Bring the outside in

4 office design trends in 2019 

Office Design Trend #1: Bring the outside in.

We're spending long hours in the office and sometimes (it feels like, anyway) just as long in the car on our commutes. As a result, we rarely get to use our outdoor voices! Biophilic design, a hot trend in offices for 2019, incorporates natural materials, natural light, vegetation, views of nature and other experiences of the natural world into the modern office setting. You might not be able to use your "outside voice," but you will be able to experience other important psychological benefits of being surrounded by nature, including increased feelings of wellbeing and decreased stress.

Office Design Trend #2: Green with envy.

In keeping with the biophilic design trend, the colour green will be huge for 2019—everything from light sage and mint to emerald and hunter. Green is often said to evoke feelings of safety, security, growth, and harmony. It is also thought to be one of the easiest colours for our eyes to process.  Expect to see shades of green this year, combined with each other in creative ways to ensure no 80's flashbacks (remember the burgundy and green moment?).

Office Design Trend #3: Co-habitation

The modern workplace has undergone some dramatic changes in the past few years. A changing workforce demographic combined with the rapid rise in real estate prices and cost of rental properties in certain areas, has lead to our next 2019 office design trend: shared workspaces. But co-habitating isn't only about the bricks and mortar. It's also about establishing a community, sharing skills and inspiring ideas—including among co-located companies that in the past may have considered each other "the competition." Even within a company, co-working, open plan offices and collaborative spaces are being used to encourage cross-functional work across teams and departments. We think that's pretty awesome.

Office Design Trend #4: Experience it.

With companies trying to attract and retain the best and brightest talent, office design has become less about cubicles and more about creating an experience at work. Companies are now expanding their brand into experiential features such as rock climbing walls, games rooms and even yoga studios.
While Silicon valley heavyweights like Google, Apple, and Facebook may have been the first to pioneer this trend, we're starting to see the trickle down in to more diverse, less "technical" companies.
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