Cozy Office, when home and office merge together
Thanks to the mobile technology and the growing presence of Millennials in the world of work, companies are realizing that a growing number of activities can be performed at home, without moving to the office. This situation leads to the domestification of the workplace, as highlighted in Level’s Workplace Design Report 2017.
One of the most important trends for 2017 is the design of welcoming spaces where employees can work in privacy or relax. Furniture and materials are moving towards warmer feelings, while materials with tactile textures, fabrics and wooden finishings are used to give a cozy look to informal meeting rooms and relaxing areas, evoking more an informal livingroom instead of a workspace.
Tactility shows that sensorial stimulation is the key to warming up the office, tanks to subtle reliefs and 3d patterns. Felt is having its moment, used across partition walls, screens, seatings and also lampshades. The tactile comforts of leather, wool and natural cotton, used mostly for domestic environments, are turning seats and lounge chairs into pieces suitable not only for a home but also for an office.
The wood is still used for desks and meeting tables, but natural colors and finishings are preferred over artificial colors, that give a cold sensation.
Materials moodboard references: Decovilt Wool Felt, Viltex – Melamine faced panels, Cleaf – Hanging felt, Buxkin – 3D Wallcovering, Vescom