If you’re in the brainstorming phase of your new office fitout, or office renovation, it’s important to get the ideas flowing. You should be aiming to create a pleasant working environment that promotes productivity and well-being. To do so, there are a number of elements that you’ll need to include, and important considerations to make.
At Niche Projects, we’re experts in generating office fitout ideas for our clients in Sydney. We’ve created a range of different workspaces for our clients, each one generating exceptional results. In that vein, here are 36 of the best office fitout ideas for all kinds of businesses. We hope these ideas get your creative juices flowing!
General office fitout ideas
These first 12 fitout tips are general, designed to inspire broad ideas for your particular workplace. We utilise a number of these ideas as office fitout inspiration when working with clients in Sydney. They are all incredibly effective ways to build a workplace.
- Open Workspace:
Promote collaboration and communication by incorporating open workstations or a communal desk layout. Open plan offices are very common and come with a range of benefits, but also downsides. It’s important to maximise the potential of an open workspace, while taking steps to minimise noise and other distractions, which are commonplace.
- Biophilic Design:
Incorporate plants, natural light, and natural materials to bring the outdoors inside, creating a more calming and productive atmosphere. Research has shown time and time again that plants in the office come with significant benefits for employee health and wellbeing, as well as productivity and creativity. In fact, one study by a Dutch research team found that when plants were placed in an office, fewer employees had health-related complaints.
- Flexible Furniture:
Invest in modular and adaptable furniture that can be easily rearranged to accommodate various work styles and tasks. This kind of furniture works extremely well for businesses that like to regularly modify their workspace to stimulate creativity and promote flexibility for their employees. Flexibility is especially important in the post-pandemic commercial world.
- Ergonomic Seating:
Prioritise employee comfort and health with ergonomic chairs and adjustable standing desks to reduce strain and improve posture. Employee wellbeing is critical and ergonomic furniture will help keep your people healthy and happy. Studies have shown that ergonomic chairs can reduce musculoskeletal pain immediately, after being swapped in for poor quality chairs.
- Creative Breakout Spaces:
Design comfortable and visually appealing breakout areas for employees to relax, socialise, or have informal meetings. These spaces can have a profound effect on your people and their creativity levels. They also offer spaces that foster better communication and interpersonal relationships between workers.
- Colour Psychology:
Use colours strategically to influence mood and productivity; for example, blue can promote focus, while green encourages creativity. Choosing the right colours can have a very positive effect on your workers and their efficiency. Happiness can also be increased with the right colour scheme.
- Art and Decor:
Enhance the aesthetics of your office with artwork, sculptures, and decorative elements that reflect your company’s culture and values. It’s important to choose artwork that compliments your existing aesthetic and isn’t too ‘loud’. You need to find the perfect balance between inspiring creativity and unintentionally distracting your employees.
- Technology Integration:
Ensure seamless technology integration with concealed cables, charging stations, and video conferencing capabilities. The right technology will allow your people to perform their tasks to maximum efficiency. Without this tech, you may well be falling behind your competitors and workers will struggle to operate effectively. This is especially true for businesses with a large portion of their staff working remotely.
- Quiet Zones:
Create designated quiet areas for focused work, phone calls, or meditation to cater to different work preferences. Many employees will prefer to work in a quiet area with little distraction. Therefore, quiet zones can really improve employee satisfaction and productivity. They are also great for relieving stress throughout the workday.
- Wellness Rooms:
Include wellness amenities like meditation rooms, fitness areas, or quiet spaces to support employee well-being. If you have the space for it, a wellness space can work wonders for your employees. They can use this space to unwind, and in the long run, it will ensure your workforce is happier and healthier.
- Personalised Workspaces:
Allow employees to personalise their workstations with personal photos, plants, or decorative items to foster a sense of ownership. Many businesses do not allow this, but studies have found that banning workers from personalising their space leads to discontent and lower levels of productivity. On the other hand, according to one study, workers who are allowed to make their space their own experienced improved morale. They were also more likely to remain with their current employer.
