Office trends to look out for in 2021

Despite 2020 seeing office workers around the world settle into remote-working, the work office is certainly here to stay. Here’s a look at the most eye-catching trends to look out for in 2021.

Colours of the year

An anticipated fixture in office design is the announcement of Pantone’s Colour of the Year. The colour experts have chosen Ultimate Grey and a soft shade of yellow called Illuminating as their top shades for 2021, with the aim of instilling hope and a sense that “everything is going to get brighter”.

Flexibility

Adopting flexible design in office layouts has become a mainstay rather than a trend, but it’s never had more relevance than in 2021. With the rise and popularity of remote working, providing a variety of work set-ups within the office rather than a number of fixed desks will encourage employees to return to the office and help to attract new talent.

Fashionable interiors

Designers are imbuing offices with designer décor, ranging from Chesterfield sofas and stylish chandeliers to high-quality textiles, rugs and furniture, with the aim of fostering special awareness among employees, while ushering a return to traditional office design.

Individuality

The days of offices without an identity are long gone, but high-spec offices aren’t enough to foster brand recognition. Designers are using the company’s achievements, awards, symbols and history to tell a story of its journey in a subtle yet effective form of self-advertising.

Video conferencing room

With online meetings replacing almost all in-person meetings throughout 2020, offices are adapting spaces to work as dedicated video conferencing facilities, where equipment such as screens, cameras and other devices could be set up and work carried out without interruption.

The work from home vibe

After months on end spent working from home, employees have increasingly become adjusted to a more casual work setting. This is being reflected in new office designs, where fundamental elements associated with the home-like comfortable corners, sofas, armchairs and coffee tables – are integrated into the workspace.

This feature was first carried in the February/March edition of the Commercial Courier