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Comfortable Office Lounge Ideas To Elevate Your Space

If you are looking to create a comfortable office lounge space, you have come to the right place. Read on for our top tips and advice!

If you really want your business to thrive, supporting the collaborative and creative efforts of your team is paramount. What better way to do that than creating a lounge area where they can not just take a break, but share ideas, receive stress, and collaborate comfortably? 

A study by Gender Research Institute shares that people who work away from their desks are actually higher performing. That’s good news for your business, so it’s important to make a lounge area priority. Not to mention, it’s easier than you might think! Keep reading for some of our best office lounge ideas. 

Tips for Creating a Comfortable Lounge Space in an Office 

Choose Your Color Palette Wisely

When creating a lounge space in your work environment , you need to strike a nice balance between relaxing and comfortable, yet still convey it’s an office space and place to work. 

The color scheme of the break room can play an important part in achieving this goal. To make the work space relaxing, you should opt for light, warm shades, including pastels.

However, according to color theory, the color blue gives off the most serious vibes, while more ‘colorful’ colors have a non-serious vibe to them. To achieve a balance between both, you can opt for a contrasting color palette, comprised of three colors for the interior design. 

For example, if you have white or cream walls, choose from office furniture collections in varying shades of blue, and accessories in orange and copper shades to create the perfect amalgamation of seriousness with a spark of creativity. 

This is the exact goal of a lounge space in a modern office space in the first place––allowing people to relax while also creating sparks of creativity in their minds that translates into creativity for your business. 

Lounge spaces and small office reception design are shown to increase and stimulate creativity by breaking up a monotonous routine and helping bring the mind of your team alive with fresh ideas. And the possibilities of playing with color are endless, so there’s no reason not to experiment with the interior design. 

Choose Sturdy Furniture

Like most reception area ideas, lounge spaces––if set up nicely––see a lot of traffic every day. All the staff and employees get some breaks throughout the day and will often come to utilize the lounge and relax. 

For a modern office, it is not possible to change the lounge furniture frequently. Therefore, always opt for lobby furniture that is sturdy as well as comfortable. Your office lounge space should have at least a couch––or two––as well as sofa seats. 

You also need one large table with chairs, along with a couple of smaller tables to create small group setups in the meeting room. Choose the color of your furniture in accordance with your color palette. It’s best to get your chairs and tables in a complimentary color, while your couches can be done in contrasting shades. 

To make cleanup and maintenance easy, choose couches with fabric upholstery. You can also make sure there are a couple of ottomans, bean bags, and stools scattered around the room for use in any work area.

Make the Lounge Multi-Purpose

You should aim to set up your office lounge space with items that are multi-purpose, especially if you’re short on space. For example, a large table surrounded by chairs can be used by anyone having lunch; it can also be used for impromptu group meetings. 

The couches should be comfortable enough for employees to relax on, like a small waiting room design, while also looking formal-enough to cater to client meetings if needed. 

Chairs should be lightweight enough to be dragged to wherever they’re needed most. Depending on the aesthetic you’re going for, our Espresso line of chairs are wonderful options! 

Any tables can have drawers to double as storage units as well. Additionally, furniture in a lounge space should always be easily movable to accommodate a dynamic environment. 

Incorporate Tech Tools

Nowadays, there’s virtually no room in any building that’s free of technology. Even though an office lounge is designed for relaxing and not official working, everyone utilizing it likely will still require access to some form of technology. 

Make sure the room is equipped with plenty of power outlets throughout, as well as smart boards and video conferencing tools for any unplanned meetings whenever ideas might strike. 

More often than not, hanging out with colleagues in a stress-free environment can be the perfect place to communicate and bounce ideas off of each other, so it’s nice to have technology and tools readily available, so no flow is interrupted. 

Keep it Comfy 

The goal of a lounge space inside an office is to create an environment that makes it possible to relax, unlike a cubicle or office desk. So, try to make sure the lounge space is as comfortable as possible. 

Placing comfortable footrests near the sofas and chairs can allow someone to put their feet up, while room dividers or partitions can create some semblance of privacy in an otherwise bustling building. 

Noise-cancelling headphones can provide much-needed quiet to help think and problem-solve, or even just to nap, while adjustable tables can allow you to work in whatever position you choose. Additionally, low-lighting and focused lighting can offer a little something for everyone, without distracting from the ambiance. 

Make It Relaxing

However, just having couches and low lighting doesn’t make a lounge space. For a truly, delightfully relaxing experience, try including some gaming areas into the lounge space. 

For an office that requires you to sit all day, you can have a Playstation setup that allows you to move physically while playing. Games such as pool, ping-pong, darts, and foosball can also be some great options to have fun. 

If you’re not afraid to spend extra money, you can get one of the best toys to ever grace a lounge––AKA a massage chair. The goal of an office lounge space is to create an area where workers can forget any stress and just relax and rejuvenate, without actually leaving the office. On that note, don’t forget to throw in some comfy pillows too! A cute pillow can add a splash of personality to our Repose Club Chairs, excellent for, well, repose! 

Accessorize

Only having couches, loveseats, and chairs in a lounge area isn’t enough. No seating space can be truly comfortable without loads of cushions too. If you want to break up the monotony of a dull office space, get brightly colored cushions.

Conversely, you can get light-colored cushions to help bring down the color noise in the room. Accessorize with decoration pieces such as sculptures, an atlas, figurines, candles, or whatever else suits the mood. You can even add a flower vase with artificial or fresh flowers to add some color and freshness to the room. 

Get Some Greenery 

For a room that’s truly relaxing, you can’t skip adding some plants and greenery in there. Looking at and being surrounded by fresh plants is scientifically proven to promote relaxation and create a soothing sensation. 

It doesn’t hurt that the lush green of most plants can instantly brighten up any space too. Research the best indoor plants and choose ones that fit best, depending on size and needs. However, keep them away from the seating areas in case a member of the office is allergic to them. 

Design a Kitchen Area

To take your office lounge to the next level, add a kitchenette space to an empty corner. A small kitchen area should contain a kettle or coffee machine, as well as a microwave and refrigerator. A countertop is optional, although highly advisable. Dong this offers a homely feeling to the space and makes it even more comfortable. 

Decorate with Art 

Is any room ever truly decorated without some art in it? We think not. You can opt for artwork designed around your company’s offerings, your motto, or even your logo. Or, you can use art that’s completely unrelated. 

However, make sure to keep the color palette of the room in mind. Remember that a lounge is supposed to be a relaxing space. It isn’t supposed to have too many clashing colors or patterns in it, that creates unnecessary business. 

Have the Right Lighting

As mentioned, it’s always good to have the option of low light or focused lighting in a lounge space. Some people may want to relax, while others may need bright light to do their work. Having light regulators can be a great way of making everyone comfortable. Additionally, table and floor lamps can be helpful in providing personalized lighting. 

Ultimately, office lounge ideas abound. Design your office lounge to suit your needs, and when in doubt, consult with us! 

Sources:

  1. https://team-mates.com/office-lounge-area-ideas/
  2. https://www.hbi-inc.com/Blog/ArticleID/31/5-Benefits-of-Having-a-Lounge-Space-in-the-Office
  3. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/decorate-office-lounge-4870.html
  4. https://mdd.eu/en/inspiration/lounge-zone/