It is perfectly normal to have tight control over your costs when running a business, and this might mean that you have to approach your plans to furnish your office on a smaller budget than you would like.
Even if you don’t have a large amount to spend on office furnishings, that doesn’t have to mean that you need to compromise on style.
Here are some creative ideas and suggestions for furnishing your office on a meager budget so that you can still impress your visitors can keep all the workers happy with their environment, including some neat suggestions for your wall space, how to save on furniture costs, plus a healthy furnishing suggestion that won’t bust your budget.
Personalize the wall art in your office
An aspect of office makeover plans that can often get overlooked is who you decorate your walls.
Focusing on your wall decorations and artwork choices is a great way of adding some real style and niche touches that put your own company’s stamp on how the office looks and feels.
If you hang the usual corporate messages and boring artwork that you see in countless offices it is hardly going to add some style to your surroundings.
Instead, trade in the usual corporate art for some unique images that are more reflective of what your company is all about and help encapsulate the spirit of your company and inspire workers at the same time.
Printing out some of your favorite photos or even a feature wall that incorporates your company logo will smarten up your office without costing much at all.
You don’t always have to buy new
Buying new office furniture can soon blow a big hole in your budget, and that is why it often pays to look at things like used cubicles and refurbished items, which can still look great but cost much less compared to purchasing new furnishings.
If you shop around, you can often find a few bargains, especially if you come across an opportunity where another company is ditching excellent furniture just because they are moving or closing an office.
You might be surprised to discover that even global corporates like to be frugal and creative with their furnishing options. If it is good enough for a business with a big budget, it is certainly ok to suggest you look at recycled and refurbished items to keep within your spending limit.
Change your office with the times
Another thing to think about when you are working out some new design plans is whether you still need a reception area anymore.
A fancy reception area to welcome guests will cost you a small fortune if you try to impress your visitors, but is it really an expense that you can justify anymore?
You can easily use a color scheme that divides the office up into zones, and it can actually feel more welcoming when someone walks in and feels part of the company straight away.
There is a growing trend to do away with the traditional reception area, which could pave the way to keeping your plans well within budget.
Healthy and attractive
If you are looking for a design idea that can help promote wellbeing and boost creativity in your workplace, look no further than live plants.
It won’t cost too much to fill your office with some attractive foliage, and going green has all sorts of positive messages and benefits attached to the idea.
When you consider the health benefits of live plants in your office and how effective they are in creating natural and pleasant surroundings, investing in plants is a real no-brainer.
Encourage collaboration inside the office
Another popular design suggestion to consider is creating more social spaces within your office and less formal surroundings overall.
The consensus appears that workers like to share a coffee with their colleagues and use that convivial atmosphere to collaborate and discuss ongoing projects and ideas.
Investing in a good coffee machine and some comfortable seating could prove money well spent if it inspires everyone to work better together. A more informal area should cost less than a high-end formal space, so it is a winner when it comes to cost savings too.
Lighting is important
When you are on a tight budget, it is very tempting to take some shortcuts to your lighting options, but that could turn out to be a false economy.
Quality of lighting and access to good natural daylight are key requirements if you want to promote a healthy working environment and keep everyone at peak performance levels.
There are plenty of other areas where you can make cost savings and still enjoy a good-looking office space. Still, poor lighting could prove detrimental, so try to find ways of making the most of what natural light you have and aim to get the best quality lighting that your budget will allow.
Create a design that offers flexibility
When you are trying to design an office that fits your current needs, it is all too easy to become blinkered in your approach and spend money on a solution for now and not the future.
A smart way of spending your budget would be to create a space that offers multiple functions and is easily adaptable.
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You rarely stand still for too long in business, which means your requirements will evolve, sometimes quite quickly.
The aim should be to avoid fixed spaces that are too rigid and focus your design thoughts on spending money on a design that allows you to make changes quickly and easily, using what you already have rather than having to add to it.
How you style and furnish your office premises says a lot about your business to visitors and potential new employees.
By taking your time working through your design ideas and sourcing cheaper alternatives where available, all of these things can combine to help you achieve your goal of creating an office space that is welcoming, attractive, functional, and on budget.
