Designing Your First Office: A Guide

Becoming an established business with its own premises is a great leap forward in your company’s journey. No longer are you a one-person band; now you can hire talented employees and invite clients and suppliers to your office for meetings. Creating the perfect office space can be a challenge, however. After all, there are numerous aspects to consider, and each one will impact on the atmosphere, efficiency, and first impression you give. With that in mind, you will find two areas to focus on when designing your first office below.

1. Electricity, Heat & Water

Regardless of what industry you are in, you will need a reliable energy supply, which is both cost-effective and eco-friendly. You will no doubt be running a number of computers, providing internet access, telephone lines, along with lighting and more. One highly popular option, especially in newer builds, is to use solar panels to power the building. These convert sunlight to electricity, but the good news is that they work even in cloudy weather. What’s more, sunlight is free, which means your electricity bill will be reduced by opting for this energy source.

When designing your office, you will also need to keep in mind the comfort for everyone who is in occupying the space, whether that’s employees, clients, or just yourself. To keep the office warm and cozy in the depths of winter, PBE Fuels are your go-to for biomass boilers, which use sustainably sourced wood pellets to provide adequate heating for the whole building. By picking biomass, you will be choosing a self-sustainable heat supply and one which will also work to lower your heating bills.

Comfort also applies to your water supply. Without clean, running water, you will not be offering the legal requirements to your workforce. As a business owner, it is your responsibility to provide a healthy, safe environment, and this includes drinking water. Of course, most offices opt for office water coolers, but you still must ensure the water running from your taps is drinkable.

2. Décor Scheme

The next step in designing your first office is choosing how to decorate it, including the color scheme you want and the furniture. It is a lesser known fact when planning your first office, how impactful color can be in regards to productivity and overall atmosphere. The color possibly depends on your business’s logo, but take the time to consider what feel you want to evoke in the room. Purple, for instance, can work to represent magic and mystery, or it can appear somewhat fake and artificial. White, on the other hand, evokes feelings of purity and cleanliness, or it can feel stark and sterile. When deciding on the color scheme, think carefully about how you want people to feel the first time they walk into the room. Do you want to impress clients and show your authority? Use black to create elegance – but use it sparingly, as it can absorb all the natural light.

The furniture will usually depend on the industry you are in; an office-based company will require a series of desks, chairs, and computers, whereas a manufacturing warehouse will need heavy machinery. However, both buildings will require a reception area, and this is where you can make your best first impression. By creating a welcoming, friendly reception area, where clients and potential employees can wait in comfort, you will be subtly showing your professionalism. Opt to place a relaxing couch in the waiting area, along with refreshment facilities, as these are proven to wow clients and make them feel at home.