Office space has evolved substantially over the past 20 years. Think about what your office looked like 20 years ago. Millwork trends were not a thought when it came to designing an office space. You probably had some sort of enclosed cubicle. Managers and higher-ups had separate offices that had closed doors. Walls were often covered with metal filing cabinets. You seldom saw color on walls and the beauty of millwork design was non-existent in the workplace. Offices had windows, but if you were not sitting near the window, you most likely did not feel the sunlight. If you were lucky, your office had some sort of small break room. Perhaps it had a coffee maker, water cooler, and maybe even a vending machine. The purpose of corporate offices was for productivity purposes.
Office Spaces of Today
With companies such as Google and Apple, came the revolution of the office space. Gone are the days of rows of cubicles with enclosed space. Technology has made rows of filing cabinets obsolete. And with the open space concept in offices brings the ability to create beautiful spaces to work. According to a survey completed by Gensler, the environment of an office can support employees, enhance their work experience, and increase their productivity. Poor office conditions can hinder employees’ ability to perform at their highest capacity. An attractive work environment conveys the message that an employer cares about their employees.
In a previous blog, I wrote about ways that you can boost your productivity while at the office. But one of the ways to improve the aesthetics of office space is with millwork! With the trend of the open space work concept, the ability to put in custom millwork is on the rise. Let’s take a look at some millwork trends that help promote productivity in the workplace.
The Modern Desk
Custom-made desks, specifically standing desks are a trend that is here to stay. Studies show that employees who use standing desks have improved moods and increased energy. From a productivity standpoint, those who use standing desks are almost 50% more productive than those who use a normal desk. Those who stand while working also gets a boost of brainpower. Since standing stimulates circulation, your brain receives more oxygen and nutrients.
Break Rooms
Break areas have become a very popular trend in office renovations as well. Common spaces have replaced These areas are no longer rooms, but open communal areas. At my previous employer, we went through the transition of having break rooms to having communal areas. Within these areas were custom made tables and chairs, state of the art coffee makers, beautiful cabinetry filled with snacks, and even a ping pong table. Once these areas were open for use, you could feel a new buzz in the office. People were working harder so they could take some time to play a friendly game of ping pong. These communal areas help boost morale. Custom casework is designed and built to be cost-effective and easily maintained. But just because it is cost-effective, it can give an aesthetically pleasing look to these areas.
Open Space
With open space office concepts, adding in custom ceilings and molding can make an office feel warm and welcoming. Interior aesthetics affect our cognitive and even physical functionality. Think of it this way. Would you rather spend 8 hours staring at drab walls or would you rather be able to look around and see a bit of character? Adding something as simple as a crown or dentil molding adds aesthetic value to any space.
Final Thoughts
Having a great interior office space will help increase productivity in the workspace. Using millwork trends in your office design can aid in increasing that productivity. Furthermore, creating custom millwork for your office should not be a difficult task. You just need to make sure that you hire the right company to create your shop drawings. Hiring a company, like Superior Shop Drawings to draw out your drawing plans guarantees that you will get the quality product that you need. Stay tuned next week when I talk about cabinet trends for 2020.
After a decade of Shop Experience, he made the transition into the Office to become a Cabinet Engineer. Here he learned AutoCAD, Cutlising, and CNC Programming.
Steve uses his more than twenty years of experience to produce Millwork Shop Drawings of the highest quality.
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