Bring some outdoor inspiration into your office this summer

Interiors

Frustrated at being stuck inside working when the weather is so glorious outside? Read simple ways you can bring summer into your office with a little outdoor inspiration.

As the days get warmer and longer, many of us will start to find the daily grind a challenge – especially if we spend most of our working life indoors.

Julie Paul, Head of Interior Design at OKA, shares her tips for bringing some sunshine into your working day.

Add faux flowers and plants

Nothing says summer more than a few colourful faux flowers and plants. Opting for artificial flowers for the workplace is a good idea – they require zero maintenance and will last for ages (certainly much longer than a real plant you only remember to water sporadically!).

Simply tastefully arrange some tropical, summery flowers around your workspace and let them work their magic. Check out the range from Bloom for inspiration.

Spruce up your balcony

If you’re lucky enough to have an office balcony, roof or other outdoor space, invest in some outdoor furniture to give your staff somewhere to relax over the summer months, and use it for work lunches, outdoor meetings and after-work barbecues.

Don’t think you have to stick to grey, corporate furniture. Fun, stylish items like this tea cup stool from notonthehighstreet.com will brighten up even the least inspiring balcony or roof terrace!

original_tea-cup-stool

Harness natural light

A good summer means plenty of natural light throughout those longer days. Research suggests natural light is good for wellbeing, and it’ll cut your energy bills too.

Use natural light as much as possible by rearranging desks so they’re positioned close to windows. Wall mirrors, like these from OKA makes the most of a room’s natural light too.

MWM022MET-0_L1

Manage the heat

Over a particularly hot summer, working indoors can become close to unbearable if the heat isn’t managed properly. So remember to provide plenty of drinking water (a large jug will help people to keep a closer eye on their daily water intake), consider investing in air conditioning and encourage your staff to take plenty of breaks.

If you have an outdoor space, making some of the furniture shaded will create a handy space for your workers to escape the heat.

Brighten up your desk

Introduce a few simple summer touches to your desk to brighten things up and keep a seasonal smile on your face. Buy a vase and fill it with some flowers – we like this lightbulb vase from notonthehighstreet.com.

original_lightbulb-vase

Cheer up your desk with fun, bright stationery that makes you smile too. Like these brilliant cards of encouragement or these personalised coloured notebooks.

Work smarter and GET outside!

And if all else fails, and you really can’t bear being inside on sunny days, just make sure you maximise your productivity so you can finish earlier, or take longer breaks. Here are some tips to help you:

Julie Paul is the Head of Interior Design and Trade at OKA and has worked on interior design projects all around the world. She trained at the Chelsea College of Art and Design and is passionate about interiors, architecture and working with people.