Tips And Tricks For Saving Office Space

Benjamin Portman

Every office has a finite amount of space, and if you are able to maximize how you use your square footage, you are able to cut overhead costs and put off getting a larger lease until you can easily afford it. However, saving space is easier said than done without the appropriate methods. Here are some tips and tricks that will help you save office space:

Choose the paperless route

Filing cabinets take a huge amount of space, and there are not many physical document storage units that can solve this issue. Your best option if you want to save a lot of space is to go digital, and have all your documents in a paperless format. This will not only save space, but also make it much easier to index, search and share documents.

Remove clutter

Clutter can add a lot of stress by simply being in the office. Not to mention, it also takes up a lot of space. Having a policy that encourages your employees to audit their workstations periodically and remove any clutter will put a dent in your office space issues, and reduce some of the stress of the daily grind.

Make use of light

Sometimes, creating more space in an office is about perception. Dark spaces tend to feel smaller, while light makes a room seem more spacious. Use natural light whenever possible, and in the back of the office, you can put up light fixtures and fittings to brighten up any dark areas. In a similar vein, you can make use of light colors in the office. Dark colors will absorb light, while lighter tones will reflect it and make the office feel roomier.

Buy space-saving furniture for the office

There are a ton of products on the market that save space by being multipurpose and adjustable. For example, you have standing desk converters or suspended tabletops that serve both an ergonomic and space-saving purpose. You can also use wall mounts to set up your own desks and computer stations. Finally, even if you do make the switch to paperless, you will still need to set up servers. For this, you have plenty of cabinet options on the market that are designed to save space and remove clutter.

   

 

Take remote working opportunities into account

    With last year’s pandemic, many companies and employees saw that remote is not only a viable option, but it can actually be preferable. If you have staff members that can and are willing to work remotely, you can set up an arrangement that is great for everybody. You will be able to save up on office space, and your employees will be able to work in their preferred environment.

    Consider an open plan layout

    An open plan layout will make your office a lot more spacious, and it can help promote transparency and collaboration. If you still want to be able to delineate space, you can get a little creative, and start using rugs for example, instead of partitioning.

    Try new ways of holding meetings

    If your conference room is underutilized, you can repurpose it and try out different ways to hold your meetings. One option would be to take walking meetings. This will not only promote health, it can also boost your team’s creativity. You can also try online meetings, especially if you have remote team members that need to take part.

    Rethink your flooring

    Flooring is another element of an office that can be used to increase the perception of space. Here, light colors work just as well as anywhere else in the office. Flooring will also help improve the feeling of spaciousness if it seamlessly flows from wall-to-wall. If you are using floorboards instead, you can run them diagonally or along the longest wall. You also want to avoid strips and just go for planks. The same effect can be achieved with carpet tiles.

    Reduce dead space

    A dead space is an area that you cannot use at all. Whether we’re talking about the area in front of a copy machine, an office door or a fire escape, dead space can eat up your square footage very fast. What you want to do is determine where you have dead space in the office, and then create a floor plan that will minimize these areas. You can do this by having a designated room for office items and planning your corridors in a way that does not force you to cut into the workspace.

    Make full use of your corners

    Corners are another area of the office that can be restrictive if they are not used properly. Equipment and amenities can be comfortably squeezed in the corner where they are out of the way, but still accessible. The same goes for recycling and garbage bins, decorations and any supply cabinets that you may have lying around in the office. However, try to avoid designating desk spaces in the corners. Most employees do not want a desk that will face two walls.

    Make your workspaces flexible

    A lot of your office space can be used for a variety of purposes. Conference rooms for example are rarely occupied all day every day, so they can be used in multiple ways including as temporary staffing space or collaborative projects. This is especially true if you are trying some of the unconventional conferencing ideas mentioned previously. To make the most of flexible workspaces however, you will need to manage them properly. A booking system will do wonders here.

    Use the walls

    Walls are often underutilized in offices. When we think about setting up an office and saving space, we think in terms of smaller desks, smaller personal individual workspaces, and fewer quality of life amenities. However, that does not have to be the case if you make full use of the walls in your office. You can find plenty of wall mounts online, which are designed to help companies set up compact work areas without sacrificing any of the comfort of their employees. With the right wall mounts you can remove desks altogether while maintaining a fully functional and  very pleasant work area for each of your employees.

       

     

    Employ minimalism

      Furniture will take up the most space in an office. We’ve touched on some space-saving products above, and you can find more here. When you make full use of multipurpose, convertible desks and chairs, you can really take advantage of the space you are leasing and recoup a lot of square footage, while opening up the atmosphere in the office. Think of ways in which you can reduce furniture size without sacrificing comfort and functionality.

      Getting help with your office space optimization initiative

      There are several ways in which you can save space in your office, from buying the right furniture, to using the right design initiatives, rearranging your existing furniture, and using data and software to streamline your business processes and operations. The right approach for you will depend on your company culture, personal tastes and budget. 

      We recommend that you look at all your options and find what works best for you and your company. If you would like some extra advice on the specifics of how you can save office space and the furniture products that have been specifically designed for this purpose, contact us today either through email or at 888.205.1647.

