Autumn Office | Styles + Trends

When we’re designing and building offices, our job as shopfitters is to find that perfect balance between professional and personable, a place of work as well as a space to foster creativity and connectivity. With so many hours spent in the office space, it is important to consider the key elements for a happy workplace and for for a professional front, equally. Our shopfitting teams work closely with clients to understand their  wants and needs and offer the knowledge and scope to take your office well into the world of design, colour and trend.

As the winds are cooling  it’s important to keep your clients cosy and your staff satisfied, so this month we’re exploring how YOU can add that Autumn touch and create an office environment designed to warm! Total Fitouts Bay of Plenty have put together their favourite trends and styles for a welcoming autumn fitout that will add the ‘cinnamon spice’ to the workplace!

COLOUR

Of course the historical favourite Autumn colours include mustard, burnt orange, rust brown and crimson red, though we don’t so much recommend  you turn your office into a shedding autumn tree as we do suggest blending some of these warmer colours into your office space. Our in-house designers have enjoyed incorporating some warm earthy tones in way of light and dark timbers or warmer shades of beige furniture; always with a splash of bold colour to break up the space. One of our interior girls Katy Smith notes ocean blue, deep fuscia pink and a warm bright yellow as some of her favourite colours to ‘POP’ this season! This will keep the room from looking too dark or dense with the rich autumn colouring. Don’t forget, too many heavy tones like crimson or mahogany can make for an unproductive work environment.  

“You want a POP in the room, but to keep that earthy feeling.” – Jason Horn, Total Fitouts Bay of Plenty

And of course, the all-important key to interiors  – less is more! Choose carefully your absolute must-haves and err on the side of caution by starting minimal and seeing where it goes. When you’re working with an autumn scheme it can very quickly get away from you and become too eclectic for an office setting –  we would recommend trying just a few of your favourite ideas from this blog, but not all of them! Keep it cosy, but keep it classic and keep it simple.

LIGHTING

For an inviting autumn feel you should adapt warmer yellow lighting throughout, particularly in client rooms. Consider installing lighting along the walls as well as ceiling to keep ambiance flowing throughout. The idea is to complement the warm autumn tones by avoiding anything that is too stark and bright as it will look and feel clinical and be in serious conflict with the mood you’re trying to set. Beyond this, better natural and artificial workplace lighting is linked to a 15% reduction in absenteeism in office environments, so good lights are good for everyone!

ACCESSORIES

When you start buying accessories, think chunky wood furniture, statement pendant lights,  leather couches / corner chairs and/or textured paintings. Artworks featuring complementary colours to your colour scheme (deep ocean blue or dark turquoise depending on the shades you choose) will help you achieve a certain depth in your interiors and provide that much needed ‘POP’ in a basic room.

MATERIALS & TEXTILES

Materials and textiles play a crucial role in influencing the mood of an office space. If you’re not crazy about an autumn colour scheme, you can still achieve that cosy autumn feel by choosing the right materials and textiles. Our picks for materials and textiles that bring a little ‘cinnamon spice’ are dark wood, wool, bamboo, leather, stone brass and copper. Alternative materials like this can be utilised really well in staff areas to create dividers and define spaces; materials like natural bamboo walls, with shrubbery, metal display and acoustic panels all work well to give structure to a space.

“Ample daylight and windows, opportunities for active and passive contact with nature and sensory variability within the workplace have all been proven to have a positive impact on peoples wellbeing.”

FINISHES

When you get to the final touches, it’s all about softening client spaces with cushions and statement rugs. Framed ‘work’ or ‘projects’ act as a great company portfolio and give an air of professionalism to the office – the surrounding interiors will offer a great stage for your work to be displayed. Greenery in one or two corners of the room will bring the outside in, for autumn you’ll be looking for woody indoor trees like a Fiddle Fig or Benjamina Ficus.