Although the world around us is always changing, there is one constant; the atmosphere of your workplace has a direct impact on the morale and output of your staff.

The mood and output of your staff might benefit greatly from a simple office renovation, and the more welcoming you can make your office, the happier they will be. Of course, anyone visiting your office will like it more too, giving them a favourable impression of your business. With that in mind, here are some ways to make your office more welcoming.

The Right Layout

Create an environment that both your employees and prospective clients will find easy and fun to enter. A more attractive office layout can promote collaboration and a feeling of team spirit. Open floor layouts can enable departments and people in various jobs within your company to get along better.

The arrangement of your office is something that can be easily changed if required. Desks, cubicle walls, and other office equipment are all mobile, allowing for more movement within the organisation. Therefore, investing a little money on portable furniture can be a fantastic idea. You have complete freedom to rearrange the furnishings in the room.

One thing that shouldn’t move, however, is your reception desk. This is something that should remain constant, ensuring familiarity for people as they enter your office space – this will help them feel more at ease. Invest in custom made reception desks and ensure the area is light and bright (ideally filled with natural light) to make the most of it.

Use The Right Colours

A simple coat of paint can radically change the mood of a workplace. Using bold colour palettes to create an interesting and entertaining workplace might seem strange at first, especially if you’re used to using more neutral tones, but it can make a big positive difference. However, it is important to be aware of the colours you are using in your work.

It is well accepted that there is a science behind colour, how it affects our emotions, and how it affects other elements of our existence. Yellow may make you feel uneasy, and red may make you feel more angry than you really are. Blue and green are two prominent colours that can be soothing, so these can be good hues to consider.

Incorporate Art

Adding artwork to your decor is a great way to make people feel welcome. It gives the space personality and character, and it also says a lot about who you are as a business.

Art is known to make people more creative, so if your team does creative work, this will help a lot. Think about a conversation piece to give people a quick idea of your workplace. It can not only make a strong statement, but it can also help define the space and give your team at work nearby ideas for new projects.

Link Technology

Use technology that keeps your team in touch so they can keep working together. Give out their names and tablets in the conference room, and anywhere else people will be. Not only will it be easy to find them, but it will also be easy for your employees to “check out” rooms for meetings or other activities.

Instant messaging services for the office aren’t the only easy way to keep your employees in touch with each other. You can easily talk to the people around you if you ask short questions or say quick hellos. Thanks to status updates, everyone can find out who is busy, free, or out of the office.

Bring Nature Indoors

We are naturally drawn to nature, and it has a big effect on our mental health and state of mind. So, it makes sense that one of the best ways to make your office feel warm and inviting is to add natural elements, especially ones that are alive.

Plants in pots are an easy way to bring the outdoors inside. Potted plants are known to be very therapeutic and to help relieve stress and promote calm, health, and productivity. Psychologists at Exeter University found that adding just a couple of house plants to the office made workers 15 percent more productive.

Letting in natural light is another way to bring the outdoors inside. Most of us don’t like being in a room that doesn’t have any windows or light from outside. Whenever you can, let natural light from windows into your office. This will make it feel more inviting and pleasant. If you can’t get light from a window, the next best thing is to use lighting that looks like light from a window. Your office will be a lot more pleasant if it has natural light or a good copy of it. Your staff will also be in a much better mood.

Image Credits: Alesia Kazantceva