Our approach is to see our clients’ premises not as a cost but as an asset. And so we work to maximise its value while also building in sustainability.
So we create spaces that are not only fit for purpose that stimulate productivity and get the best out of your people.
Right now, lots of our clients are getting excited about 2019 and looking at how they can make their space more current, welcoming and purposeful. And we’re helping them get that process off to the best start by answering their questions and informing their decision making.
Starting where you are and with what you have is key to getting what you want. But also, in the context of today’s workplace, it’s also good to look outwards to get ideas and inspiration from the wider world of work. As we’re immersed in interiors, we’re well placed to see the trends that are shaping our workplaces across the country and around the world. Making best use of space and sustainability continue to be key drivers, with more fluid ways of working demanding ever more innovative approaches to creating a space that is also flexible.
We’ve distilled our thinking into the trends we envision will shape interiors into 2019 and beyond – check out our predictions and how they might influence your interiors project in 2019.
Age-Fluid Offices
Timeless design is the best design: it refuses to date and is popular with all kinds of people at any age. What’s new is the recognition of the merging of new and overlapping tastes. Older people are embracing contemporary styles while research shows that Generation Z like traditional elements in their architecture. The key takeaway here is that you can no longer assume what people like going by their age. Moreover, this frees you up to design your interior for not an age bracket but a mindset: if your teams are older but need to think youthfully, or young and you need to achieve a level of professional maturity, the environment can help you to dial up or down these qualities. Age is just a number.
Urbanisation will further impact interior design.
With the populations in cities continuing to increase, there’s a real need to manage use of space carefully and thoughtfully. Here in the UK, where the average residential floor space per person is low, great design is driving the best use of that space to offer the most benefits to everyday life. For the designers, the priority must be to create environments, of any size, that prioritise the wellbeing of the people using it.
So there’s no sign of the key 2018 trend of biophilic design or incorporating greenery slowing. Proven to improve mental wellbeing and overall health, inspire creativity and enhance brain function, it’s quite literally a natural way to make the best use of limited space. The trend towards micro-living, which includes living in shared spaces, purpose building co-living spaces or compact, self-contained space is also driven by the growth of urban populations.
Exploring space and storage.
Driven both by the space constraints urbanisation brings and the trend towards ever more flexible working, storage continues to be an issue. Creatively using space requires ever more imagination and practical solutions and gives rise to some interesting and invaluable solutions.
Great storage make use of every square inch AND really great storage also contributes to the flexibility of a space, making it more functional.
At James Tobias, we design to both briefs, designing storage solutions that are practical and look great, and that add value to a space in terms of flexibility and enhanced functionality. It helps that our solutions are also easy to install AND reconfigure if needed.
For example, Quebix is a completely configurable, stackable storage and display solution, that comes in any finish to make it bespoke to you. While Cosy Cove builds usable work or break out space into a storage run.
Making it all about you.
Individualisation or personalisation is changing. That’s both because millennials look for and expect bespoke interiors, and the technology and affordability are making bespoke more democratic. In fact, individualisation is the new luxe: opulence is out and personality is in.
In the workplace, that can mean communicating your brand personality in everything from the exterior signage to the washrooms. Whether that’s quirky or classic is entirely up to you.
If you’re looking for bespoke that also meets your quality concerns and cost considerations, and functions practically, something like StorageWall comes with a huge choice of finishes and internal options, applied graphics and special finishes to bring your brand to life.
Setting a better pace.
The energy in your workplace is so important and can be dictated by many things. Morale is a factor and that can be hugely affected by the environment. Whatever the pace you want to set, a more mindful vibe or something more high energy, it’s worth thinking about what motivates your people.
Today, more and more people are curating oases of calm in their homes inspired by social media such as Instagram and Pinterest. They’re conscious of self-care, mindfulness and the concept of design as escapism from a hectic world.
Transferring these aspirations into the workplace is becoming an increasingly worthwhile exercise, creating areas of calm and brain space that no only allow people to focus on the task at hand, but to go beyond the operational into thinking much more strategically, delivering better solutions and adding value along the way.
Embracing Sustainability
A growing trend for many years now and the holy grail for right minded businesses who want to minimise their footprint, being ecological has evolved. The neo ecology trend leverages the vast leaps in innovation to enable easy and affordable integration of technology. It’s all making environmental sustainability much more attractive and an option that doesn’t require huge behavioural changes or sacrifice. In fact, technology like LED lighting is not only more economical, it’s also creating more warm and welcoming workspaces. Add in the growing trend for natural and already recycled materials and you’re starting to envisage a workplace that is also healthier in lots of ways.
James Tobias has always had a clear commitment to working in an environmentally sustainable way and our FSC certification is just one element of that.
