Many companies put special effort into creating jaw-droppingly beautiful workspaces to bring out the best in their staff. The top office furniture trends marry beauty, functionality, and design to get the innovation engines revved.
Does the idea of swinging chairs, a waterfall, and a tiki bar in your office space seem over the top? A growing pool of research indicates that the traditional office cubicle makes us miserable, lethargic, and unable to think creatively. The cubicle might be the most efficient use of physical office space, but where you work impacts how well you work. So, what is the right course of action?
Ready to level up your workspace game? Here are six top trends to help you rethink your office design this year.
1. Biophilia & Botanical Workspaces
The idea that humans have an emotional connection to nature has been around for a long time. We’re attracted to nature and live better when we interact with it. Simply going for a walk outside can help alleviate symptoms of depression and a host of other mental health concerns.
The benefits of a natural work environment are so well-established that we have no idea how we survived living in a cubicle or so long.
In 2020, office design is fully aware of the benefits of exposure to nature. From moss walls to indoor gardens, we’re finding new ways to express our innate biophilia in a space traditionally devoid of life.
2. Get Smart with Furniture
AI standing desks that remind you to stretch? How about chairs which tell you when you’re slouching, or sofas which measure your biometrics? Smart furniture is on the rise, and it has office spaces firmly in the crosshairs.
The sleek designs and trendy materials help bring a modern pulse to the office space, while the technology itself communicates our increasingly technological world. We are now living in a seamlessly digital world, and our workspaces will soon reflect that.
3. Two-Way Timelessness
The marriage of old and new remains a prominent top trend in architecture and design. In today’s office design, we see a continuation of blending natural and manmade textures, as well as textures that blur the lines between the two.
Old-world craftsmanship and vintage style evoke a sense of authenticity and a memory of what came before. Modern shapes, bold colours and fresh materials encourage the mind towards ever-forward thinking.
4. Rethink, Reconsider, Repurpose
Sustainability is gaining momentum across many industries in 2020. We’re finding ways to reduce our footprint, mitigate our environmental impact, and live more harmoniously with the world around us.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that we see this reflected in the top 2020 trends for office furniture. Finding its way into office furniture includes recycled items and repurposed spaces.
We’re no longer merely imagining futures. We’re grounding our creativity through the synthesis of the building blocks we already have.
5. Natural Lighting
We love natural lighting, and it does wonders for our health. Sunshine is a panacea for workplace misery. Need an instant shift in the office mood? Try opening the blinds. Bright light leaves us feeling uplifted, energized, and happy.
In 2020, we see a continued push towards the inclusion of natural elements in our workspace. This includes actual sunlight or task lighting which mimics the effects of sunshine.
6. Abstract Thinking
The top office furniture trends of 2020 are designed to engage our minds and promote creative thinking. What better way to do that than to delight the mind with geometric and abstract shapes?
Geometric patterning in our office spaces is a direct outgrowth of the trend which hit industrial architecture just a year ago. Specific shapes, especially curvaceous ones, calm the mind and help us think more clearly. Therefore, those strange modern art furniture pieces are more than just a quirky afterthought. They’re fully functional brain candy designed to lure out your best ideas.
Embracing the Top Office Furniture Trends
Office design is an integral part of ergonomics which isn’t only about physical comfort, but also mental and emotional support as well. These six trends all have one thing in common: they promote a holistic approach to productivity and wellness at work.
When you feel good, you perform well. This is the main idea behind ergonomics and why it’s essential to design an office space that makes your team and you feel terrific. By targeting your mind and body, the top design trends of 2020 are creating beautiful, functional and healthy workspaces.
Need more ideas? Check out these tricks to design a health workspace, and these eight bits of inspiration to help you get started creating your dream office.
Cory Porteous
Director of Marketing & Inbound Business Development
Office Interiors
