Office space : functional and fashionable

I recently had the task of re-vamping our team's office space. The tricky part about decorating an office space is that functionality is most important in this room. It's all about storage solutions, practical work areas, everyday usefulness and style - in that order.

So here were some of our problems:

1- our surfaces were covered with papers, coffee machines etc...

2 - we had boxes of papers taking up useful floor space.

3 - the designated agent area was cluttered with overflow from the administrative area

4 - personal items such as purses and gym bags were on the floor

5 - the space was not inviting to anyone (clients and employees)

So what did we do?

We started off by eliminating junk. We had empty boxes of scrap paper, old signage that we hadn't used in months (and knew we wouldn't be using again). When organizing a space a good clean sweep is the first thing to do. The next step was to create more storage, so we added another three drawer filing cabinet (which we had room for one we eliminated the junk), a tall cabinet and we also added another storage piece in the agent area - this piece was actually a dining room sideboard. We use the sideboard in the agent area since it is a more attractive piece and that is the space our clients are likely to see. The taller cabinet stores the microwave, small fridge and coffee machine and other personal items.The boxes on the floor were sorted through and then placed in the new storage pieces. By cleaning up and adding storage pieces we were able to minimize the amount of paper on the surfaces.

We removed the three calendars we had in the office (we kept one) and also removed the photos and artwork. We asked a local graphic artist to create a wall tattoo of photos of the various condo projects we have and are working on, and posted them on our walls.

The agent area was looking more presentable to our clients and functional for our agents. We also added a small table with drawers for agents to keep note pads, pens, calculators etc... for their use only. That way the agents had their own materials to use without taking items from administration.

We installed hooks under the desks for our administrators to hang their purses and gym bags, so they are off the floor and out of the way. We made a decision as a team to keep our overcoats in the hall closet which is outside of our workspace to eliminate bulky clutter.

To keep the space inviting we added some decor pieces such as candles, plants, the sideboard etc...to keep the space beautiful, clean and refreshing.

Here are some simple steps you can take to create a functional and fashionable office space:

- Add some soft lighting. Fluorescent lights are harsh, a special lamp with some colour shows style and personality.

- Add a plant. Faux or real. This adds life to any room.

- If your office is on the chilly side, keep a small throw blanket on your chair to keep you cozy and warm - instead of the ugly sweater you would only ever wear at the office.

- An area rug can help ease any back pain (especially if you are on a hard surface) but can also add a splash of colour

- A framed piece of art is also a special touch to personalize your space.