April 12, 2022
When you look around your business premises, what do you see? For most business owners, they’ll survey an office or store that took time and effort to put together. Even if they can admit it’s not a perfect setup, they can admire it for the potential it shows and the success they’ve already made.
But no matter what you see, there is one thing to keep in mind here: what you see isn’t as important as what a client sees.
You know your backstory, you know where you came from, you’re proud of what you’ve been able to build, but that history is only available to you. Anyone coming in from the outside is only going to see what you present to them.
Because of that, you need to focus on incorporating professional design into your physical business premises. You need to think about the right decor to give the right impression, both inside and outside of your office walls. The right impression means people feel instantly at ease working with you; they know you’re the kind of company they can rely on.
As such, a focus on what the client sees is the most important thing to keep in mind when approaching your interior decor. You then need to align this with your branding elements like your style, colours, and logo. It can be a hard balance to strike, but it’ll ensure your business premises will look good to anyone who steps in to get to work.
With that in mind, let’s go through a few of the best ways to incorporate design like this.
Before we get started on the actual decor, the first thing to note is the quality of the decor you’re going to be investing in. You can’t go as cheap as possible here, as that’ll mean your office will fall apart within a couple of years.
You need to know you’re getting value for money, and even if that means forking out above budget, you can be sure you won’t need to spend again for decades to come. And remember, make sure you’re considering material types for both the interior and exterior of your premises.
Need to replace the roof with something sturdier but more appealing? Turn to polycarbonate sheets and get them fitted. They’re smoother, harder to splinter, and can let a lot more light into your space too.
Need a sign to go up on the wall behind reception that displays your business’ name? Materials like vinyl or acrylic have the best range of colours, are the most adaptable, and the plastic won’t bubble or crack over time.
The world of residential decor is often plagued by trends that come in and out, with many homeowners constantly changing their spaces to fit the latest contemporary designs. But the more someone chases trends, and spends their time and money on fitting them, the less original and unique their space will be.
The same principle applies to commercial design. Trends come and go and many companies love to stay on track with them, but don’t feel any pressure to do the same. Save yourself both time and money by knowing who you are and what you want your premises to look like.
Good impressions start from the outside. The moment someone spies your business premises from a distance, they’ll begin to form judgements about the kind of company you are and the work you do. That’s why a dirty and/or messy front door step is never a good thing!
Good curb appeal will entice people in. Bad curb appeal will push them away. If you want people to come inside and feel like they’re in the right place, make sure they can feel that way without even speaking to you first.
Keep your exterior clean and tidy, make sure it’s well painted and illuminated, and if you can, plant greenery.
Business premises are all about getting the most out of the team within them. Productivity measures, like the cost of your workforce against the value of the work being done, are often looked at to assess just how well your staff are doing.
But do you know the best productivity booster of all? Comfort! Employees should be comfortable in the workplace. They should know they can come into work and feel just as at ease as they would if they were working remotely from their living room sofa.
And when a client walks into your office and sees nice comfortable desk chairs and soft furnishings, they’re going to think of you as an approachable person to do business with. That’s one of the best first impressions a business owner can give.
After all, it’ll be clear you know the value of giving people ergonomic furniture to work from. Above that, you clearly care enough to turn your premises into a space that encourages productivity in a genuinely supportive way.
There is evidence that certain colours influence the way we think and feel, and that concept is often employed in commercial settings. As such, the colours used throughout your premises can very much have an effect on the way you’re perceived.
This is mostly subconscious, but it’s still something you can use to your advantage. For example, when people see red, they’re more likely to think of ‘fiery’ emotions, such as anger or love.
Alternately, when people see blue, they’re more likely to feel a sense of calm or peacefulness. They may also feel a sense of melancholy, seeing as we often describe sadness as ‘feeling blue’, but that can be offset by combining blue tones with other shades.
Depending on how you want your employees and/or clients to feel when they're at work, you can use the colour wheel to try and influence their perception. Indeed, you can use this principle throughout the entirety of your branding if you really like!
Really, there’s a whole marketing movement around this. Whilst the success can vary, colours have long been shown to influence a consumer’s thinking around the product they’re looking at.
This is a more intangible element of professional interior design, but it’s also an important one. The way your business ‘feels’ will also factor into what they think of you. When a business doesn't feel welcoming, people aren’t going to feel like they’re supposed to be here or talk to you.
As a business owner looking to impress, that’s not the kind of vibe you want to set. You want everyone who visits you to feel like they can walk in, strike up a conversation, and even do some business. Professionalism is one thing, and it’s usually quite serious, but you’re never going to make a sale if you seem unapproachable!
Professionally designed business premises will always look best. Incorporating elements like those above will ensure clients, investors, and guests alike will walk in knowing exactly who you are and what you can do.
So design your space with these kinds of ideas in mind. Start with the outside, make sure your materials are of high quality and will last, and don’t forget to add some comfortable touches. And remember, if your business doesn’t feel warm and welcoming, you’ll be doing yourself a massive disservice!
