How to design your office space with nature as the focus.

We were shocked to find out that on average, people spend 90 percent of their time indoors. If this statistic isn’t daunting enough, it is often followed by the suggestion that we need to make our products, materials, and interior spaces healthier — or are they really hinting that we get outside a little more often? Well, neither notion is wrong.

It turns out, bringing natural elements into your space, particularly in the workplace, can have positive results on both your customers and your employees. People who work in offices with elements such as greenery, sunlight, and natural tones report a 13 percent higher well-being and are 8 percent more productive than those who work in environments without them, according to Human Spaces Report: Biophilic Design in the Workplace. 

Unfortunately, we cannot haul Yosemite indoors, but we can be more environmentally-aware when implementing design concepts into the office.

Listed below are three easy steps on how to incorporate natural elements into your space, so you can enjoy the benefits of nature, whether you’re inside or out.

Add a Pop of Green

While complimenting your workplace with potted plants may seem like the most obvious choice, you can take your green thumb to the next level with installing live moss walls, hanging air plants, or climbing vines. Greenery aids in keeping your air clean and free from toxins and pollutants, so not only will your office look and feel lush, but your employees will thank you for keeping their health and wellness in focus.

When designing The Ring co-work spaces in Clearwater, our team of environmental designers kept their vision in mind to create an atmosphere that not only resembles our environment, but promotes eco-conscious values in and out of the workplace.

Maximize Sunlight

Open up your office with expansive windows that capture the sunlight from outside and brings it indoors. Enhance your sun-drenched room by painting the walls a light, neutral color (we love hues of sand and taupe!) Next, liven up the space with bright colored furniture and reflective accent pieces such as glass vases or a large mirror. Combining vibrant colors with a neutral palette will make the sunlight seem more dramatic and inviting.

Mimic the Outdoors

If your office doesn’t boast large window, fear not, you can bring the view indoors with elements that mimic the environment. Nature photography or landscape paintings will help create the illusion of the outdoors in your space. Additionally, incorporating furniture or pieces made of concrete, wood, or stone will give your office an eco-friendly vibe.

In laying out Peregrine Construction’s downtown St. Petersburg location, we used colors and textures indicative of volcanic rock and ash. By doing so, we played up the construction concept of building a city from the ground up. 

Keeping these ideas in mind when designing your office space will allow you to feel more connected with your surroundings, and maybe even your customers and employees. Next time you’re outside, take a moment to immerse yourself and get inspired by the nature at your feet. You won’t be sorry — the possibilities for ecological improvement are endless!

Better yet, let Clear ph help bring the outdoors into your space. Our experience and expertise in environmental design will allow you to bring any naturalistic vision to life. Call us today for a consultation.