In the world of design, whether it’s a home, office or any other area, minimalism has been a popular trend in recent years. This is a theme based on limiting clutter and prioritizing open layouts and space, which in the office setting can have a real impact on areas like employee happiness and productivity.
At New Life Office, we’re here to help if you’re looking to design a minimalist office using any variety of our cubicles, conference tables, seating solutions or other pieces of new office furniture. But we’re also here to tell you about an opposing trend that’s beginning to rise in popularity even more recently: Maximalist design, or a design featuring rich layers, lots of color and texture, and many of the opposite themes you’d find in a minimalist concept. Let’s look at why maximalism is gaining popularity, plus some of the benefits this approach may hold for your office.
Why Maximalism is In
There are a few theories out there as to why maximalism is becoming more popular, and no one really knows for sure at this point. Some are quick to pointe out a political and social climate that’s very negative for the future – some designers may prefer to choose multiple styles and get everything they want rather than opting for a single minimalist style.
In other circles, you’d find people theorizing about our modern addiction to stuff. Our various need for screens and entertainment make more filled-out spaces desirable to the modern human brain, including three-dimensional designs that maximalism can hit on perfectly.
In the office setting, maximalism offers a chance to get highly creative and impress customers. It shows you aren’t afraid to show off your culture and commitment to both employees and clients alike.
Opportunity for Sectioning
Minimalist designs have raised the desire for open floor concepts, but many companies who use this format find themselves in need of ways to break up their space into smaller, more palatable areas like team meeting rooms, focus areas and others. Maximalism is a great way to achieve this, offering you the ability to section off various areas based on type, space, need and theme – all while maintaining the same overall concept.
Because you aren’t using just a single pattern or texture, the entire space rolls itself into one even in different areas. All areas showcase your broad concept while being different enough to help employees and clients alike separate important areas.
Representing Company Culture
Maximalism is a great way to show off company culture. Consider art pieces to reflect the various parts of the world your employees might be from, for instance, or consider how to incorporate logo themes into your design.
Maximalism and Productivity
Some may think that too many patterns and textures are a negative when it comes to productivity, primarily due to distraction. But in reality, much like background noise in a coffee shop, these various visual elements will actually become “visual” backgrounds that people can focus in. Just because a space is loud and bold does not mean it’s distracting – in fact, brighter colors or patterns in minimalist designs may even stand out more and provide distractions themselves.
For more on how a maximalist design might be best for your office, or to learn about any of our new office furniture products, speak to the pros at New Life Office today.