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Okay, I'm not going to beat around the bush - why are you working in a boring or uninspiring office space?
I'm assuming if you're reading this blog post you fall under one of the following categories:
You're a solopreneur or freelancer, working from a home office
You're a small business owner with a team, working from a studio or larger-size workplace
You're the owner of a co-working space/shared workspace
Whichever category you fall under I'm still asking you the same question; why are you making yourself (and others) work in a space that doesn't spark some sort of creative inspiration or work related happiness?
By no means am I demanding that you put a ball-pit slide through the middle of your workspace, or that all your office furniture has to be in odd shapes with garish patterns and colours... But let's please stop putting up with "Brilliant White" painted walls, grey felt desk dividers, and/or a sad grey laminate-clad kitchen area. No one looks forward to Monday mornings if that's the office interior they have to endure.
Whinging from me aside, let's explore some great ways to inject colourful joy and work productivity into your workplace via the cheap and cheerful medium known in the interior design world as: paint.
Paint is an easy way to add colour into your office interior design scheme
With so many colours to choose from it may seem daunting to find the right paint colour for your brand and office space, but the great thing about paint is that it's a super affordable way to help create a beautiful interior. And if you end up deciding a particular colour isn't the right choice or your branding changes over time, it's quick and easy to paint over. So don't be too nervous to try out a bold paint colour or paint in a style you might not be used to seeing in a (boring) office space.
1. Using multiple tones of a paint colour in your office interior
One colour, in this case blue, used in varying tones throughout this co-working space.
In the main working areas the blue is kept relatively light, with a slightly darker and richer blue painted on the exposed services on the ceiling. You can also see the lovely deep indigo blue used on the walls in the meeting room (at the back of the image) in this office interior.
These blue tones are playful but importantly still looks sophisticated in this contemporary style interior. I also love the colour contrast between the warm leather upholstery in the seating and the blue tones. See more of this co-working space here.
2. Using a single paint colour to conceal dated or awkward features in your workspace
Perhaps your workplace is in a Listed building with period features that don't quite align with your modern-style brand. Or your office space has design elements that are difficult or costly to resolve, such as boxing to hide electricals and other services. Both of these issues can be seen in this office image, and have been resolved by painting the all the walls and awkward elements in a single colour.
The rest of this co-working space - which you can have a look at here - actually uses a relatively neutral colour scheme in the main working areas, with rich and opulent paint colours used on the walls in the meeting rooms and break-out rooms as shown here.
3. Using paint colours on industrial or functional design elements in your office space
If your office space involves a lot of exposed metal work details that aren't easy to clad over, or you don't really enjoy the stainless steel industrial look you can embrace it rather than hate it and paint it in a fab colour.
You have the opportunity to make a real statement with either a bold playful colour (exhibit A: the image above), or use paint colour that's muted and grounding. Both of these options can link back to your business identity or work ethos. You can see more of this vibrant co-working space here.
4. Using a feature paint colour on the ceiling of your office interior
Who said ceilings should only be white? This private office space has a traditional, monochrome inspired interior scheme with an earthy rust-red paint colour on the ceiling, adding a new dimension and creative energy level to this interior. The painted ceiling colour carries on through all the other rooms which helps to tie the whole office space together. You can see more of this interior project here.
An interior design nugget of advice: if your workspace has an existing suspended ceiling that you need to keep for acoustic purposes, or is too much effort/too costly to take down, you can spray paint the acoustic ceiling tiles and frame in a new colour. That way your office interior will look much less like a generic 60's corporate office or something out of the TV series Mad Men.
5. Using a paint colour as a visual accent in your office space
You don't have to use a paint colour across your whole space or on all the walls in a particular room. It doesn't even have to be a colour that links back to your branding, but just something that adds a point of interest in your office space. Like this mint coloured bar and kitchen area in an open plan office space, that also doubles up as a great event space (which is even available to hire out). You can see more of this independently owned co-working space here.
This accent colour look is also achievable on a much smaller scale or if you work from a home office. Your kitchenette area could have colourful cabinet doors or a painted back wall. Storage in your home office could be painted in a soothing colour if you need a bit of calm, or something more warm and vibrant if you need to keep up energy and creativity throughout the work day.
Hopefully I've given you some inspiration and actionable starting points to transform your office interior into a place that's worth turning up to on a Monday morning!
If you want support on designing an office space for your own small business or solopreneur venture then please do get in touch.