If you’re underutilising your office design and style, a small office can feel overwhelming and confined to work in, stifle productivity and give clients or new starters a poor first impression. Even if you’re working in a small floorplan, there are simple ways you can make your office feel bigger and spacious during your fitout.

At Urban Group, we work with all kinds of office spaces and environments, and we’re here to share our most valuable tips with you.

Consider herringbone floors

Characterised by rectangular shapes, herringbone floors, in either wood or tile, are a great way to add a unique design element in your office. The pattern can also open up your office, especially if you have a smaller recreational area and need to divide these areas from your working spaces. Alternatively, you can also use these floors in other confined areas, like meeting rooms or private offices.

Take a look at how we used herringbone timber to create modern space with luxury finishes. 

Construct with glass walls

While open office spaces are a popular choice for many fitouts, it’s common to still require private spaces, like meeting rooms or singular offices, that require walls to block off the area. Rather than going for a traditional wall structure that can make your office feel smaller, consider  using glass walls to obtain privacy in an open-plan office while maintaining an open and bright space. Glass walls can also fulfil a functional need by doubling as a whiteboard for collaboration and brainstorming sessions. We used this approach for this recently redesigned open-plan office space.

Innovative panels

In a similar way, laser cut panels can also be used as a room divider between the breakout space and the open office. These panel styles provide the feeling of more space, whilst still maintaining separation between the areas. We installed patterned panels to help divide their recreational spaces.

Natural finishings

Regardless of the design or style you’re after, opting for natural wooden finishings will open your office space and provide a good base for a minimalist or maximalist interior. If you can’t change your flooring, you can add natural touches to your desks, meeting tables, or kitchen benchtop choices. We used this approach for a client who requested a flexible space to allow for light to travel through their office. 

If you need more tips for your opening up your small space, book a non-committal consultation with one of our fitout specialists.