Sit Back, Relax, and Work: 10 Ways to Create a Cool Startup Office

Around 85% of working Americans don’t enjoy going to work each day. And while there is a long list of things that can make someone dislike their job, not liking the area in which they work on a day to day basis is high on the list.

If you’re designing a startup office space, you need to make sure that you lay things out in a way that will keep everyone happy. That happiness will make everyone much more productive, which will help you grow and expand your business.

In this article, we’ll give you 10 tips and tricks you can use to design the perfect startup office space for your company. We’ll tell you what to do, and what not to do, so you can create the best working environment possible.

1. Embrace the Space That You Have

If you’re building an office for your startup, and you already have your space picked out, odds are there are things that you both love and hate about it.

Perhaps you like how much natural light your office gets, but wish you had room for another office or two. Maybe you’re happy with the size of the space, but find it to lack any real personality.

Regardless, in order to end up with results that you’re happy with, you need to embrace your space and work with what you have. Figure out what you like most about the space you’re working with, and then find ways to highlight or build around those areas.

The stuff you don’t like? Take the opposite approach and cover them up, or find ways to work around your space’s flaws, that way you can make the most out of what you have.

2. Make It Comfortable

Again, there’s only so much about your office and the layout of the space that you can control. With that being said, regardless of what kind of office you have, there is one thing that is 100% in your control: how comfortable it is.

That’s why we recommend that you go above and beyond to ensure that, above all else, your office is comfortable to work in.

Having nice desk chairs, and even standing desks, can go a long way in making you and your team members happy. Couches for your guest, instead of waiting room chairs, will give your office a relaxed vibe while keeping customers and clients cozy.

3. Keep Things Open (When You Can)

Of course, if your office has tons of walls, there’s only so much you can do to keep things open. After all, going around and tearing down walls is a great way to permanently damage your building, which isn’t what you want.

But even an office with small rooms can still be decorated in a way that keeps floor space open. Utilizing bookshelves and not overcrowding floor space with large furniture, for example, can make it easy to move around while working.

This openness not only helps with the flow of the office, and the flow of traffic, but it makes things feel less cluttered, too. Removing that cluttered feeling from the office can have a positive effect on everyone’s mental health as well, which is important.

4. Add a Gaming Area

We get it. You want your space to be designed from the ground up with productivity in mind. But all work and no play is a great way to create a bad vibe in the office that nobody will thrive in. That’s why, if you have the room for it, we recommend that you add a gaming room to your office.

This gaming room doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. One TV and a Nintendo 64 with a few controllers is all you need to get the effect that you’re looking for. Not only will this make the office a bit more fun for your team, but any guests will take note of this and enjoy their visit to your office more, too.

If the budget allows for it, consider picking up a few gaming laptops for your game space. You can find gaming laptop deals online, and again, it’ll make break time at work that much more enjoyable for everyone involved.

5. Install a Projector Screen

Got a lot of empty wall space to work with? Not sure how you’re going to decorate it all? Consider taking away some of that burden by installing a projector screen somewhere in your office.

A projector screen can be quite useful, especially when giving presentations during meetings. It’ll give you the chance to add some tech to your office, too, which is important when creating a modern vibe.

The best part? You can have fun with that projector screen from time to time, showing movies or big games on it for your team to enjoy. Hooking up that Nintendo 64 we mentioned earlier can be a good time, which is worth noting.

6. Focus Heavily on Lighting

We touched on this earlier, but natural light can be a huge plus that makes your working environment that much more enjoyable. But if you don’t have a lot of natural light to work with, you need to focus a bit more on lighting to brighten up your space.

LED lightbulbs and finding ways to add more light to your space are both worth considering.  Regardless of how you get the job done, you need to make sure that your office is, at worst, not dark and gloomy.

Wall colors can also help you brighten up your space (more on this later), as can the colors of other decor pieces. So, try to keep things as bright as you can, not only lighting wise but with any colors that you use to decorate your office.

7. Load up on Snacks and Drinks

Want to keep your office staff happy? Or be prepared whenever you have a visitor? Be sure to load up on plenty of snacks and drinks.

Of course, if you have a kitchen to work with, keeping food and drinks in the office is a bit easier. With that being said, finding a place for a snack bar, and picking up a minifridge for drinks, is more than a good idea.

A pro tip? Keep plenty of healthy snacks and water in your office. Sure, you can have some unhealthy options, but encouraging healthy life choices in the workplace is a great way to show your staff that you care about them.

8. Unitize an Interesting Focal Piece

Ever been into an office or store that had a cool focal piece that everything was designed around? Something like an old car or a large fireplace that tied the entire space together?

You can take that same idea and apply it to your space. This can be especially helpful if the space you’re working with is rather plain, and thus, needs something extra to bring some personality into the equation.

9. Pick the Right Wall Colors

Again, it can be overstated just how important picking the right wall color for your office space is. Going too dark, especially if you don’t have a lot of light to work with, can leave you with an office that is moody and depressing, which isn’t what you want.

That doesn’t mean that you have to go with a neon yellow or green to make your office feel more fun and lively. You can get positive results using relaxing colors without having to go the extreme route.

10. Stay Consistent With Your Theme

As you start to plan out your office space design, you’ll notice that you’ve zeroed in a particular theme of some kind. Whether it’s minimalistic, industrial, or quirky, it’s important that you stick to that theme throughout your entire office.

Branching away from that theme, or trying to mix in more than one theme, will lead to you having a space that doesn’t feel cohesive. As long as you pick a theme and stick to it, you should be more than happy with the result afterward.

Looking for More Ideas for Your Startup Office?

One of the most important things that you can do when designing your startup office is to have fun with the entire process. Get your team involved, make it a bonding experience, and the results will showcase just how good of a time everyone had together afterward.

Looking for more design tips and tricks you can use to take your office to the next level? Check back with our blog daily, as we’re always talking about the latest in both home and office decor.