Office Interior Design Trends: The Right Strategy To Foster Productivity

Today, the workspace is more than just a labour enclave. It has now become a marketplace of ideas, innovation and continuous learning. Businesses are finding ways to make the office inspiring for employees so that they can feel more motivated in fulfilling their respective roles. Indeed, productivity is not only rooted in salary returns or optimised work processes but also the character of the workspace. Planning an office interior design is akin to a long-term business goal: put the money where the heart of the organisation lies – its employees and the job experience.

We previously emphasised how important flooring is in creating the desired experience of the home. This applies to the office space as well.

While focusing on flooring types for the office and the impact on its interior design, we explore two major trends that went door after door in 2019 and will probably knock harder in 2020.

1. Sustainable

One of the most intensely discussed topics globally, sustainability has found its importance in almost every aspect of daily life. From sustainable foods to sustainable businesses, there is nothing you can find in today’s world that is not part of the debate, and that should be the case.

Issues of climate change are not new – what is new is the fact that we are now faced with more environmental problems than ever before. This has thus driven the world’s attention to the discipline of sustainability, its primary goal to maintain an ecological balance by bridging the gap between the social sciences and civic engineering against the backdrop of environmental science driven by futuristic technology. In a gist, the sustainability tag can only be applied when the product is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable – the three pillars that govern this discipline.

The flooring industry has also joined in to play its part in this global project by introducing eco-resilient flooring options as an alternative to conventional vinyl ones to complete the home or office interior design. The eco-resilient floorwork from our vinyl flooring collection supports a simple yet important philosophy – protecting the environment, starting from the production phase right up till the implementation. Such products are typically awarded the Green certification from a country’s authorised body. Our eco-resilient flooring is marked by the Singapore Green Building Product Certificate.

Image source: Rolex Office At Orchard

We were incredibly pleased with the outcome of our flooring work for the Rolex office at Orchard. While adding a touch of class and sophistication, the choice of flooring contributed significantly to Rolex’s sustainability efforts. With materials sourced through environmentally-sound ways alongside its long-lasting properties, the flooring is highly recommended amid the state of today’s climatic woe. We discuss more below.

Material

The eco-resilient vinyl flooring is made with a layer of strong turf shield above a sheet of fibre glass and decorative PVC pattern film. These are further protected by an eco-friendly UV coating and an aluminium oxide crystal layer. This makes the top wear layer thicker compared to traditional vinyl options, offering a sturdier finish that can withstand high impact while also being slip-resistant. Wear layer refers to the top surface that provides the durability, stain and scratch resistance of vinyl flooring. With such long-lasting properties, the flooring work at the Rolex office will serve the employees for decades to come.

Image source: Rolex Office At Orchard

Improving indoor air quality

The eco-friendly vinyl flooring ditches the glued-on method used for traditional vinyl and employs a fast-installation clip-on system instead. This ensures better air quality indoors as the flooring is free from chemical substances otherwise found in adhesives. Typically, glue transform overtime when it comes in contact with heat that is passed from the body. During which, it may release harmful pollutants into the air that are dangerous to the health of those working or living in the environment. With the clip-on method, Rolex employees can enjoy clean air every day.

The method also improves the flooring’s water resistance properties, allowing for easy cleaning and maintenance as compared to traditional vinyl. Thus, the Rolex office need not worry about damaged floors for a long time. They also enjoy 10 years of commercial warranty for our product.

2. Minimalist and Simplistic

Image source: Paya Lebar Square

While complying with the tenets of sustainability, offices can also plan minimalist and simplistic interiors, the second design trend that is well worth mentioning.

For a project at the sleek Paya Lebar Square, we took into consideration the designer’s plan for the office and recommended the laminate flooring option to tie in the interior’s features perfectly.

We laid the laminate flooring perpendicular to the window and door frame. This made the room look larger than it is which, together with the simple office furniture, was very crucial in attaining the minimalistic look. 

On top of that, the matte finish of the laminate flooring, as opposed to high/semi-glossed ones, made for a visually soothing environment due to its ability to absorb more light through the large windows. All these played a critical role in influencing the psychological health of employees, which positively impacted their productivity levels.

Benefits of laminate flooring

Image source: Paya Lebar Square

It would be good to cover the main benefits of laminate flooring as this would allow you to better understand its value within the realm of sustainable designs.

The scratch-resistance laminate flooring is slightly more durable than vinyl ones which made it suitable for the office. Considering that there will be more furniture (and heavier ones like printers, cupboards and glass shelves for instance) as well as occasional shifting, the laminate flooring would be perfect as it offers higher impact resistance than vinyl. It can also withstand heavy load especially for such an office where there will be high walk-in-traffic at least five days a week. Its water resistance level is also ideal for the office setting, allowing it to last for a long period of time with minimal maintenance. Last but not least, the laminate flooring does not fade with direct exposure to sunlight. This feature accommodates the multiple large panel windows around the space which played a major role in the minimalistic interior design of the office.

Among the huge pool of commercial clients we have had so far, the two case studies above are just 2 of the best to facilitate the discussion on the type of office interior designs you can go for in 2020. For more information on the best flooring types for your next office space, you can speak to our experts to understand the options available and find the most suitable option for your company.