How has the office design evolved over time?

Merino Laminates, January 7, 2025

Over a period of time, a larger percentage of the population has started spending longer hours in their offices and there has been a shift in the kind of offices we have today. Especially since the IT and multinational culture has forayed into India, office design has gone through a complete makeover. From having small, intimate scale offices that would cater to a small team of Chartered Accountants, lawyers or architects to large, sprawling offices which accommodate thousands of employees, there has been a major leap in the scale, style and amenities present in the offices today. Here are some key areas in which we can see a shift and evolution in design of office spaces:

1. Use of colours

Earlier, offices were often kept very simple with a bare minimum use of subtle colours like dark blue, black or maroon but today, we see office interior design awash with many colours. From the use of a bright colour scheme consisting of yellows or lime to office spaces with lots of reds, oranges and greens, designers are now experimenting with a lot of unique colour schemes that breathe life into the space and make it more welcoming and engaging for the users. While some types of offices still stick to the conventional muted colour schemes or the extensive usage of wood, large organisations, shared office spaces etc often display vibrance when it comes to the use of colours. The colours are often incorporated in the form of wall finishes, laminates for storage and the seating in the common and lounge areas as the users spend a larger percentage of their day in their offices today. You can choose from an exciting range of colours available in varied finishes from Merino Laminates to create a lively and productive office space that is on par with global standards.

2. Type of storage

If you were to visit an office in the past, you would often see stacks of files piled high against walls, on tables or simply stored in a store room with some temporary racks. However, over a period of time, along with an online system of storage, offices today are keen to have a more organised system for any documents that they may have to store physically. Unlike earlier times, today, a lot of thought goes into designing an ample and safe storage system to accommodate the needs of the users without compromising on the aesthetics of the space. Hidden storage units, closed storage spaces, dedicated storage rooms are integrated into the design of the office and beautiful finishes are used to elevate the look of the otherwise bulky storage units.

3. Focus common areas

Little or no emphasis was laid on the design of the common areas in the office. While there was some emphasis on the design of the reception to create a good first impression, common spaces used internally were often overseen when it came to design. Today, however, the common areas like the dining or canteen, toilets, board rooms etc are considered the focal points in design and often beautified with elegant finishes, murals, opulent furniture, lots of landscaping etc. There is also a special focus on creating spaces for brainstorming, discussions, team interactions, games, recreation, healthcare and more as offices aim to provide more amenities and facilities to their staff who are often spending long hours within the office building.

4. Home offices

A shift in the trend that we have seen in recent times is the evolution of home offices as more and more people are working from home today. We have discussed at length on creating the perfect home office in our earlier posts as many individuals are either working on a hybrid model where they work from home and at the office and there is also a good percentage of entrepreneurs who work remotely as it is more cost-effective.

5. Shared working spaces

Another trend that we have witnessed in recent times is the surge in shared working space. Offices are now designed and rented out to operations at varied scales where one can either rent one or multiple desks for a few hours, a day or for a few months. One can also rent out the board rooms, or other amenities like studios for shooting content for social media, recording podcasts etc on an hourly basis.  This type of office spaces must have a neutral and welcoming ambiance as the users are not fixed and the decor and facilities do not cater to a fixed niche of professionals. The amenities are more generic and the design should promote collaboration and the spirit of networking as individuals from different industries come together to work under the same roof.

It is quite exciting to see the change in the way offices are designed today. Designers have a lot more creative freedom to create unique and productive spaces while keeping the needs of the users in mind. Organisations today are keen to create spaces that not only boost the productivity of their employees but facilitate their overall well-being as well, thus creating room to introduce unique design elements and facilities within the office premises.