- Sustainable Design:
Embrace eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient lighting, and recycling stations to promote sustainability and reduce environmental impact. At Niche Projects, we always prioritise sustainable office design for our clients. This means using natural and recycled materials wherever possible, and implementing power-saving and water-saving devices throughout the building. This equates to a more green organisation and a lesser carbon footprint.
Creative office fitout ideas
If you’re looking to get a little more creative, we’ve got 12 creative office fitout ideas for you and your business. Many of these ideas make creative use of furniture, inspire and stimulate, and won’t exactly break your budget either.
- Living Wall:
Install a living wall covered in lush, green plants to improve air quality, reduce noise, and create a visually stunning focal point. This becomes a visually pleasing feature, and enhances the biphilic appeal of your workplace. Employees and visiting clients will all be impressed by a living wall, and the maintenance is usually negligible.
- Vintage-inspired Decor:
Incorporate retro furniture, lighting, and decor elements to add a touch of nostalgia and character to your office. If these elements fit your design aesthetic, they can work wonders. A funky, retro-style office works well for businesses in the creative industries. We can help you choose the right furniture for this funky office fitout idea.
- Artistic Whiteboards:
Replace traditional whiteboards with writable surfaces designed as artistic murals or patterns, encouraging creative brainstorming sessions. Employees will thrive when given the chance to free their creative souls, and artistic whiteboards give them this opportunity. They are easy to source and affordable for businesses of all sizes.
- Floating Desks:
Create the illusion of floating desks by using suspended or wall-mounted workstations to free up floor space and add a modern touch. Floating desks must be installed by office fitout experts, so that they are secure and safe. When done right, they look excellent – just make sure you get your employees’ input before you go ahead and install these desks.
- Inspirational Quotes:
Decorate common areas with motivational quotes and phrases that inspire and uplift employees throughout the day. Artwork and posters that incorporate motivational quotes can be a little tacky, so it’s essential you opt for minimal prints that offer something refreshing. Otherwise, your people will be a little turned off by the quotes.
- Swivel Seating Pods:
Introduce swiveling seating pods with built-in desks to facilitate impromptu meetings and collaborative discussions. These pods offer a smart use of space, while creating a unique area for meetings and quiet working. Office pods in general are one of the most effective office fitout ideas for providing quiet working areas for your people.
- Ceiling Hammocks:
Hang hammocks from the ceiling for short breaks, providing a unique and relaxing space to recharge. This kind of office design inspiration isn’t for everyone, we get that. But in the right workspace, which needs to be pretty relaxed already, ceiling hammocks are a really clever addition. They add a little pizzaz on top of the comfort.
- Puzzle Wall:
Design a wall with interlocking puzzle pieces that can be rearranged to create various art forms, encouraging creativity and collaboration. This kind of addition is perfect for a creative breakout room, or even the office kitchen and dining room. Employees can bond over the challenge, and stimulate their minds.
- Interactive Whiteboard Tables:
Equip meeting room tables with interactive whiteboard surfaces, allowing teams to draw, brainstorm, and ideate directly on the table. Similar to artistic whiteboards, this can allow creative and more practical uses. There’s nothing like being able to visualise your thoughts and ideas with a large whiteboard.
- Oversized Bean Bags:
Place oversized, comfortable bean bags in communal areas for impromptu meetings, casual discussions, or a change of work scenery. Comfortable and colourful, beanbags offer a great way for employees to kick back and relax in the office. They are not expensive, but do show workers that you care enough to provide this option.
- Miniature Golf Course:
Install a mini-golf course with a few holes around the office to provide a fun way for employees to take short breaks and socialise. This isn’t viable for many workplaces at all. But when done right (or outside), a mini golf course adds a heap of fun to employee breaks. It can even inspire them to work harder so they can fit in a round of golf later on!
- Sensory Ceiling:
Incorporate a sensory ceiling with LED lights that mimic the sky’s changing colors and patterns, creating a calming atmosphere. This can be done in a quiet breakout room where the lights can be dimmed. It’s very affordable to purchase one of these LED lights online, which create a wonderful pattern on the ceiling, including the night sky.
