How Do I Make A Small Office Look Bigger?

How Do I Make A Small Office Look Bigger?

Believe it or not, the way you feel in your workspace contributes greatly to your productivity. If you feel your workspace is small and just not spacious enough, you will often feel apathetic when working. This could be attributed to the fact that the more you are satisfied with your physical workspace, the more you are likely to produce better work. Various studies have proven the aforementioned to be true.

There is indeed a correlation between characteristics of a physical workspace, (or rather an office), and its influence on behavior, perceptions, and productivity. However, physical office space is not just all about how big your space is big. In fact, if not well arranged, a spacious workspace can and will feel and look small. At this point you must then be wondering, how do I make a small office look bigger? Well, let us dive into it.

It does not matter whether you are working in a traditional office setting or you are working from home. It is possible.to make your workspace not just look but also feel bigger.

The solutions are more simplistic than you think. Thankfully, a majority of the solutions do not involve expensive renovation plans. Neither do the solutions involve getting rid of your favorite office furniture and/or decor.

Did you know that painting your walls with light colors, having well-placed mirrors to the type of lighting in your work office space is some of the magic that can transform your work office space? In this article, I will walk you through how light paint colors, mirrors, lighting, and much more can make your small work office space look bigger.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR SMALL OFFICE LOOK BIGGER

• Wall Colors

It is widely known that wall colors (both light and dark) will make your work office space feel and look bigger. Light and bright wall colors are more reflective and dark wall colors add a visual depth to a room.

Such unique properties lead to making your work office space feel more open, creating the visual illusion of a work office space that is big. The six wall colors that will make your work office space look bigger are:

• Soft Black- this wall color is for a work office space that has got little to no access to natural light. A dark hue like black or charcoal will give your work office space an intimate feel. At the same time, this wall color will give your work office space a grandeur appearance. This will best be achieved if the trim and ceiling are painted a color of the same hue. It is recommended to use soft black in a north-facing room.
• Dark Navy- this wall color is best used for a work office space that has little natural light. Dark navy will often create a visual impression of depth. This feature will make your work office space feel dramatic and stately. When using this color, it is advised to try and make the furniture the same hue. This will help by blurring the lines between the edges of your work office space. This will lead to the room visually looking bigger. It is recommended to use this wall color in a work office space that is set up in a kitchen or library with minimal natural light.
• Cool Gray — this is often a great alternative to a white paint wall color. Cool gray will make your work office space feel fresh and bright without the stark brightness of the white color. It will also make your work office space feel cozy and expansive. More often than not, cool colors feel brighter while compared to warm colors. This wall color is recommended to be used in a room that has got moderate amounts of light. It is also advised to use this wall color in an east or west-facing room.
• Blush Pink- this wall color will brighten up any work office space. It will also make your work office space feel cheery and light. Imagine the combination of this wall color with sunset light. Blissful right? With that being said, blush pink is recommended for a work office space that has got more exposure to natural light. When adding furniture and decor, complementary colors to this wall color include but are not limited to, beige, ivory, and sand. It is recommended to also paint the ceiling in the same hue as blush pink. This will create a visual enveloping feel. This wall color is advised to be used in a west-facing room.
• Light Taupe- this color is the next best alternative if plain white is not what you want. Light taupe can and will make your work office space feel not just bigger, but elegant as well. This wall color has got a rich tone that gives off a visually expansive look. It is advised to ensure that the furniture in the room should be white. This will help give your work office space an airy and light feel. Light taupe is advised to be used in a room with no architectural details.
• Stark White- this is usually the go-to color when it comes to making a small room feel bigger. This wall color is best used in a work office space that has got unlimited access to natural light. Satin or eggshell finishes are recommended to help reflect the light. This would result in creating a visual appearance of more space in your work office space. Stark white is advised to be used in a south-facing room.
• Furniture Placement

Wrongly placed furniture can make your work office space look much smaller than it is. Furniture on its own already will occupy space, but that should not be a problem if the furniture is arranged in a way that aligns well with the space capacity of your work office space. Switching up to multi-functional office furniture will help you cut down on the amount of space it would usually take.

