-out seats that can host an unexpected business meeting. Some lounge chairs have laptop or tablet-friendly arms so there is no need for a desk.
Deep tones
Trying to capture and revive the inherent beauty of nature, deep cooling tones are the leading trend of the year. Charcoals and greys tinged with greens are guaranteed to leave a deep impression on visitors, and they can be balanced out with ivory, stone and taupe. A few splashes of paprika or zesty lime can always heat up the game. Non-matching floor tiles are one of the most popular designers’ tricks to make the office space unique. If applied in the right way, they can look great.
Green-builds
Governments and municipalities are constantly pressing corporations to meet social obligations. One of those commitments is implementing sustainable and eco-friendly commercial designs. Glass was once considered a benchmark for energy inefficiency, but new window designs prove exactly the opposite. Glass is making a big comeback, now incorporating photovoltaic cells that turn entire window surface into a solar panel.
Designs that work together
In the age that puts a great importance on teamwork and communication, isolated cubicles provide no interaction or access to natural light. As a result, business spaces are moving to more collaborative approaches, employing commercial office design and fitouts that create enviable open-space layouts that are affordable without compromising on quality. For instance, instead of drywall, workstations are separated with low panels or set in a circular fashion that promotes knowledge transfer and better communication.
Flexibility is the key
Traditional office spaces that are planned in advance with permanent layouts are giving way to more flexible work landscape. Elements that can move into place and fit together without rules are becoming the base for the office of the future. Modular products that can be moved around, mixed or stacked offer a variety of dynamic and collaborative options.
Even if most commercial properties cannot afford regular full-scale refurbishments, smaller changes like change of the furniture layout or a new coat of paint can make a big difference for both visitors and employees.