Left-field office fitout ideas
These last 12 office fitout ideas are a little more whacky. They may work well in a new-age office that embraces play throughout the workday. Or, they might provide a little bit of office design inspiration for managers of a more traditional commercial office.
- Indoor Slide:
Install a playful indoor slide that connects different levels of the office, encouraging employees to take a fun break and spark their creativity. If you have the space and the inclination, an indoor slide can be a great addition for your workers. However, it’s certainly not for every business, and does require significant space.
- Hammock Lounge:
Create a relaxation area with hammocks or hanging chairs for employees to unwind, swing, and recharge during breaks. As we mentioned earlier, hanging hammocks can be great for employee relaxation. This office fitout idea takes it up a notch, suggesting an entire room or lounge area for hammocks and comfy seating.
- Movable Walls:
Use movable walls or partitions that can be easily rearranged to reconfigure office spaces based on changing needs. At Niche Projects, we help our clients create flexible spaces. Many of these offices include moveable partitions, which allow businesses to remain dynamic. They can easily edit their workplace depending on staff numbers and much more.
- Zen Garden:
Build a serene indoor Zen garden with sand, rocks, and a small fountain, providing a peaceful retreat for meditation and mindfulness. This type of area offers significant benefits and will add to existing plants and living walls. It creates a more relaxing environment and will reduce stress among your workers.
- Library Nooks:
Incorporate cosy, book-filled nooks with comfortable seating for employees to read, brainstorm, or escape into a good book. Workers who enjoy reading will love this particular office fitout idea! There’s nothing like taking a break and curling up on a comfortable couch with a book. Afterwards, your employees will be fresh and raring to go.
- Vintage Arcade:
Set up a vintage arcade game room with classic video games and pinball machines to add an element of nostalgia and fun. These machines can be a little expensive and won’t be a good fit for every office. However, in certain workplaces, a vintage arcade can be a fantastic addition and create many benefits. Likely a good fit for an IT or tech company.
- Sensory Room:
Design a sensory room equipped with calming lighting, soft textures, and soothing sounds for relaxation and stress relief. This kind of space offers a sanctuary for your workers, and somewhere they can meditate and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the office. It’s easy and affordable to create this kind of room, if you have the space available in your office.
- Graffiti Walls:
Allow employees to express their creativity on designated graffiti walls, fostering a sense of ownership and artistic expression. It’s a good policy to ensure that those who are painting are artists, so that the aesthetic of the wall can be maximised. In an industrial style office or creative business, a graffiti wall can be a very good office fitout idea.
- Colour-Changing Lighting:
Install color-changing LED lighting systems that can be controlled by employees to customise the office ambiance. Different colours in different areas helps give workers more of a choice about where and how to work, according to their needs. Coloured lighting may well work better in rooms and areas separate from your main working area.
- Swing Desks:
Replace traditional chairs with swing-style seating at certain desks to add an element of playfulness and movement. This kind of idea is geared more towards creativity, so do ensure that you don’t implement these swing chairs at every desk. They must also be installed by an expert office fitout company to ensure safety and compliance.
- Secret Meeting Room:
Create a hidden meeting room with a disguised entrance, encouraging a sense of adventure and intrigue during team meetings. This can be created easily, with a large curtain to cover the entrance or even a large painting. A secret meeting room adds an element of fun to the sometimes bland meetings that occur in the average office.
- Virtual Reality Room:
Dedicate a space for virtual reality experiences, allowing employees to immerse themselves in virtual worlds for relaxation or creative inspiration. VR goggles require an investment, but they can be used for both work and play. Utilise certain programs to help your employees get out of their comfort zone and inspire creativity.
The last word
These office fitout ideas are broad, with many forms of inspiration for all kinds of businesses. At Niche Projects, we know that what might work for some businesses, may not work for others. This is where researching office design and fitout ideas before you commence a new fitout or renovation is a must.
If you’re looking for an experienced and dynamic office fitout company in Sydney, get in touch with Niche Projects today. We can’t wait to hear from you.
