Modern office spaces are increasingly resembling designer-style graphic studios, with wide open rooms, stools, block color walls and a feeling of breathability. The days of one lonely Swiss cheese plant sitting in the corner of a blue-carpeted office are increasingly fading into bygone days of the 70s and 80s. 

With the news that house plants are currently replacing millennials’ search for a house with a garden, it seems that bringing wildlife inside is the frugal interior designer’s nature of choice. Instead of planning where to put the shed, the younger generations are filling their rooms with succulents and vines, and monolithic sword plants are replacing house hunting. In this sense, millennials and offices are reacting to urbanization in the same way.

Zoopla’s office in London is perfect example of this. While the office largely has a contemporary and clean feel, elements of nature have been added subtly in some spaces. Plants and vines creeping in from the corner give their office a breezy and comforting sense that the outdoors isn’t too far away.  While the other features – which include a treehouse and a wine cellar – might be deemed a little too outrageous for some companies’ tastes, there’s something to be said for using the outdoors to create a sense of fun and creativity. 

Trending greenery

Striving for a greener and brighter space is coincidentally also a big trend on social media, in fact, greenery has never been more in vogue. If you’re planning on giving your office a green makeover, then getting your marketing team to work with some photography might be a savvy idea. Instagram and Twitter hashtags including #plantsofInstagram #urbanjungle and #plantlife will put your company’s social media profiles amongst a busy online community who are looking for inspiration. With any luck, your jungle feature wall or window box might get your business some unexpected exposure.

Tasteful greenery 

Some offices bring the greenery in by having large feature walls that imitate Norwegian pine forests or the crisscrossing patterns of large pine leaves. Although this might seem farfetched, it’s also a way of achieving a bold look affordably. The rest of the room needn’t have too much done to it if the statement wall is carrying the overall effect.

 If the idea of pictures of greenery on wallpaper seems a bit too much, then perhaps getting wall stickers and even artificial hedging boxes to place on office walls can give the illusion of indoor greenery. No one will really notice if the odd succulent or window box is, in fact, full of synthetic plants, but the overall aesthetic will still have an impact on the rest of the room.

Large-scale prints of flowers and cactuses add an element of the exotic to otherwise dull office spaces and give a burst of energy to the room. Placing them in meeting rooms adds not only some artwork and creativity but alongside some natural light it will give any workspace a cheerier atmosphere. Plus, for businesses with large creative teams, employees will certainly appreciate their environment having some artistic qualities to it. It’s not easy to bounce innovative ideas around a room with white ceiling tiles and a water cooler in the corner.

Bring in a natural eco system

If a full office makeover isn’t within your company’s budget, then houseplants – or office plants as they’ll soon be – are a much more affordable option. Working in an office means breathing in the same air-con ecosystem which can leave employees feeling washed out and claustrophobic. 

Placing a few potted plants on the end of desks and along windowsills, plus a number of standing plants will give the office atmosphere a huge uplift. UK researchers found that this could even boost productivity by 15%, by using plants to transform a hitherto ‘lean’ office into an environment that’s enriched with plants. Plants can create new levels and breathe new life into a space.

Going bold

If you wanted to take your waiting or relaxing spaces to the next level, or even add a bit of humor, large rugs can be replaced with patches of green turf. While this might seem a bit peculiar, placing artificial turf amongst sofas, designer lights and real standing plants can create a truly unique and vibrant space for people to wait. The idea of a literal indoor garden might seem a tad gimmicky, but when pulled together it does make sense. If you need to invest in an office transformation, or a renovation at home, for example, but are struggling to find the finances, you can sort credit cards for bad credit to help manage your personal finances that can help you to organize both your personal and office spaces. 

Adding in design features rustic ornaments and you give the space a theme that mimics the green space towns and cities can sometimes lack. For example, filling crates with magazines for your visiting clients to browse through, and putting your businesses awards and brochures amongst vases with flowers and ornaments makes your company’s space look approachable and not too fussy. 

If this type of décor seems like a frighteningly bold move, this look will certainly be at home with younger employees. They are no strangers to vibrant greenery from the outside world being replicated inside indoor spaces, whether it’s in bars, restaurants or even their own homes. 

If there’s anything to take away from the idea of turning your office green, it’s that there’s an increasing need to be away from our screens. If your company promotes the idea of taking a screen break, an uplifting breakout area with a few cacti is much better than a drab one with a lime scale encrusted kettle. The idea is not just to create a pretend garden, or oxygenate the office as much as possible, but to give employees a mental oasis as well as a physical one. If your employees seem a little exhausted by their environment, a leafier office could be the way to go.