For example, instead of using a coffee table, switch it up to an office cabinet. Instead of using the traditional office desk, make use of a standing desk. A standing desk will enable you to alternate between sitting and standing. This will be helpful if you work for long or rather extended periods.

Placing furniture that is large against a wall will help you maximize your space in your work office space. When placing your furniture avoid blocking pathways. Blocking pathways will make you have to squeeze your way when walking about in your work office space.

This will automatically make your work office feel small(er).

It is also important to not block windows. This is because blocking windows will also block the amount of natural light that gets into your work office space. This will then end up making your office space look smaller.

• Using Vertical Space for Storage

When choosing storage units such as cabinets, think vertical. Storage units in your work office space should extend up your ceiling. This way, less space will be occupied in your work office space without reducing the space you have got to store your documents and office working tools.

• Cable Management

If you work with multiple electronic devices simultaneously, your work office space could easily be cluttered with numerous tangled cables and wires. Working with multiple electronic devices is not the problem.

I mean your phone and laptop still need to be charged, your router needs to be plugged into your extension and the ethernet cable needs to be plugged into your laptop. If you are making use of double monitors, the chaos of tangled cables can become frustrating. The following are ways in which you can manage cable and wiring clutter:

• Cable Nail-Ins Or Clips — Wire Holders like these are commonly used by internet technicians when connecting customers to their service(s). They are great for securely fastening cables to the wall. If you prefer to not hammer nails into your wall or under your desk, opt for the clips that have got an attached adhesive area.
• Use A Cord Management System- This is a “box” that is designed to collect all cables and have them neatly placed inside it.
• Disposing Of Old Cables, Chargers, And Cords- old and damaged cables and wires often build up to clutter. If you are not sure of whether you want to throw away certain cables, charges, and/or cords then gather them in a labeled container. That way they are in an organized area that can be accessed at any time.
• Using Wireless Devices- this is one of the most effective solutions to excessive cable and wiring clutter. For example, instead of using ethernet, use WIFI. This way you have reduced the number of cables that would otherwise be present in your work office space. Another effective method would be to opt for wireless devices such as keyboards, Bluetooth speaks, and wireless chargers.
• Lighting

Undoubtedly, natural light will make your work office space look bigger. How? Well, natural light has got this way of opening up the interior part of a room, thus making it look bigger. If your work office space has got large windows, make great use of them by opening your curtains or blinds.

This will help by letting in as much natural light as possible, into your work office space.

It is recommended to make use of sheer window coverings if you have got large windows. Sheer window coverings will also help you retain privacy in your work office space. In the case that you have little to no access to natural light, do not worry.

You can still be able to harness the power of lighting by adding creative lighting fixtures such as desk lamps, cove lights, hidden lights, or even ceiling lamps.

• Well-Place Mirrors

Strategically placing a mirror in your work office space will do wonders! Mirrors have got the majestic property of being able to expand a room in a visual sense. Secondly, a well-placed mirror can mimic a window.

Thus, if you have got one large window in your work office space, placing a mirror right opposite it will visually make it look like you have got two large windows. Did somebody say double win? Yes, absolutely.

If you have got little to no access to natural light in your work office space, a well-placed mirror can still perform wonders for you. This is because a mirror can reflect dim light and further amplify its illumination.

For instance, placing a large mirror on the opposite and/or adjacent wall from a cove light will improve the lighting in your work office space tremendously. It is advised to try and make use of a well-placed mirror. This is because the larger the mirror, the more light it will reflect.

However, it is highly important to ensure that you do not place a mirror directly in front of the lighting source. It should always be on the opposite or adjacent part of the room or rather a wall.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Physical space will still play a big role in the actual spacious capacity of your work office space. However, not having the privilege to work in a big office space should not make you feel as though nothing else can be done to improve your work office space.

As it has been previously mentioned, studies have proven the correlation between how an individual feels about their work office environment and their productivity as well as enthusiasm. No matter how small your work office space may be, switching the wall color and rearranging furniture strategically could make a whole lot of difference.

Make use of vertical storage units, arrange loose cables and wires in your work office space to create more space in your office in addition to helping clear clutter. Lastly, remember that lighting (especially natural lighting) and strategically placed mirrors can visually expand your office workspace.

Originally published in HomeOffice4Us