      Every office has a finite amount of space, and if you are able to maximize how you use your square footage, you are able to cut overhead costs and put off getting a larger lease until you can easily afford it. However, saving space is easier said than done without the appropriate methods. Here are some tips and tricks that will help you save office space:

      Choose the paperless route

      Filing cabinets take a huge amount of space, and there are not many physical document storage units that can solve this issue. Your best option if you want to save a lot of space is to go digital, and have all your documents in a paperless format. This will not only save space, but also make it much easier to index, search and share documents.

      Remove clutter

      Clutter can add a lot of stress by simply being in the office. Not to mention, it also takes up a lot of space. Having a policy that encourages your employees to audit their workstations periodically and remove any clutter will put a dent in your office space issues, and reduce some of the stress of the daily grind.

      Make use of light

      Sometimes, creating more space in an office is about perception. Dark spaces tend to feel smaller, while light makes a room seem more spacious. Use natural light whenever possible, and in the back of the office, you can put up light fixtures and fittings to brighten up any dark areas. In a similar vein, you can make use of light colors in the office. Dark colors will absorb light, while lighter tones will reflect it and make the office feel roomier.

      Buy space-saving furniture for the office

      There are a ton of products on the market that save space by being multipurpose and adjustable. For example, you have standing desk converters or suspended tabletops that serve both an ergonomic and space-saving purpose. You can also use wall mounts to set up your own desks and computer stations. Finally, even if you do make the switch to paperless, you will still need to set up servers. For this, you have plenty of cabinet options on the market that are designed to save space and remove clutter.

         

       

      Take remote working opportunities into account

        With last year’s pandemic, many companies and employees saw that remote is not only a viable option, but it can actually be preferable. If you have staff members that can and are willing to work remotely, you can set up an arrangement that is great for everybody. You will be able to save up on office space, and your employees will be able to work in their preferred environment.

        Consider an open plan layout

        An open plan layout will make your office a lot more spacious, and it can help promote transparency and collaboration. If you still want to be able to delineate space, you can get a little creative, and start using rugs for example, instead of partitioning.

        Try new ways of holding meetings

        If your conference room is underutilized, you can repurpose it and try out different ways to hold your meetings. One option would be to take walking meetings. This will not only promote health, it can also boost your team’s creativity. You can also try online meetings, especially if you have remote team members that need to take part.

        Rethink your flooring

        Flooring is another element of an office that can be used to increase the perception of space. Here, light colors work just as well as anywhere else in the office. Flooring will also help improve the feeling of spaciousness if it seamlessly flows from wall-to-wall. If you are using floorboards instead, you can run them diagonally or along the longest wall. You also want to avoid strips and just go for planks. The same effect can be achieved with carpet tiles.

        Reduce dead space

        A dead space is an area that you cannot use at all. Whether we’re talking about the area in front of a copy machine, an office door or a fire escape, dead space can eat up your square footage very fast. What you want to do is determine where you have dead space in the office, and then create a floor plan that will minimize these areas. You can do this by having a designated room for office items and planning your corridors in a way that does not force you to cut into the workspace.

        Make full use of your corners

        Corners are another area of the office that can be restrictive if they are not used properly. Equipment and amenities can be comfortably squeezed in the corner where they are out of the way, but still accessible. The same goes for recycling and garbage bins, decorations and any supply cabinets that you may have lying around in the office. However, try to avoid designating desk spaces in the corners. Most employees do not want a desk that will face two walls.

        Make your workspaces flexible

        A lot of your office space can be used for a variety of purposes. Conference rooms for example are rarely occupied all day every day, so they can be used in multiple ways including as temporary staffing space or collaborative projects. This is especially true if you are trying some of the unconventional conferencing ideas mentioned previously. To make the most of flexible workspaces however, you will need to manage them properly. A booking system will do wonders here.

        Use the walls

        Walls are often underutilized in offices. When we think about setting up an office and saving space, we think in terms of smaller desks, smaller personal individual workspaces, and fewer quality of life amenities. However, that does not have to be the case if you make full use of the walls in your office. You can find plenty of wall mounts online, which are designed to help companies set up compact work areas without sacrificing any of the comfort of their employees. With the right wall mounts you can remove desks altogether while maintaining a fully functional and  very pleasant work area for each of your employees.

           

         

        Employ minimalism

          Furniture will take up the most space in an office. We’ve touched on some space-saving products above, and you can find more here. When you make full use of multipurpose, convertible desks and chairs, you can really take advantage of the space you are leasing and recoup a lot of square footage, while opening up the atmosphere in the office. Think of ways in which you can reduce furniture size without sacrificing comfort and functionality.

          Getting help with your office space optimization initiative

          There are several ways in which you can save space in your office, from buying the right furniture, to using the right design initiatives, rearranging your existing furniture, and using data and software to streamline your business processes and operations. The right approach for you will depend on your company culture, personal tastes and budget. 

          We recommend that you look at all your options and find what works best for you and your company. If you would like some extra advice on the specifics of how you can save office space and the furniture products that have been specifically designed for this purpose, contact us today either through email or at 888.205.1647.

          By Benjamin Portman

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