Maximising Small Office Spaces: Creative Fit-Out Solutions
With hybrid working now a standard work style, many companies are downsizing into smaller offices to save money on bills and rent. However, offices are still an essential work environment as they facilitate collaboration and social interaction and are a general business hub for your company.
However, designing a smaller space to look nice and boost productivity and function to your needs can be difficult.
At Jade Aden Interiors, we have helped plenty of companies across the South create a small office space that provides a stylish, branded base for their employees, where they can be productive and still engage with each other as a team.
In this blog, we share how we maximise space for small offices with creative office-fit-out solutions.
Space-Saving Designs and Layouts
There are a number of parts of an office that require thoughtful layout so that you can maximise space.
Desk Positioning
One of the best places to put a desk is in the corner, as these spaces often go unused. This doesn’t have to mean one of your employees should sit facing the wall, but it can be a starting point when creating a desk layout.
Hot Desking
If you don’t have set days in the office, implementing a hot desking system is a great way to keep desk space numbers down. This will only work if you are sure not everyone will be in the office, but it offers flexible seating arrangements to fit varying numbers at any time.
As not everyone will be in at the same time, you will never need an equal number of desks for people, so you can reduce the number of places you add to your layout. This will often translate to more space for other needs.
Wall-mounted Desks
If you want to provide additional space should you need an extra desk, you could fit a wall-mounted desk that folds up against the wall when not being used.
Meeting Room Layouts
If you are a client-facing business, the likelihood is that you will want separate meeting areas so that you can take meetings away from the general office space, leaving everyone to focus on their work while you have your meeting.
There are a number of things to consider to do this efficiently so that you can use the space efficiently and maximise it where possible.
Modular Furniture
Use a selection of tables and chairs that can be moved around to meet your meeting needs.
Glass Wall Partitions
Separate the meeting room space with glazed partitions, as these will afford you some privacy within the meeting, but because they don’t completely shut the space off, they make the office feel larger.
Alternatively, install a more flexible solution with demountable partitions.
Integrated Technology
Fit screens, TVs or projectors onto or within the walls to save space and avoid clutter build-up.
Kitchen Areas
Every office needs a kitchen for staff to grab lunch or dinner, depending on your industry and working hours.
When designing a small office space, this can feel like an inconvenience, but there are several ways to minimise the space needed for this area, allowing you to maximise the office and workspace.
Compact Appliances
There are plenty of smaller appliances that provide staff with the functionality they need to save counter space.
Also, where possible, you can use multi-purpose appliances, another way to save counter space.
Shared Amenities
Promote interaction between departments and office units with a communal kitchen rather than providing separate spaces for each area of the business.
One kitchen is far easier to fit into a smaller office space than several.
Built-In Storage
Use space in the kitchen wisely by providing storage in the vertical space, such as fitting kitchen cabinets above counter space and shelves above the sink.
Multifunctional Furniture
Multi-functional furniture is your best friend in small spaces. Why have two pieces of furniture when you can combine them and have one?
Desks With Filing Cabinets
Choose desks that include storage space within or under them so you can file documents, items and general office paraphernalia (such as cables or stationery) away without needing extra space and furniture.
Bookcases as Dividers
Another space-saving storage option is to divide the office with bookcases or pigeonholes where you can store whatever you need, paperwork, files, IT cables, chargers, batteries, stationery and more furniture to split the office up.
An alternative version would be a storage wall, where you create a wall with lockers or cabinets. These can be a bit more solid but are an easy way to add colour to your office space.
Foldable and Stackable Furniture
If you need additional furniture, such as tables and chairs, opt for foldable or stackable solutions.
These will allow you to neatly put them to the side to free up that space when they aren’t used.
Clever Storage Solutions
Storage is often a difficult part of designing and furnishing an office space, especially when you need to maximise space.
As you can see above, several smart storage solutions combine the functionality of storage with something else.
There are even more ways you can be creative with your storage space to optimise floor space and not crowd the office with filing cabinets.
Vertical Storage
The space above you is often unused, so take advantage of that with tall cabinets, wall-mounted shelves and other vertical storage systems.
You could also consider installing a mezzanine floor as this could work as a multi-purpose space with a storage section and other areas such as desk space or communal breakout spaces.
Hidden Storage
As well as under-desk storage space, you could use built-in benches to offer more setting areas without losing storage space.
Maximise Space In Your Small Office With Jade Aden Interiors
With over 30 years of experience, Jade Aden Interiors are experts at designing office-fit-outs that maximise space so you can get the most out of your space.
We have worked across a range of industries, helping start-up and established companies create office space that encourages productivity, helps staff build relationships and provides a smart base to welcome clients to your company.
Our services are comprehensive, so you won’t have to worry about working with a range of contractors to complete our designs. We will work with you to design an office space that makes you proud and then project manage the installation and fitting.
Looking for some help with maximising the space in your small office? Get in touch with our team for some help and guidance and learn how our experts can help.
Call us on 01425 689199 or complete our online contact form.