Small office spaces can often feel dark and cramped, leaving a poor impression on potential clients and creating a demotivating workspace. By utilising thoughtful strategies to maximise space, you can make your small office feel much bigger and brighter – perfect for keeping your staff smiling. Here’s how to make it happen.
Have a clear out
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best one. Keeping your office space free of clutter and having regular clearouts will save plenty of space. On top of this, ensure your employees maintain good office hygiene so that mess doesn’t build up, as this can make your office feel smaller. Some offices also enforce a clean desk policy, which could be beneficial to your office.
Storage, storage, storage
To avoid a cluttered, disorganised office, everything needs its own place. Try to optimise office storage wherever you can to keep your space presentable and, above all, organised. Keep only the bare essentials in plain sight, and everything else neatly filed away. Use labels to clearly signal where everything is kept.
Go digital
Technology has come a long way over the years. Hybrid working means you could cut down on the number of desks and people in the office at the same time, whilst still keeping clients and employees happy. Digitising physical documents will free up tons of space that was previously taken up by stacks of paper. This makes it much easier to find records, rather than rifling through binders, which no one wants to do.
Adaptability is key
Some days may call for focused individual work, whilst others might be full of creativity and collaboration. Having desks and seating that can be rearranged to suit varying needs will give you more freedom to experiment with work styles. Instead of assigning cubicles, the ability to rearrange furniture into collaborative hubs or independent work spaces will make your office feel more spacious and versatile.
Keep cables out of sight
It’s often the small nuisances that can affect you the most. Having tangled cables all over the office not only poses a safety hazard, but also looks messy and make your office feel more cluttered. By keeping only the essential cables and organising them so they are less visible, you’ll be making much better use of your office space.
Use your walls
Don’t forget about your wall space! There are lots of options for wall mounted storage, but you can also utilise this space with whiteboards, mood boards, or any other board that takes your fancy. Be mindful of the materials you use – glass panes and mirrors will help to make a space feel bigger, but materials like tapestries or heavy curtains might make your office feel suffocating.
Downsize
We know, you’re not trying to make your office any smaller. But, a way to make the room feel bigger is to downsize the furnishings inside it. Although big, grand desks may look impressive, they’re often clunky and impractical, unless you have acres of office space. A small, simple desk that can have a chair neatly tucked under is ideal, leaving plenty of space to walk around.
Redecorate
Rethink your office colour scheme to completely transform your space. If your office feels small, then a light colour scheme will open it up. Just because you don’t have much space, doesn’t mean you can’t decorate. Hanging plants are a great way to add a touch of greenery to your office without taking up much room. Make sure to prioritise what you actually need in the office, but don’t be afraid to add embellishments to make your office space look and feel that much better.
Need some more advice on how to effectively utilise office colour psychology? Head over to our previous article to ensure your workplace looks spacious and stylish.
Use bright lights
Good office lighting can completely transform a space and the way you use it. Natural lighting is always ideal – plus it’s been linked to enhancing staff wellness – so utilise that as much as possible. It’s also helpful to brighten up dark corners to make your office feel bigger and to highlight more space that may be going unused. Save floor and desk space by keeping your lights in the ceiling rather than splashing out on lamps.
Still unsure of how to maximise your office space? Get in touch with our team for specialist advice today. With a variety of services available, from office fit outs to office design, we can work with you to make your workspace dreams a reality.
