Make The Most Of Your Space With These Small Office Design Ideas

Space may be limited, but with Universal Contracting, your potential never is. If your office feels like it’s at max capacity, then it’s time to rethink the basics and unlock hidden space with our favourite small office design ideas.

Forget rows of desks that haven’t been used since hot-desking was introduced, or restrictive layouts that stifle free movement across the space. When floorspace is at a premium, there’s no room to waste, so transform your cramped setup into a productive workspace without having to move to bigger premises.

Key Points:

• Segment The Space: Your office might not be as small as you think. Instead, the issue may lie with the layout.

• Install Flexible Furniture: Take a look around your office and ask yourself: ‘Do I really need so many fixed pieces of furniture?’.

• Create Multi-Use Spaces: It’s not just furniture that can serve multiple purposes - it’s also the different areas within the office. 

Segment The Space

Your office might not be as small as you think. Instead, the issue may lie with the layout.

Contained work stations and private offices will make an already space-limited office even more cramped and confining, whilst also making it harder for employees to connect with colleagues, further adding to the boxed-in feeling that comes with a restrictive layout.

If this sounds like a familiar issue, then glass partition walls could be just what your office needs. These partitions segment a room without making it feel small, and where there would otherwise be a solid wall, blocking sunlight and restricting visibility, there is instead an internal window offering natural light and a clear line of sight throughout the entire office.

Open up the space and let the light in with acoustic partitions for improved sound control and frosted partitions for in-office privacy.

Install Flexible Furniture

Take a look around your office and ask yourself: ‘Do I really need so many fixed pieces of furniture?’.

Once you start really paying attention you may notice that certain items are not being used enough times per day to justify their continued presence in your office. What you’re looking for are fixed fixtures that take up space and cannot be reconfigured: for example, a large meeting table that is used once in the morning for a quick team catch-up, and then left empty for the rest of the day. 

Fixtures such as these take up valuable floor space and obstruct the flow of movement throughout the space, so free up space with adaptable furniture that is used as and when it is needed, such as:

• Mobile Workstations: Give employees the opportunity to work wherever suits them with individual workstations that can be repositioned around the room.

• Collapsible Tables: Accommodate all meeting participants with extendable tables that can be folded up when not in use.

• Adjustable Desks: Swap the current desks out for slimmer, height adjustable ones that allow employees to sit or stand.

Create Multi-Use Spaces

It’s not just furniture that can serve multiple purposes - it’s also the different areas within the office. 

There is no reason for you to be sacrificing valuable office space on single-purpose areas. Having designated rooms for every single activity is one of the biggest design mistakes that you can make in a small office, especially if employees are spending the majority of their working day at cramped workstations whilst meeting rooms sit empty.

Divide up your large, unused rooms with moveable partitions to serve as:

• Meeting Rooms: To accommodate groups of differing sizes without needing to book out the entire area.

• Breakout Spaces: With a pull-down whiteboard for brainstorming sessions.

• Private Zones: For confidential conversations and private phone calls.

• Event Areas: To make time (and room) for team events.

At different times throughout the day.

Design Upwards

Still need more space? It’s time to start looking upwards.

If you’ve already split the space into separate workstations and upgraded to reconfigurable furniture wherever possible, then you may have to start thinking outside the box; or rather, above it.

Small office design ideas involve using underutilised space wherever you can find it, at every stage of the design process. When there’s no longer enough space at ground level property developers turn their eyes to the skies, and you can do the exact same by utilising vertical space across your office.

Make the most of your metres with:

• Desk Dividers: Improve privacy at shared workstations with sound-absorbing desk dividers, instead of sacrificing floor space with fixed walls.

• Wall Noticeboards: To keep piles of important papers off the desks until they can be stored elsewhere. 

• Storage Boards: Install wall mounted storage boards with clip on compartments.

Switch To Modular Storage

Finally, switch up your storage with space-saving modular solutions.

Digital storage has reduced the need for in-office storage dramatically, but there are certain documents and items that must always remain accessible.

Stick to a paper-free policy whenever possible, and keep only the most important archives to hand with:

• Stackable Storage: Free up floor space by stacking standalone containers either on top of each other, or on shelving units.

• Rolling Carts: Transport items around the office, then store the entire cart in a cupboard, under a desk, or in a tight spot where fixed shelves won’t fit.

• Desk Storage: Add storage units underneath all the desks, or select ones with built-in drawers.

Bring Your Small Office Design Ideas To Life

Make the most of the space available to you with a full office fitout from Universal Contracting.

Fill in our contact form today to discuss your favourite small office design ideas, and how we can incorporate them into your fitout strategy.

FAQs

Q: How Can I Identify Wasted Space In My Office?

A: Spend a week or so observing how the office is used, then gather input from your team by compiling your findings into a questionnaire.

Q: Should I Remove Unnecessary Furniture?

A: You can easily free up space by replacing furniture that only has one use with adaptable furniture that can be reconfigured for many different purposes.

Q: Where Can I Unlock More Space?

A: If the floor space is completely used up, then start using the available vertical space with both wall-mounted and free-standing storage solutions.