Site Logo

Four office design trends for 2019

Go back just ten years and you'll find yourself in a uniform office filled with endless rows of personality-sapping desks. Thankfully, the modern-day office stands in stark contrast to its not-too-distant predecessor. 

Although there was a period where the office didn't see much (if any) change, every year now brings with it new furniture, layout and décor trends. The past decade has seen bright open-plan designs, sit-stand desks, social spaces and hot-desking all make their way into the workplace. 

With 2019 just around the corner, what office design trends are to come in the New Year? Mark Brown, Owner of Lismark Office Products looks ahead to the office design trends expected in 2019.

Booths

Open plan and flexible layouts have brought a whole host of benefits to businesses, but their social atmosphere is often criticised for its difficulty in handling private meetings or tasks that require concentration. 

To remedy the problem, 2019 will see booths take over offices. Booths and private pods are an excellent way to escape the office hustle and bustle without even leaving the room. Their acoustic qualities mean that they offer an excellent space for meetings or for working without interruption. 

Individual private work pods zone out surrounding noise, making them the ideal place to work by yourself in peace while larger booths can fit more than one person so are great for small informal gatherings or meetings. 

Nature

Humans are hardwired to be drawn to nature, and being surrounded by greenery and fresh air is a wellknown mood booster. Research also shows that productivity can be increased by as much as 15 per cent by adding some plants to the office.

Living green walls, planters and indoor trees are just some of the ways offices can incorporate much-needed natural elements in the workplace. The splashes of green contribute to creating a stress-free and sustainable atmosphere.

It simply makes sense to add some green to your office in 2019.

Multifunctional areas    

The workplace is no longer content with fixed spaces that are restricted to certain tasks, instead, space is becoming more flexible with areas designed for a variety of tasks. Versatile rooms and areas remove restrictions and can be used for informal meetings, phone calls, private work or even just a break away from work. 

Multifunctional areas provide flexibility and an alternative environment to the traditional desk. Scattered bean bags and comfortable sofas can double up as both a setting for relaxation and a workspace for cross-department idea sharing. 

Laptops and cloud computing allow employees to work wherever they are and multifunctional areas encourage productivity away from the desk. 2019 will see more companies, especially those in the creative industries, create open-plan breakout/multifunctional areas for collaboration.

Knock down walls

Traditional brick and mortar interior walls that divide meeting rooms and working spaces are being replaced with natural dividers such as bamboo partitions and glass screens. 

Natural and transparent dividers allow offices to utilise natural light levels and create a truly open space that isn't disrupted with clunky partitions. An open office can improve communication and employee happiness.

More News
1 month ago
How to prepare for the new changes to employment laws
Employment laws are due an overhaul in April, with changes to flexible working, request amends, and protection for new parents and carer's leave, among other changes. Vivek Dodd, CEO of Skillcast, warns that failure to comply could result in serious consequences.
1 month ago
British Safety Council Keep Thriving workshop to take place in Cardiff
As part of its charitable work, British Safety Council is offering SMEs and micro-sized organisations in Cardiff the chance to attend a 3-hour workshop, delivered by its Being Well Together experts, completely free of charge to explore how to develop a well-being strategy.
1 month ago
Mitel appoints new SVP and Head of International Region
Mitel, experts in business communications, has announced the appointment of Simon Skellon as SVP and Head of International Region.
1 month ago
VIPRE Security Group appoints new General Manager of Business Security Division
VIPRE Security Group, a cybersecurity solutions provider, has appointed Usman Choudhary as General Manager of its Business Security Division, encompassing VIPRE EDR and Advanced Threat Protection for Email, SafeSend for Email, and Inspired eLearning security awareness training.
1 month ago
Ascentae unveils smart workplace experience centre
Ascentae, a UK-based workplace solution and value-added distributor, has announced the opening of a new Experience Centre in the heart of Clerkenwell, London.
1 month ago
IT at forefront of sustainability efforts, but lacks proper tools and expertise
A report commissioned by OpenText has found that IT departments are playing a major role in achieving corporate sustainability objectives and cited the lack of innovative tools and expertise as the primary challenges they face in meeting those goals.
1 month ago
Harrison provides bespoke manufacturing services to B&Q stores
B&Q set out to find a partner that could provide a range of display components, including a new-look dump bin. While the products had already been designed by B&Q, Harrison was invited to tender for the project at a later date.
1 month ago
Leyard Europe LED supports new educational exhibition
A 4K CarbonLight VX LED screen from Leyard Europe forms the heart of a new inspirational and educational exhibition at the headquarters of the European Molecular Biology Lab (EMBL), Europe’s flagship laboratory for research into life sciences.
1 month ago
Crawley Town Centre BID invests in AI visitor behaviour platform
Crawley BID has invested in Place Informatics Visitor Behaviour Platform to help understand, manage, and improve town centre services and events.
1 month ago
Viking re-establishes presence in Ireland
Office supplies reseller Viking is re-establishing its presence in Ireland with the opening of a distribution centre in Dublin, the development of a local sales team, and the creation of a local customer service centre.

Login / Sign up