With office interior design trends evolving to better meet these needs, here’s what our interior design experts are calling the fastest growing trends for 2020.
Sustainable spaces
This one isn’t a surprise. It’s been slowly growing over the years and we predict 2020 will see it at the forefront of all office fit out designs.
Most people have already noticed the move away from the sterile, impersonal, white and grey spaces that dominated the last decade. In 2020 we’ll be seeing even more warmth creep into designs, with a big focus on sustainable materials and that encourage a healthier, more ecological way of working. This will mean more integration of recycled, sustainably sourced, and green building materials into office interiors. Things like minimally processed, natural materials, green spaces and natural lighting will be important in any new interior office fit out.
Biophilic boom
We’ve seen a rapid rise in popularity of potted greens inside the home. With a tough start to 2020 with drought, fires and now a global virus, there’s growing concerns about air quality, it’s easy to see why biophia is booming in the office.
Creating a harmonious relationship between nature, a building and its inhabitants, with the creative use of plants, living walls and hanging gardens helping to keep things fresh, while breathing life and creativity into a space.
Natural timber also plays a role here, with more and more natural materials being used in this trend, giving character and warmth to an otherwise often sterile environment.
Wellness is on the wish-list
No longer just a ‘nice-to-have’, but designing for wellness and health is now a 2020 ‘must-have’. The need to design office spaces with our health and wellbeing in mind comes from our increased understanding of how our environment influences our mood, energy and productivity. While it was mainly big companies who jumped on this trend in 2019, it’s now on the 2020 to-do list for all business, with wellness inclusions featuring things like:
- Meditation areas
- Standing desks
- Private spaces for wellness treatments, such as massage rooms or coaching
- Break-out areas
Flexibility is about more than just a fixed floor plan
Another big 2020 trend is dynamic spaces that offer multi-functional purposes, designed to cater to the multi-disciplinary business world.
Bulky furniture is gone and now replaced by light, moveable, multi-functional pieces.
Technology also goes multi-functional, with television screens that double for video conferencing and meeting rooms that can support a photoshoot or set up to record quality podcasts that boost your business brand and reach. Adjustable lighting is also a key component to a flexible, dynamic office interior too. In fact, the smart trend keeps getting bigger in 2020, with smart heating and cooling also a priority from an environmental footprint perspective.
A feel-at-home vibe
The domesticated workspace trend is also taking off in 2020. We’ve already seen glimpses of this trend, with throw cushions, area rugs, kitchens kitted out with home comforts, coffee tables and potted plants.
The aim of this trend is to create an office space where workers can feel more at home, welcomed and relaxed. An office interior that gives a feel-at-home vibe is generally positive for team morale and group dynamics. A bonus for the business bottom line too.
The sense of comfort this trend provides is also great for creating a strong community feel and can be a real bonus when it comes to attracting new talent to your office.
Colour
We’ve already mentioned that sterile white and gloomy grey is long-gone, but did you know that colour is back? Back in a big way!
But when we talk colour in 2020 it’s all about monochromatic colour. Strategically choosing a colour palette that’s one colour, but maximising a spectrum of shades, tones and tone in that colour is a powerful design statement that can express a really confident office personality.
Another layer to this trend is the use of textures and patterns that play with that single-focused colour look.
Embracing the outside
This is the surprising, under the radar, trend for 2020!
Just like the Aussie home is a mix of indoor and outdoor living, Australian offices are starting to embrace the outdoor work space, with rooftops and balconies becoming key breakout zones and meeting spaces in 2020.
