Bringing Home Into the Office

At Statton Design Group, we are always on the lookout for trends in commercial interior design that will help us tailor our services and furniture selections to the changing tastes of our Dallas Fort Worth area clients. Every Tuesday we will feature a trend that has caught our attention and discuss how this trend is affecting our approach to commercial interior design with our local DFW clients and whether or not it's here to stay.

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Commercial design has never felt so much like home.

​Businesses are increasingly turning to elements of residential interior design to transform their offices into comfortable home-away-from-homes for their employees. This trend has affected most aspects of the workplace and has contributed to a wholesale transformation of today's corporate culture.

Millennials and Remote Worker Goals

Why do so many businesses want their workplaces to feel like an extension of their employees' homes? Well, for starters, Millennials. Millennials now make up the largest share of the American workforce (34%) and are projected to grow to almost 50% by 2020. Unsurprisingly, companies have begun to adapt to the distinct values and needs of this growing workforce. And what do millennials value most of all? Work/life balance. ​

​For millennials, the gold standard of work/life balance is the home office. Working remotely allows for flexibility in schedule and location, giving millennials the opportunity to prioritize travel or family life in conjunction with their work. But this work arrangement, although becoming more common, is still relatively hard to find, so millennials often look for jobs that offer the same benefits of working from home, at the office.

How to Get that Homey Feeling

If employees must engage in a more traditional office, they want their spaces to reflect this culture of work/life balance. Companies are increasingly turning to commercial interior designers and furniture manufacturers to create home-away-from-home environments for their employees and attracting and retaining workers is increasingly dependent on office design.

So, what makes an office feel like home?

Keep it Open

​"Open Plan" is a big buzz-word in residential design (think HGTV) and in commercial interior design it is no different. Clients want both their work and home spaces to feel open, collaborative and transitionless, with one room flowing naturally into the other. Walls are used sparingly and cubicles are replaced with benching systems that use modesty panels to create minimal barriers to communication.

Lounge More

​Lounge furniture is no longer just for the reception area! Companies are using lounge furniture throughout their offices to provide their workers with comfortable areas for private work, informal meetings and breakout sessions. These lounge areas function like your favorite couch or armchair at home--they create a go-to space where an employee can relax.

​"Home is where the heart is, but with more residential design elements, the office may not be far behind."

Embrace the Quirky

Lobby area of Open Connect in Dallas, TX

​Gone are the days of generic, bland corporate artwork. Workplaces are finding ways to incorporate unique and eclectic décor into their designs so offices feel warm and inviting, like your own living room.

Relax the Rules

Dress codes, schedules and other office policies are loosening up as corporate environments increasingly reflect home life. One big trend in this department: ​bringing your pet to work​. It is increasingly common for companies to have explicit policies that encourage their employees to bring Fido or Fefe to work with them.

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Are companies successfully creating "homey" environments for their millennial workers? They certainly are trying. But one thing is for sure: Home is where the heart is, but with more residential design elements, the office may not be far behind.

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Have any questions about making your workplace more homey? Contact us at Statton Design Group for a free design consultation and if you're in the Southlake, TX or Dallas Fort Worth area, we would love to set up a time to meet in person. Give us a call or send us an email to start finding your design solution!

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About the Author:
Gillian Morris
Blog Editor and Business Development Manager
Gillian is a design enthusiast, avid runner and a passionate consumer of all things tasty. When she isn't blogging on the Statton Design Group site, she spends her time listening to podcasts, hanging out with her husband Nate, and vying for the affection of her cat, Ms. JB Fletcher.