With ever changing design trends in corporate spaces, cozy seems to be the lingering word on everyone’s mind. Offices have evolved from drab, cool toned rooms, to incorporating elements such as wood cladding, linen walls, and patterned carpets to create a homier locales. Office designs are no longer limited to wall color and accent chairs to liven up a space.

The cozy in wood cladding

It may be a blast from the past, but wood cladding is making its way back into style and warming up offices across the world. The great thing about the return of wood cladding is that it comes in many different patterns and designs according to your taste. Wood cladding can replace the need for bright paint colors or even influence the tone of the space. In the Herald Towers Lounge, we used a warm walnut in some of the surrounds and it was the perfect transition from the bright and fun main space to the darker and more intimate meeting spaces. In contrast, the wood in Chobani, a reclaimed wood, added a rustic feel to the space.

Linen – subtle cozy elegance

Linen lined walls may get a bit pricey but are also a great way to cozy up a space and still incorporate color in a subtle way without the use of paint or loud, colorful furniture. Madison Realty was a perfect example of this. With a denim blue pantry and muted but patterned carpets, the linen walls were a perfect way to add color into the space in a unique and homey way. The office also featured window lined offices and glass storefronts which allowed light to brighten the space and gave way for the linen walls to sneak pops of color at every turn.

Getting cozy with carpet

Carpets are an inexpensive way to warm up a space and are no stranger to the corporate scene already. Several carpet companies have added complimenting patterns and colorways to their collections, which allow designers to mix and match different collections, and in some cases luxury vinyl tile, to create the perfect home away from home for their client. To take things one level further, companies such as Shaw Contract have added area rugs of those same collections to their portfolio. These new additions allow offices to have fun with patterns and color in a way they never had before. A space can now be more remnant of the personality of an office.

The evolution of corporate design to make the workspace more comfortable for their employees has added color and personality where there wasn’t space for them before. Elements that were seen in more residential spaces have moved to the office and influenced innovation in elements that were already in the office. You can refer to our post on Inspiring Office Culture with Color for inspiration on color choice based on the needs of your office. More and more of our clients are implementing these elements in their office spaces – the time might be right for your office culture to get a bit more cozy.