Office environments risk becoming bland and boring, making them unwelcoming to employees and guests. Adding personality boosts morale, increases productivity and creates visual interest. Different colors and designs help bring work environments to life.
Here are 10 ways to add personality to an office. All are quick, easy and inexpensive and bring the workplace to life.
1. Use Fun Colors
Color is an excellent way to add a fun aesthetic to an office space.
The right shade can brighten up a space, make it feel larger, and get employees more excited and energized. Greens invoke feelings of calmness and pleasure, while blue helps create a more relaxed environment. Avoid reds and oranges that could cause anxiety.
Incorporating color into an office space will create a playful atmosphere and promote positivity.
2. Paint an Accent Wall
Accent walls are another way to add enjoyment to an office. Choose colors that are important to the company or match the room’s carpeting or other elements.
Get creative with geometric shapes by using painter’s tape to map out a design. Then, add colors. An accent wall can bring almost any work environment to life.
Ensure the colors used boost mood and energy, or else it could backfire.
Other accent wall ideas include using texture, painting a meaningful saying or adding wood planks to warm things up.
3. Bring the Outside In
Take advantage of any windows by incorporating plants into the space.
Adding greenery improves energy levels and relieves stress. Plants also allow employees to care for something at work and help it thrive. They enable employees to feel more connected with nature, which can make them more content with the environment.
Peace lilies, spider plants, bamboo and aloe vera are popular choices as they are easy to care for and can handle low-light conditions. If there are plenty of windows, crotons, jade plants and African milk bushes also work well.
4. Add a Flag Bunting
Flag buntings are lovely decorations that allow any office to get festive for various occasions.
They come in different sizes and can be displayed indoors and outdoors. Staircases and under windows are great locations to bring enjoyment inside.
Choose patriotic buntings for the Fourth of July and other holidays celebrating the nation or its troops. Red and green buntings work great for Christmas, and purple or black buntings add a spooky look around Halloween.
Buntings are easy to hang and make any office space instantly feel more festive.
5. Incorporate Unique Lighting
Every office needs good lighting, but that doesn’t mean the fixtures need to be bland.
Track lights, pharmacy lamps and light emitting diode (LED) backlights are great options to add more interest to the office while providing adequate illumination.
Choose light blue or cool white bulbs to promote productivity and energy. Warmer-colored lights make a room more relaxing, which could be suitable for high-stress industries.
Small, dim lights work well for creative spaces, while larger, brighter ones are better for scientific environments.
Unique features with the proper lighting can transform an office.
6. Get Creative With Art
Art is an excellent way to make a workspace more visually appealing. Choose artwork that catches the eye but isn’t so busy it distracts employees.
Paintings or photographs are ways to incorporate color and are replaceable as things change over time.
Choose abstract pieces or paintings that go with the theme of the office or industry. Be sure to choose items that fit a blank wall well. An art piece meant to be an accent quickly becomes a focal point when measurements are off.
Art also helps employees feel more at home in their space and helps them get their creative juices flowing.
7. Utilize Display Shelving
Shelving is another way to add visual interest to an office wall. Wood or metal shelves leave room for company awards, plants or fun decor items.
Celebrating accomplishments increases office morale. Display awards, certificates and charts showing positive trends to motivate employees to keep working hard. Shelves are also a great place for employees to display personal mementos or accomplishments.
Small items that match office decor can be visually appealing, and fun knickknacks brought in by management or employees can represent the different personalities around the office.
8. Hang a Photo Banner
A photo banner is an enjoyable alternative to filling a wall with photos and can be personalized in many ways.
The banner can hang across the ceiling displaying pictures from company events or featuring employees’ families.
The pictures can be cut into triangles or squares that stretch across the room and add visual interest to the building. Photo banners are an excellent way to showcase employees’ work experience and lives to any visitors or new hires.
A study even found that employees with family photos around are happier and less likely to engage in unethical behaviors at work.
9. Lay Down a Fun Area Rug
Area rugs have several benefits in an office space and are a fantastic way to easily add personality.
Rugs are more comfortable than hardwood or tile, and some people say they help the room feel grounded. They also provide warmth in the middle of winter or in areas with strong air conditioning.
One huge benefit of area rugs is that they dampen noise. Workplaces can get loud, especially when more than one employee shares a room. The carpets act as soundproofing so the office isn’t as overwhelming.
Getting creative with rug color and design can fill an office with personality. A colorful rug can easily liven up a neutral palette.
10. Encourage Employees to Make It Their Own
An easy way to add personality to an office space is to simply encourage employees to express themselves. Whether they have separate rooms or cubicles, consider providing a small allowance to purchase desk accessories, photo clips, lamps and pillows.
Employees who decorate their spaces will find work more like a second home. It also makes the building feel like a hub of creativity.
Letting employees decorate also boosts office morale and productivity. It also makes the workplace more visually appealing, enhancing creativity.
Giving an Office Personality
Items that bring personality to an office can make a bland building come to life, boosting mood, motivation and productivity. Managers that allow and encourage this creativity show employees and clients that they care about the work environment and everyone in it.
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