Whether you are a small business owner moving into a new space, or a mid-sized business owner who is considering redesigning their office space, choosing window treatments for an office setting can be a challenge. Design professionals who have an extensive background in office and commercial design will be able to determine what is best for your space from both a functional and a decorative perspective.
Some of the questions that a professional commercial decorator will ask you may include:
- What type of industry is your business? For example, if your employees work on computers all day, they will need diffused lighting so that they will be able to clearly see their computer screens. On the other hand, if your employees are building things, or designs then it is likely you will want to have the option to either completely block out natural light, or let in as much of it as you can.
- How many people work in the area that you are decorating and what is each space being used for? For example, if you have a large number of employees in one room, then you are going to want to have options to cut down on heat in the warmer months. Or, if the employees in a space will be gathering to meet or review presentations, you may want to have blackout shading capabilities so that a room can be completely dark.
- What type of impact do you want your office to have on both employees and visitors? Do you want a space that is filled with calming, natural light and brings the view of trees and grass indoors? Or do you work in an urban setting and you want the pulse of the city to be palpable as people work at their desks during the day?
Taking care of your office space and choosing window treatments that work well with your décor will make a lasing impression on everyone who enters the space (including yourself).
Solving Window and Sun Glare in the Office
Window blinds and the textiles used to make them have evolved so much that there are superior options for allowing sunlight into an office, or for shutting out all light (depending on your specific business needs). Either way, window blinds should be easy for you or your employees to open and close.
There are times, when the addition of curtains is the right design decision for an office space. Generally speaking, the best curtain choices for an office space or fabrics that are simple, and not too bold in color, and typically solid in design. They will be heavy (to allow employees the option to completely block out the light in any room if needed) and easy to move (curtains that utilize motorized systems can be a particularly good option in a room with either a high quantity of windows, or oversized shading).
Some of the offices that we have seen that do a fantastic job of combining form and function into design include:
- Bentley Health Care, located in Manhattan, NYC – which opted for manual roller shades by MechoShade Systems.
- The Verizon Corporate Offices in Basking Ridge, NJ – where they use blackout and sunscreen roller shades.
- Paine Webber Headquarters in Weehawken, NJ – opting for motorized blackout shades, solar shades and Levelor blinds for a building with many windows that needed different types of covering.
- Bayer Corporate Offices in Morristown NJ – where a vaulted skylight shading system is being used.
Remember, with a well thought out office décor, and the right choices in windows and window shading your staff will be more productive. They won’t feel trapped in a dark space, and they won’t have to stop work easy because of headaches due to sun glare. How your employees feel, and the enthusiasm with which they come to work can be greatly attributed to their surroundings in the office, which is why it is valuable to hire a professional commercial space decorator in order to get the most value out of your space.