Big ideas to setup a productive office in small spaces

Do you feel the productivity dying down day-by-day as you try to make things work sitting in a very limited office space?  Do you feel that your innovative ideas are getting confined to your space and the only way out of this is to get a bigger office space? Well, you’re wrong! It’s not the size of your office space that’s creating this issue… it’s the way your space has been planned out and decorated.

A broader perspective for smaller spaces

Planning is very critical when it comes to small spaces, as you don’t have much area to play around with. You need to focus on a plan that offers more functionality, more floor space and a more naturally elevating environment, rather than stuffing up the space with typical office furniture. A plan in which a broader perspective is used to select every item, every furniture piece and every gadget.  Applying a broader perspective would mean that anything used in the office is designed or installed in such a way that it contributes to creating a more spacious, more productive or a livelier environment, along with serving its primary purpose.

Categorize your planning

In order to create a plan that effectively transforms your office into a more productive space, you need to categorize your plan into these 3 segments; Furniture, Technology and Décor.  As you can tell, these 3 categories stand fundamentally apart from each other and the products/objects under each category serve different purposes. So when you categorize your office space planning, each category is developed or visualized as effectively as possible, and can contribute in its own way to creating a more productive office space.

Here is categorized list of guidelines to follow while setting up your office space

1.       Furniture:

Furniture is a crucial aspect when it comes to office space planning as they take up the most space and are very important for providing a comfortable working environment for employees. Whether it’s a comfortable office chair or a height adjustable work desk, the main agenda here is to choose furniture that is highly ergonomic, easy to relocate and offers multi-purpose functionality. This way, the furniture won’t clutter up your space and still be very useful.

Below is a list of furniture guidelines to follow;

a.       Use the vertical space:  When you’re short on horizontal space, use your vertical space as much as you can.  Vertical cabinets and storages are great for storing your files, documents etc. without consuming much of your floor space.

b.       Modular furniture:  Modular furniture is pre-made furniture which can be easily adapted to your space and dismantled whenever required. This gives a great control over your furniture items as you can re-purpose your existing office workstation desk, chairs and tables, without any hassles.

c.       Foldable furniture: This is another type of furniture which would really help you uplift your space. Foldability in furniture means you can fold and store away any furniture item that is not needed or may not be needed for a while. This way, you avoid causing any unnecessary clutter on your floor.

d.       Desks with storage:  Use desks with in-built storage like drawers or mini-cupboards, so that you don’t have to buy extra storage furniture. 

2.       Technology:

Technology has helped has enhance our lifestyle in every way. And it can surely help you in uplifting your space! When it comes to setting up office spaces, the main agenda is to acquire the type of gadgets, services and software platforms, that give you added functionality, can be re-purposed and don’t require much space.

Below is a list of technology guidelines to follow;

a.       Computer systems:  These days, you can get all-in-one desktops for affordable prices, that don’t need huge housings for CPUs.  They just need a little desk space and are very easy to relocate. When laptops are not enough to get the job done, you can go for these systems instead of the traditional desktop for tasks which require higher computing power.

b.       Use the Cloud:

Cloud is an excellent option to store all your data online. This saves up a lot of furniture space and eliminates any document or file related mess. Also, you can use platforms like Microsoft 360, Google drive and Slack to carry out your daily tasks like communication, HR and other processes.

3.       Décor:

Décor is literally the heart of your office. It sets the mood and creates the ambience of your office.  The main agenda here is to create establish a décor that elevates the space and makes it look roomier and more open.

Below is a list of décor guidelines to follow;

a.       Flooring: Instead of combining different patches of tiles or using rugs for your office floor, go for a wall-to-wall flooring where one type of wooden or marble based flooring is used, so that the space does not look chopped up or fragmented.  Having a consistent flooring can make your office look roomier and cleaner.

b.       Paint: Bright colours are usually perceived to be as positive, energising and motivating. Painting the office in a bright colour such as white, beige, light green or yellow is one of the easiest and most effective ways to create the illusion of larger space. 

c.       Lighting:  Poor light can have a similar negative effect as dark colours; it makes a small space appear even smaller. If you want your space to look bigger, you need to ensure there is enough lighting. The main agenda here is to focus on having as much of natural lighting as possible. When installing artificial lighting, make sure you choose ceiling and wall lights. While floor lamps can look very decorative, they also take up a lot of space which is something you can avoid.

The above guidelines can help in setting up a productive and spacious office space in a very limited area. You can also consult with your local furniture supplier and get ideas on how to design the perfect office table and chair set, that is space efficient and suits your specific requirements.

HNI-India is one of the leading office furniture manufacturers in India, offering a wide range of customized office furniture like conference table, cafeteria chairs and executive desks. Get in touch with them to get more ideas on what more can be done for your office space.