By Emma Sturgis

The right office design and layout can be a critical asset, one that business owners cannot afford to take lightly. It will affect your employees more than you might think. The right lighting, a well-chosen color scheme and efforts to declutter and streamline the environment may benefit everything from employee well-being to overall levels of productivity. Customizing the office may also allow organizations to more easily craft and maintain the right brand or image.

Improved lighting

Lighting is an aspect of interior design that is too easily overlooked. Providing sufficient natural light, or utilizing lighting that mimics the same spectrum and intensity, can decrease eye strain and help to boost energy levels among the staff. Having enough light within an office or other industrial or commercial work area is also an important concern when it comes to issues like safety and quality control. The right lighting can also establish a more professional atmosphere or ensure that furniture and decorations are able to look their best. Ensuring your office space has plenty of natural lighting can be energizing as well. Natural sunlight can boost your mood and keep you going for longer.

Selecting the right color scheme

The color scheme of an environment can often impact the emotional state and mood of staff, visitors and associates. White walls often leave workspace to feel cold and barren while warmer colors like red, orange or even yellow may useful for creating a more engaging and energetic environment. The potential psychological effects of a color scheme are something that should be considered carefully. Choosing the right paint, wallpaper or even decorative accents can go a long way towards creating a more cheerful, focused and positive office atmosphere. Decorating your personal office or cubicle with colors that make you the happiest and even the most organized can help significantly.

Streamlining the environment

Clutter is often a bigger problem than many employers realize. Streamlining the workspace by employing the best storage solutions, getting rid of any items, equipment or inventory that may be needlessly crowding the environment or even choosing commercial hardwood floor installation to replace carpeting and rugs may all help to improve flow. Less clutter means less distractions and streamlining the office helps to ensure that workers are able to focus more effectively.

Employees who are forced to put up with cramped workstations or who may struggle to navigate their surroundings are often too distracted to achieve their full potential. You might think it is fun to fill walls in your office with pictures and posters, but this can create an overwhelming feeling in the space. Keep things fun and interesting with a creative touch, but don’t go overboard.

The ideal office design or layout can differ tremendously from one organization to the next. The culture of your employees will influence your office space. Taking an organic approach to layout and interior design often makes it easier to customize the environment to better meet the needs of employees, optimize productivity or to create a more attractive and professional atmosphere.

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Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer based out of Boston, MA. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2.