6 Tips for Maximizing and Designing Small Office Space
Published December 26, 2021
It’s common knowledge that the greater the office space, the higher its cost. That’s why many small companies can often only get small office spaces—any larger would get them over their budget.
Unfortunately, a small office space can only fit so many things before it feels and looks cramped.
When that happens, creating a nice vibe or atmosphere in such a workplace will be difficult, but it’s certainly not impossible. There are ways to design a small office space so it doesn’t look cramped.
Below are six tips for maximizing and designing a small office space.
1. Introduce Natural Light
This particular tip is not exclusive to designing a small office space. It works on any workspace, small or large. That’s because studies show that natural light has a considerable impact on a worker’s productivity.
A cramped workspace often leads to decreased productivity.
You can think of natural light as a way to do the opposite. It may not directly increase the usable space of your office, but it should reduce the sense of crampedness your team may feel.
There are several ways to introduce natural light to a small office space. Here are some examples:
Use Full-Spectrum Natural Light Bulbs
If you’re buying a light bulb anyway, why not go for light bulbs specifically designed to provide natural light? They might be costlier than regular light bulbs, but they’re often worth the additional costs.
Install More Windows
One way to directly increase the amount of natural light that enters the office space is by installing more windows. Again, it’ll cost money, but enjoying more natural light is highly beneficial.
Furthermore, it’s ideal for small office spaces because windows won’t take up any usable space. Alas, this isn’t applicable if you’re only renting the office space, but there’s a way to go around that.
Get Mirrors
If you can’t install glasses in your office, you can instead get mirrors.
The main purpose of a mirror is to reflect the natural light that goes into the room. Doing so essentially allows the natural light to reach nooks and crannies it usually wouldn’t reach.
Eliminate Obstructions
If you have a ton of equipment or materials in the office, there’s a good chance some are blocking the natural light before it gets to the workers. Again, this isn’t something you want to happen.
So, to resolve this issue, you should get rid of these obstructions.
An excellent example of such obstructions is containers placed right in front of windows.
Apart from those blocking natural light, there are other obstructions that might make your office space smaller than it actually is.
2. Purge the Office of Unnecessary Objects
It’s common for a team not to have the time to clean up their office thoroughly.
As a result, it’s common to find a lot of objects inside the office space that serve no purpose, like used paper, useless furniture, and such. These objects can make the office seem smaller than it already is.
For that reason, it’s advisable to get rid of these objects. It may take a bit of cleaning up, but you’ll notice a significant change in the atmosphere once you’re done.
3. Consider Installing Glass Office Partitions
If your team has several members, there’s a good chance you’d want to separate each member with dividers of some sort. If you’ve ever installed dividers or partitions, you’d know how they can make a room look cramped. After all, it creates even smaller spaces inside an already small office space.
However, not all partitions have that particular effect.
A glass partition, in particular, is an excellent way to divide a room without causing it to become cramped. For your reference, glass partitions are glass walls that separate a room into several parts.
The reason it’s an excellent choice for small office spaces is that it creates the illusion that the office isn’t divided into smaller spaces. After all, you can still see behind the other side of the glass wall.
At the same time, it achieves the purpose of partitions, which is to create separate spaces. Note that this tip for designing a small office space is only relevant if you intend to partition your office space.
4. Incorporate Nature Features
This tip is similar to the first one regarding natural light in that it’s applicable in any office space.
It’s also similar in that research shows that nature can drastically decrease stress levels and increase workers’ productivity. Moreover, it’s handy in your case because they only take up a little space.
The best way to incorporate nature into the office is by simply buying greeneries like pots of plants. You can also consider getting an aquarium since water is an example of a relaxing nature feature.
But if you don’t have any remaining space, another way is to paint your office a specific color.
5. Go for Brighter Colors
Color theory suggests that brighter colors make rooms much larger than they actually are.
Interestingly, it works in any kind of room, including office spaces.
That’s why it’s a good idea to paint your office white or any other bright color. It may not actually increase your usable space, but it’s enough that it eliminates the feeling of crampedness inside the office space.
If you want to really go all in on the nature idea, you can also opt for colors associated with nature, like green or light blue. It may not seem impactful as you say it, but the result will speak for itself.
6. Install a Designated Space for Short Breaks
Sometimes, an office space only seems small because the workers cannot move freely. That doesn’t necessarily mean the room is small. It may just be because there’s no designated space for breaks.
The workers’ inability to move freely inside the office creates the illusion that it’s small. One way to break that illusion is by designating an area as a space for workers to go when they want to take short breaks.
The “break” space doesn’t have to be large, but it should be large enough for multiple individuals to enter while still having legroom.
Look for a Suitable Office Space
One thing you’ll notice about these tips to design and maximize small workspaces is that they’re not applicable to all office spaces. If you’re only renting an office suite, for instance, you probably aren’t allowed to make any significant changes to the building’s structure, like installing windows.
Moreover, certain office spaces are simply impossible to renovate, so they’d look more spacious. That’s why before anything else, you need to look for an office space suitable for these design adjustments.
If you’re looking for office space in Boca Raton, BocaExecuSpace may suit your needs.
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About The Author
Lenard Arceo is an experienced writer who enjoys learning to coding as a hobby. He has spent many years blogging about a vast array of topics and has helped many reputable websites grow their audience over the years.
