Considering we spend roughly one quarter of your life working, having an office with access to natural light can provide numerous mental health benefits and do wonders for productivity. On the flip side, low lighting or harsh artificial light is shown to have negative impacts to wellbeing, which can end up compromising job performance. But what do you do if you have a windowless office design with no access to natural light?
Fortunately, there are many ways to effectively style around windowless office design. We’ve compiled a list of windowless office ideas to help make your office space appear bigger and brighter.
Windowless office design tips and tricks
Keep your colours light or bright
Those who’ve ever been inside a dark coloured car can confirm that it absorbs light and warmth, and the opposite can be said of lighter colours. Though we don’t advise painting your office walls a stark, bright white, incorporating a bright colour scheme can make the office appear larger than it is. Colours such as light blue and green, have calming affects, as they’re seen consistently throughout mother nature. Bold colours such as yellow or orange are known for their invigorating qualities, which makes them perfect colours for creative hubs.
Windowless office lighting
Since there’s no natural light coming in, implementing a series of strategically placed lights can be key to making an office appear warm and welcoming. In addition to making the windowless office design look better, effective lighting can help minimise eye strain and fatigue. If you’re not able to completely relight your office with new lighting, placing some lamps in the dark parts of the space can make all the difference to your windowless office lighting.
Windowless office decorating
A nice piece of artwork not only breathes some personality into the space but can also double as great source for inspiration. If you’re tired of looking at the blank walls peeking out from behind your computer, a piece of art of patterned wallpaper can help as a mental reprieve from day to day tasks.
In addition to adding some bright, bold artwork onto the office walls, incorporating decorative elements such as plants, rugs, and colourful furniture can help brighten up the space.
Nature
If you can’t bring the outdoors in with the aid of a window, some beautiful greenery should do the trick! Adding plants to your office not only looks nice but it’s also shown to have numerous health benefits – such as improved air quality and a reduction in carbon monoxide. When it comes to windowless office decorating, plants are a quick and cost-effective way to make a huge difference.
Be wary of clutter
A window is a portal to the outside world, which means that it gives an illusion that a space is bigger than it really is. Without a window, it’s easy for a space to appear truer to size. This can be mitigated by providing suitable storage units to help employees organise and sort their paperwork.
Add some mirrors
When it comes to windowless office design, incorporating mirrors is the closest way to mimic a window. They also add depth due to the reflection acting as an illusion and help bounce light around the room.
Need help with some windowless office ideas but are unsure where to start? Take a look at an older blog on Design Tips for Offices Without Windows, or our tips on The Feng Shui Office. If you’d like to discuss some design options with an expert, please get in touch with the friendly Future Fitouts team today for more great ideas on how we can improve your office planning and layout.