Customizing your private office design can help make you happier and more productive in your workspace environment. In this article, we’ll cover some strategies for planning an office renovation that makes a positive impact on your experience at work. Then, we’ll talk about a few of the most popular layout concepts that you’ll want to consider implementing when personalizing your office. To conclude, we’ll discuss some final touches post-renovation that can tie all your ideas together and make work easier and more comfortable than ever before.

Preliminary Planning

One of the best places to start when it comes to envisioning a new workspace for yourself is by answering some basic questions about the mechanics of your job. Let’s think through some of these simple office design questions together:

What Does Your Day Look Like?

Form follows function, as the old saying goes. The physical environment you create for yourself when working should be modeled upon the real-life use case of your daily habits. If, for example, you spend a lot of time collaborating with other members of your team, you may want to include a large table that can accommodate various guests. If you are more likely to spend your days reading, then a large comfortable chair might be in order. Or if you take a lot of phone calls, you may want to leave yourself space to stand up and pace.

What Does Collaboration Look Like to You?

On a related note, your favored strategies for collaborating with coworkers, clients, and partners will inform the design you chose. If your company also provides large conference and meeting rooms, for example, you might want to focus your private office layout ideas on heads-down work. The same goes if your company culture tends to center around Slack, Teams, or other software base platforms for communication.

What Makes a Space Comfortable?

This is another highly personal concept that only you can answer for yourself. Some people may prefer more furniture and decorations to create a full, cozy-feeling office. While others may opt for a more spacious layout based on minimalist design ideas. While shared office spaces tend to aim for a balance between different office design philosophies, the great thing about having your own dedicated space is that you can fully commit to a single direction without needing to please everyone. Just take some time to think about what kind of environment you feel most comfortable inhabiting.

What Encourages Your Productivity?

For many people, natural light helps increase alertness and improve focus. So if you have the chance to redesign your office layout in a manner that increases daylight, you may wish to do so. Though of course, not everyone feels the same way about this, and customization is definitely a perk of having your own office. For you, the key feature could be something as simple as redefining the color palette or adding a standing desk to help keep you moving. Or maybe it’s a total re-imagining of the layout. Checking platforms such as Pinterest, Reddit, and even LinkedIn can sometimes help provide perspective and clarity when considering these types of questions.

What Features are a Must?

Once you’ve gathered plenty of inspiration, you’ll be faced with the challenge of narrowing all your ideas down into one concrete vision to pursue. This is often a game of compromise, so it’s important to settle on which features and design concepts are most essential to you. From storage space to privacy to ergonomics, there really are no wrong answers. It’s simply a matter of what will make you most effective as a leader and as a team player.

Popular Private Office Layout Ideas

Here are a few concepts to consider when searching for private office design ideas:

1. Tie Your Space Together with a Color Theme

Choosing the right color is important in any office redesign or renovation. Some things to consider when choosing a color include room size, the natural and artificial lighting of the space, and the colors of neighboring rooms. Consider creating a color theme that reuses a select palette of colors all around your office. A good color pallet should include colors that complement each other. You will also benefit from including in your palette a variety of shades so that different sections can be darker or lighter, more accented or more dull, depending on what that section calls for. Using company colors can be a good way to tie together your design and strengthen your branding.

2. Add Elements of Symmetry -- or Deliberate Asymmetry

Using symmetry around your office can be another way to tie together the look. You can use the concept of symmetry in many aspects of your design like color, lighting, furnishing, and more. Just like using an accent color, a deliberate and well placed asymmetry in the room can help create a focal point and diversify your design.

3. Include Plenty of Storage Space

One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of reorganizing or renovation is storage. We often don’t foresee just how much stuff we manage to pile up as time goes on. That’s why it’s crucial to have plenty of storage space baked into your plan. Make sure your setup includes a convenient way to store and retrieve the kinds of items you need to run your office. When provisioning space for storage, make sure it’s located somewhere that is easy to get to, but out of the way enough that you don’t need to worry about your stored items until you need them.

4. Envision Different Work Zones for Different Purposes

A room’s layouts can be beneficial to some office activities while being cumbersome or nonoptimal for others. The most important consideration should be how many people are typically involved in the activity you are provisioning the space for, and does that room hold that capacity comfortably. Rooms in quieter or more remote spaces can be better for focused individual work. If the room is larger and in a space with more hustle and bustle, it may work best as a collaborative space.

5. Consider Your Guests

Your layout should take into account newcomers and guests. Make sure that rooms are labeled or numbered in a coherent way so that people can find their way around even if they aren’t familiar with the building. Position your team members that interact with guests close to the door. A general help desk or front desk is important if your office has a significant amount of foot traffic. Including a map of the building near the entrance can make it much easier for guests to find their way around and avoid getting lost.

6. Let there be Light!

Lighting is arguably the most important aspect of your aesthetic. First take stock of where natural light is coming in. Ample natural light is typically recommended in any space that isn’t storage. Adding, expanding, or moving windows can take advantage of natural light to make a great design. If you aren’t going as far as adding windows, then you’ll have to work your design around the lighting the building already has. Make sure that rooms without much natural light aren’t colored too darkly, or the room and feel small and stuffy. Light temperature is also important. Warmer lighting is usually better for relaxed spaces whereas cooler, bluer lighting is better for concentrated work. Lastly, make sure to consider your color scheme when choosing the lighting for your rooms. Choose lighting that complements or brings out the vibrancy in the colors of the walls and furniture.

7. Create the Appropriate Level of Privacy

While using your layout to facilitate collaboration is a great idea, make sure that there are spaces available in your office that can be used for private conversations if the need arises. Sometimes members of the office will need private spaces for more focused work as well. Consider building security. Your office may need rooms that are only available for members with a certain level of authorization. Keep this in mind when adding in doors and windows. Some designs, especially those that have a more open concept, will sometimes neglect to have spaces that allow for privacy.

Adding the Final Touches

Once you’ve planned and implemented a new office layout, it’s time to add a few final touches of personality to really make it yours. Here are a few suggestions:

Curate Some Artwork

Finding a piece of artwork that you love can help transform your office from a comfortable workstation to a place that really feels like home. What better way to express your tastes, values, and vision than with a beautiful work of art hanging proudly in your modern private office?

Add a Piece of Greenery

Studies show that indoor plants can help boost your mood. Why not turn your space into a more vibrant environment by including a delightful piece of nature?

Set the Mood with Lighting

Custom lighting solutions can also add personality and flair to any room. From small, tasteful desk lamps to larger standing or hanging lights, options abound. It’s all a question of finding the option that works for you and making it yours.

Find the Perfect Furniture

Workspace Resource has a wide range of options for anyone seeking private office furniture. From chairs to tables to private office desks, we can help! Get in touch with us today and we’ll work with you to you create the office of your dreams.

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