Believed to boost creativity, productivity, and camaraderie, Res-pitality is an exciting design trend that blends the best of residential and commercial/hospitality environments (hence, res-pitality! It’s also known as “res-imercial,” but that doesn’t sound as nice 😉)
Res-pitality places an emphasis on collaboration by making warm, inviting, and informal spaces to encourage interaction and the sharing of ideas. The goal is to create an environment where employees can be more comfortable, relaxed, and happy, and to bring a homey feel to the workplace. It creates a place that workers want to go to, instead of a place they have to go to.
So, how is it done? These are the four main ideas to incorporate & focus on:
1. Forget Formality
There’s a time and place for everything, of course, but do meetings among team members always need to be stuffed in a conference room around a big table? By creating casual meeting spaces around the office with comfortable furniture for employees to lounge, yes, lounge, in, you allow for a sense of comfort and informality where employees can share new ideas, or even just discuss the flow of current projects, without it feeling like a chore.
At Perry Office Plus, our Furniture Team meets weekly in one of our showroom spaces! They sit on the soft couch or in the comfortable chairs and share breakfast while making sure everyone is on the same page for the following week’s tasks.
2. Add Some Color
Boring, beige walls are out. We’re not saying you need to paint your offices with rainbows and polka-dots, but consider some ways to liven up the space. Paint a bold accent wall, or consider a gentle pastel color or a neutral green or blue for the walls.
Even a clean, bright white base works when you give employees the freedom to hang artwork, photos, or awards in their space. You can even keep a stock of colorful artwork on hand to let your team pick and choose from!
And color doesn’t have to end on the walls. Area rugs can soften hard surfaces, or give your team a burst of energy in their office space. Acoustic dividers can act as pieces of art in their own right, with all the options now available. And, of course, your furniture doesn’t have to be white, gray, black, or brown – we have access to fabrics in any color you can imagine!
3. Keep it Light & Bright
When finding spaces to incorporate your res-pitality areas, try to place them near windows. Natural light is proven to improve performance. And you can frame the windows with drapes or elegant shades to further the homey feel.
But we understand if access to windows is limited in your office – our Temple HQ has a lot of interior space with no windows in sight. In these cases, ditch the standard fluorescent lights. Try to use warm-colored bulbs, natural light lamps, and pendant lighting to enhance working spaces.
Proper lighting is important for a healthier workday, and our team is happy to help you find the perfect lights for you needs!
4. Open Cafés & Break Room Upgrades
If you have the space available, open cafés act as multi-use spaces that can be used as a place for your team to take a break, enjoy a meal, and host casual client meetings or team gatherings.
If you already have a more traditional break room space, you don’t need to tear it apart, but consider small upgrades such as:
- Comfortable seating
- Unique walls (take note of our “Add some Color” tips above)
- Organized storage with plates, mugs, and cleaning supplies available
- A TV (or TVs) to broadcast smart programming
- Give your staff access to a coffee bar, microwave, toaster, fridges, vending machines, and a oven/stove, if possible! Also consider having a “community” section in the fridge and keep condiments readily available, so your team doesn’t have to worry about bringing in a pack of ketchup or mayo for their lunch.
We also suggest that if you have a larger office building, having vending machines, coffee stations, and free snack bars available in multiple locations to sustain your team and keep them happy!
Final Thoughts
In today’s changing workplace environment, professional and social life are often intermingled to some degree. With work-from-home options proven to be just as effective as workers in an office, if you want team members to come to the office, you need to create these res-pitality spaces that make your team want to work in.
Provide attractive social spaces where employees can work from their laptops or brainstorm with their peers can motivate your team and ultimately improve your bottom line.
Ready to start brainstorming how to introduce res-pitality into your office? Our Furniture Team is ready to help! Contact them at (800) 234-6605 or furniture@perryop.com!
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