The spaces where we spend our time have the power to shape us in profound ways. Our surroundings help to shape not only what we do but how we feel about it. We feel this implicitly even when we haven’t named it explicitly. From the rooms where we eat, sleep, and rest to those where we work, play, and forge social connections, we can feel the difference when a space is designed with intention—and when it isn’t.
Get inspired and shop the best spaces for 2023.
The Difference a Space Can Make
Sleep one night in a dark, cozy room absent of blue light and you’ll wake up feeling more refreshed and restored than you would in a room filled with electronic devices and light pouring in through the windows.
Harnessing natural light can help us feel more alert and productive in our spaces, which is why we’ve seen office design trends highlighting the importance of natural light in recent years. Studies have demonstrated the lasting effects that natural light can have on us and our health—both physical and mental.
Even the temperature of a room has been demonstrated to affect productivity in office spaces. When it comes to space planning and design, no element is too small.
Why Space Planning and Design Matters More Than Ever
In 2023, we will collectively face another set of unprecedented challenges. The pandemic shook the bedrock of everything we knew about the way our world functioned—especially what work looks like. Leaders are trying to welcome their teams back to the office, but many of those teams have found joy and creative expression in creating their home office spaces (plus, they love not having to commute).
Given this tension, creating an office space that makes people feel inspired and connected is worth its weight in gold.
How to Create the Best Workspace for Your Team
A workspace needs to work for your team, not someone else’s. Here are our 2023 tips for creating a workspace that works as hard as you do.
Identify Your Budget and Work With It
Budget plays a central role in every design project. Maybe you have the budget to hire a fancy design firm that will win you international design awards for your revamped office space (lucky duck). If you’re like the rest of us, you might be trying to figure out how to execute a champagne office redesign on a beer budget. And we’re here to help.
Start by identifying what you want to change about your space. Take an inventory of what you have that you could incorporate into your new design (maybe you’ll keep all your ergonomic chairs). Then identify where additional budget could really add value. For example, you might want to upgrade your desking to something with a more “resimmercial” design. Keeping a narrow focus on what you need will help you get your budget request approved.
Want help getting office furniture requests approved? Check out the 3-step guide.
Questions to Ask When Starting an Office Design Project
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What is your overall vision for the space?
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What aspects are most important to you?
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How will you define success for this space planning project?
Want more? Check out Questions to Ask When Starting an Office Design Project.
Play With Design Trends
Interior design trends tend to last longer than, say, fashion trends, making them a more worthwhile investment. These trends all have connections to research on what promotes mental health and productivity.
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Resimmercial: Resimmercial design blends residential elements into commercial design, giving your office space more of a homey feel. If there’s one design trend for 2023, this is it. Resimmercial design is poised to entice workers back to the office and provide them with a space that mirrors the comforts of their home office environment.
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Natural light: Whenever possible, increase access to natural light. That might mean opting for an open plan desking setup. Or it might mean choosing partitions (aka cubicle walls) that allow light to pass through.
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Plants and greenery: Incorporating plants into workplace design has been one of the biggest trends of recent years. That’s because indoor plants have been shown to reduce stress, which in turn has a positive effect on mental health. Bonus: Plants can be a pretty cheap way to upgrade your space.
Get Buy-In From the Team Early and Often
Every change requires change management, but you’ll have to do more of that work if you don’t get buy-in from your team. If you include them in the process (rather than presenting them with the final product), they’ll be more invested in the success of the project. If you skip this step, you might be greeted with crickets (or, worse, employees who still refuse to come in) once your office redesign is done.
How NBF Signature Series Can Help
In 45+ years in business, we’ve seen firsthand how hard it can be for our customers to create beautiful offices while staying on budget and keeping projects on time. We took everything we learned and put it into the NBF Signature Series—providing functional solutions in some of the most coveted styles.
Why do buyers return to NBF Signature Series?
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Our collections are designed with you in mind.
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You’ll get the most for your money.
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We offer a wide selection of quick-ship furniture.
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We’re unabashedly old-school when it comes to customer service, and we put it at the heart of everything we do.
Learn more about what makes NBF Signature Series special.
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