Office design trends to look out for in 2014

Want to keep ahead of the curve when it comes to office interior design in 2014? We asked the talented design team over at Paramount Interiors to talk us through the big interiors trends to look out for this year, and how you can embrace them to the fullest in your office space.

Indoor-outdoor

Businesses will look to break down the divide between indoors and outdoors. This could involve opening the façade of a building up to the environment, merging an indoor space seamlessly with an outdoor area, or by incorporating vibrant colours and natural textures into an interior space to give the sense of being outdoors. Expect to see more of this architectural style emerging in offices and workplaces in 2014.

Go Compare's 'Indoor/Outdoor Room'

Communication overload

This year, it's likely that you'll be seeing new products that combat the ‘communication overload’ of the open plan office. It can be a noisy and distracting place, so anything that reduces noise levels and gives staff a place to ‘get away from it all’ is going to be welcome. To achieve this, workplaces could include specialist products like free-standing self-contained pods, funky self-supporting acoustic screens, high backed booth style seating, and acoustic panels.

Paramount Interiors ShowOffice, combating communication overload

Feeling blue

2014 will be the year that blue returns to office interior design, with a vengeance. It’s not only a reassuring colour that means business – without the harshness and self-importance of black – but it’s also been chosen as the colour for 2014 by some of the big paint companies like Dulux and Crown. Pantone picked Dazzling Blue as their colour for the season. So expect to be feeling blue in 2014!

Cassidian Customer Experience Centre, feeling blue in style

Rethinking green

The application of sustainability and austerity principles will continue in 2014. One example being the 'Green Rethink' championed by the Architects' Journal. Here we see the definition of sustainability itself being questioned in an effort to find long lasting core principles that have a value to builders, owners and users.

Quality adaptive reuse, in which existing buildings are completely rethought and integrated, will continue to grow. The existing part(s) of these projects are often difficult to pick out of the completed building.

Paramount House, re-thinking green office space

Workstation changes

The global use of laptops and flat screen technology, alongside flexible working, will change the size of the traditional 'office desk' space.

You’ll start to see less and less heavily engineered desks that can accommodate heavy PC towers, and an increase in workstations with a narrower depth. In turn, more importance will be placed on chairs that are specifically designed for the use of wireless technology and mobile devices. Expect to see a simple desk and a good chair being the focus for more workplaces in the future.

Paramount Interiors ShowOffice, designed for mobile working