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7 Commercial Office Design Trends for 2024

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Author: Glen Fairbanks | President
7 Commercial Office Design Trends for 2024

The best contemporary office interior design ideas merge modern workplace culture and aesthetics to enhance the workplace experience for employees and visitors alike. From online office interior design tools to professional consultants, there’s a broad range of ways to tackle your project. But how best to adapt trends to suit your company’s mission and values? We’re here to help with an exciting lineup of office interior design trends and ideas for the new year.

Open Concept Workspaces

Perhaps the most notable trends in office interior design relate to floor plans. Once closed-door offices and cubicles were the default. Today’s forward-thinking office interior design allows employees to work – and enjoy their workspace – in the ways that best suit them, particularly in the age of hybrid and remote workforces.

Consider a mix of private and public workstations that transition seamlessly to support the work your employees do as they’re doing it. Great ideas are born everywhere. Some jobs require a closed door, and some workers thrive amid busy energy. It’s all about balance.

Adjustable Furniture/Inclusive Workspaces

Having adjustable furniture like standing desks and adjustable table heights caters to employees as individuals. Some employees may prefer to stand, while employees who use wheelchairs may prefer a customized table height to work.

How to Add Privacy to an Open Concept

It’s important to still have some private areas for meetings, phone calls and quiet work time. You can transform a breakout space into a “room” with a frosted pane of glass or a sliding door, or even a 3/4 or partition wall. A little bit of privacy can go a long way in an open concept floor plan.

a white office with purple accents

One Workplace’s offices feature an open concept, with a mix of desks and collaboration areas. There are multiple file cabinets with pink cushions on top that can serve as a seat. Notice the partition to separate the two areas.

Sound Absorption Solutions

Since more offices are implementing open floor plans, sound absorption measures need to be put in place. Sound absorption is an approach to controlling sound in a space with soft materials and surfaces to absorb sound waves and lower ambient noise.

Between clattering keyboards, ringing phones, printers, conversations, and so much more, strategic sound quality is critical. Noisy spaces are distracting and stressful, and privacy often depends as much on well-managed acoustics as a closed door. Your office’s sound quality is crucial to long-term success.

Modern sound management products seamlessly enhance office interior design using a wide array of products that dampen or mask sound to give your team a low-stress space where creativity thrives. Sound absorption strategies also offer opportunities to enliven your office’s visual aesthetic. (Learn more about how to turn sound absorption into an art form.)

A mural of a blue squid on a white wall

This acousti-print sound absorbing panel Sage Therapeutics is an eye-catching and functional piece.

a nine piece mural of a cream colored guitar in a meeting room

Decorative acoustic panels can be installed for any size space and budget at any time in the design process, like we have in the DGI HQ office.

Color and Pattern

Color affects mood and behavior. Chances are that your company’s branding takes that into consideration. Now, use the power of color and pattern carefully in your office interior design. Color can influence hunger, inspire trust, evoke calm (or the opposite), so think strategically about how you want your office interior design to evoke emotion and affect mood.

Adding pattern can change the effect of a color. Is your company best represented by a bold geometric motif or a splash of specific color? Does a more traditional pattern, like herringbone or a stripe, reflect your aesthetic? Maybe your company wants to evoke history or future technology? Color and pattern, when deployed correctly, can do that.

Pro Tip: Color and pattern don’t have to be on the walls. Consider incorporating pops of color in furniture.

a HubSpot themed expansion space

HubSpot’s expansion space incorporates bold colors and prints on furniture.

Natural Light

Natural light in the workplace makes employees feel better rested and more positive, and it can give visitors the impression that your space is larger than it is. In a recent poll, experts found that 47% of employees feel tired from lack of natural light or a window in their office and 43% feel “gloomy” from lack of light.

Here are a few quick ways to boost natural light in your office interior design:

  • Use partitions or architectural accents – or even smart glass panels that (like some sunglasses) adjust from transparent to opaque with the touch of a button or app – in place of interior or cubicle walls.
  • Keep the lines of your furniture and storage options clean and minimalist to allow that light to reach all of your space.
  • Reflective surfaces maximize natural light’s impact. Gloss finishes, mirrors and pale colors all enhance natural light.

An industrial office with brown floors and a black receptionist desk

The WeWork Office in Boston, MA has ample natural light and multiple types of workspaces. The floorplan is open to allow the natural light to penetrate the whole area.

Nature-Inspired Elements

In addition to natural light, incorporating other natural elements into your office interior design connects your workforce to the world outside their windows.

  • Start green: Flowers and succulents, container gardens and living walls improve air quality and give your team a physical mood and creativity boost. Even a small flower garden or living wall makes a positive impression, and greenery can suit any decorating style.
  • Not just plants: Choose natural materials for walls, flooring, furniture and decorative elements. Wood and stone can adapt to any office interior decorating style and add depth and natural appeal to interior spaces.
  • Let water flow: Water features can boost the impact of other natural elements. Consider combining a water wall and a living wall for a verdant green design piece that anchors your office interior design. On their own, a small water feature can boost morale and soothe tension with a calming ambience.
  • Get creative: Mix aesthetics to create visual impact. Use a natural element to add interest to a very modern space, such as a unique natural wood table in a glass and chrome conference room.

A green mural with 2050 on it

ING Offices in New York City installed a large moss wall to highlight their sustainability goals and create a focal point.

Large Format Graphics

Walls present a perfect opportunity for office interior design to display your company’s culture, mission and values and more – without saying a word. Large format graphics are versatile and are great for long and short-term messaging.

Applications for large format graphics include:

  • Local or regional geography or skylines
  • Signage and branding
  • Decals
  • Inspirational quotes
  • Wayfinding

A company wall logo with various celebrity quotes and images

Cayan Wall and Logo Branding Graphics

A white and blue logo wall, behind a white desk and rug

bluebird bio branded reception area

Leisure Space

A space for employees to relax is just as important as their workspace. Kitchens, lounges and game rooms are a great way for employees to unwind. From beer on tap to ping pong tables, leisure spaces go a long way to contributing to a positive company culture. A leisure space can also be designed for employees to work away from their desks. Lounges with comfortable chairs, sofas or even beanbag chairs are a great way to encourage collaboration.

Whether your company is building new, renovating or redecorating, an interior office design that reinforces your brand and message is a great investment. Your office design can have a huge impact on the bottom line, from productivity to attracting clients. DGI’s experience in graphic design, acoustic management and office layout planning can help you take your commercial office design to the next level. Give us a call today to get started.

Author:
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Glen Fairbanks | President

Glen joined DGI in 1994, just as the large format digital printing industry was emerging. He was originally hired as a telemarketer, quickly rose to inside sales, then managed the customer service department. From there, Glen moved to outside sales, becoming a top performer and exceeding goals by selling over a million dollars several years in a row.

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