Posted on October 25, 2021

Modern Reception Area Ideas

Looking to modernize your reception area? We can help. Read on to get inspired today!

Your reception area doesn’t have to look like something out of the 1980s. There are countless ways to update and modernize the look of your space without sacrificing quality or blowing your renovation budget.

Creating a modern and inviting reception and lounge area will keep your clients happy while waiting. We have ideas to make the perfect reception area for your guests.

If you’re feeling stuck for ways to do it, keep reading. We have some fabulous reception area ideas we think you’ll be inspired by.

5 Considerations Before Remodeling Your Office Reception Area

Comfortable is the New Fancy

Lobby furniture in the reception area of your office sets the mood for your clients. If your clients don’t get to sit comfortably in your reception area, they may leave your office feeling unhappy.

The seating area is where clients might spend most of their time. Many offices, therefore, prioritize comfort over more traditional fanciness now. One great way to make your office reception area modern yet more comfortable and welcoming is by including cushioned, upholstered furniture, with a few pillows thrown on it for good measure. Investing in comfortable seating for your office reception area means comfy clients, and comfy clients are happy clients.

Warm Colors Create Warm Feelings

Yes, you have heard it right! Although minimalist white spaces still look neat, they are somewhat outdated. Today, modern office lounge ideas include areas painted using a warm color palette that’s not overly bright.

Combining warm shades with soft textures helps make your clients feel comfortable and welcomed. For extra oomph when everything is painted with a pallet of warm colors, you can add one or two bright pops of color via a statement piece or a work of art. That extra pop will help make your small office reception design look modern, energetic, and lively.

Add a Vertical Garden or Living Wall

Old or modern, plants have always had a place of honor in office reception areas. Modern companies are giving the plants in their reception areas an upgrade and converting them into living walls or vertical gardens.

These walls attract a lot of visual attention, making them great focal points of office reception areas. Living walls or vertical gardens can be as simple as a framed flat panel covered with ivy or moss, or fancier such as a pot grid filled with various potted plants.

These types of modern walls usually have a self-irrigating system for easy maintenance. Adding a living wall adds an ambiance of peace and improves the temperature and air quality in the reception area of your office. It kind of takes making visitors comfy to whole new levels, don’t you think?

Add Drama and Glamour

If it has no drama or glamour, is it really modern? Glamour doesn’t have to be a bunch of gold and bling. There are many ways you can make your office reception area seem more glamorous.

For example, why not try adding some bold patterns on the wall or floor, with a bit of dramatic lighting as decor? Polished metal or stone pieces that go well with your theme can also add drama and glamour to your office reception area. Glam and modern go hand-in-hand, so find ways to ramp up the glamour in your office space, and the modern look will accompany it. Small waiting room design can especially benefit from adding a touch of glamor.

Add Art

A famous saying goes, “Art is like fine wine; the older it gets, the better it becomes.” In this case, we won’t insist you go looking for a modern piece of art.

However, while choosing the piece(s) of art to display in your office reception area, consider its relevance to your business. If the art in the reception area of your office also speaks about what you tell or sell to your clients, you’ll know you’ve made a great investment!

If you like a piece of art that doesn’t speak to what your business is all about but seems on brand and goes well with your overall theme, consider posting slogans or signs on one of the walls or in front of your reception desks that talks about the culture of your company.

5 Fun Ideas for Modern Office Reception Areas

Offer Play Areas and Games

Making the reception area of your office playful gives a message to your clients that you value health and well-being and aren’t opposed to a little fun while you’re at it.

Adding opportunities to play in your office reception room is equally beneficial for your employees, because opportunities to play tends to result in more productivity, better physical and mental health, and more collaborative ideas being passed around.

Depending on the size of the reception area and your company’s budget, consider installing a climbing wall or a slide. Yes, it can seem a little over-the-top, but can you really put a price on creativity and innovation?

Opportunities for play inspire both! If the size of your office reception area doesn’t allow for a climbing wall or a slide, a simple corner area stocked with board games and stress-relieving toys can also do the job.

If your budget allows, installing a treadmill or a gym bike can also add a touch of modernity and a lot of positive energy to the reception area of your office, with plenty of opportunities for people to move their bodies and release some feel-good endorphins.

Offer a (Coffee) Bar

Adding a coffee bar in one of the corners of your office reception area or waiting room can’t help but add a modern touch to it. If your business also involves younger clientele, adding a hot chocolate bar might make your business really popular during the winter months.

Depending on your budget, a coffee bar can also offer juices and bite-sized snacks to keep your clients busy and comfortable while waiting. Of course, you could always stock an actual bar too, but that might not convey quite the atmosphere you’re going for!

Modernize the Visitor Check-in System

No matter how modern the reception area of your office looks, if you still use an old-fashioned visitor check-in system, such as printed sign-in sheets, all modern vibes go out the window. Digital is practically married to the word modern.

For wealthy companies, you could invest in one or more kiosks for booking appointments and allowing visitors to check in. Issue digital visitor cards with a scannable code to your visitors and have scanners installed in the kiosks.

If your company doesn’t have the kind of budget needed for this, installing a basic computer or tablet in your office reception room for check-ins can also do the job. And, of course, always make it easy for people to book appointments through your website!

Guess the Wi-Fi Password

Another fun thing sometimes seen in more modern offices is a “Guess the Password” game. In the era of everything digital, people love getting access to a free Wi-Fi connection. To add a modern and unique touch to your office reception area, offer free Wi-Fi to your clients with the condition that they must solve a puzzle to get the password for the day.

The “Puzzle” can be something simple, like a question of basic mathematics or an easy riddle. Or you can create something more complicated related to current affairs. The complication level of the puzzle should depend on the kind of business you run and the age, exposure, and interests of your clients.

The puzzle can be displayed on a digital display screen installed in your office reception area, or you can come up with another creative way to display it. An example puzzle might be, “What must be broken before using? + What has a ring but no finger?” The winning answer is “Egg + Telephone,” which is the Wi-Fi password for the day.

Make Foot Pathways on the Floor

Making foot pathways on the floor of your reception area is arguably almost as important as installing signboards indicating which way to go for what. Depending on the kind of business you do, and the kind of visitors you get, foot pathways can be simple and merely serve their purpose, or playful, adding an extra layer of fun and energy for your visitors to enjoy.

One great idea for foot pathways is installing something like, “Red tiles are lava,” or “If you step on the black tile, put one cent in this box” flooring. You can display instructions on a digital display screen along with the WIFI puzzle idea.

If your business involves younger visitors, colorful feet with basic math puzzles are also a great way to make visitors feel happy, energetic, and welcomed. When you make clients feel good and welcomed, they inevitably return for more of the same and rave about your business to all of their friends, too. Is there really a downside? We think not!

Reception area ideas to create a more modern-looking space are everywhere. Browse sites like Pinterest and start creating a mood board of sorts for all of your ideas. Once you have some solid ideas in place, time to start shopping!

Visit us at Juniper for more reception area design ideas to keep your clients happy and welcomed.

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