Does your boardroom conjure up your creative spark? Is it a place for innovation and fresh thinking for your team and your clients - a perfect mix of function, comfort and inspiration?
Does it burst with your company’s personality and brand DNA?
If the answer to any of the above is a firm “no”, fear not.
The DesignTonic team have put their collective design heads together to share our best interiors tips to help you level up your meeting space and create the best boardroom in town.
Your Boardroom should be… functional
Form always follows function, so begin at the beginning with a genuine appraisal of how you want the space to be used.
Think about:
- Whether you prefer a traditional conference table layout, or would something less formal better suit your meetings, and your company’s identity?
- How many people can you comfortably fit in your space, allowing each enough elbow room and laptop/writing space to help them be productive?
- What tech do you need to incorporate, and how is that best built into the design so it can be seen by everyone?
- What storage do you need to hide wires, make it easy to switch between, set up and control your tech and make life more pleasant for your attendees (pads, pens, cups, glasses etc).
Our recent project for Shift Commerce saw us design and build this fabulously vibrant divider, the ideal home for AV display and storage.
This side of the divider marks a formal meeting space, with plenty of smart storage to neatly hide all clutter and wiring while making sure it’s all accessible in seconds - keeping meetings flowing uninterrupted.
Your Boardroom should be… comfortable
Do you want your employees and clients leaving meetings fired up with ideas and buzzing with promise, or escaping relieved with a numb bum and a foggy head?
Without wanting to state the obvious (but doing it anyway), when we’re uncomfortable, we’re distracted.
So what do we consider when we’re making a meeting space comfortable?
- Chairs, chairs, chairs. Most people sit for the duration of most meetings, so choosing the right chairs is crucial. Go for something ergonomic yet plush, with arm rests and at a good height to fit with tables or mini desks so there’s no hunching while writing or typing.
- Make the most of natural light, and introduce layers of task and soft overhead lighting so people can see without feeling blinded.
- Conversely, do you need screening to block out strong sunlight? Or offer privacy from the wider office surroundings?
- As employers, we all know about workplace wellbeing now. Our environment has a marked impact on our cognitive function - productivity is picky about temperature and ventilation. Ideally, mix fresh airflow from windows with temperature controlled air conditioning systems to maximise those genius ideas.
- What are the acoustics of the space? If the meeting room is in a busy area, is open to the office or has high ceilings, make use of dampening devices like dividers and screening, planting and/or acoustic panels and ceiling baffles like those we included in our commercial interior design for Knight Frank’s Leeds offices (below).
The meeting rooms we designed for Knight Frank’s Leeds offices are acoustically managed with ceiling baffles.
The dark scheme provides a perfect meeting backdrop, while smart lighting can be tailored to reflect a meeting’s mood - as well as the weather outside!
Your Boardroom should be… inspiring
Bland? What’s that?
Boring design isn’t in the DesignTonic team lexicon, with inspiring spaces top of brief, always.
And it’s as important to inspire in the boardroom as it is in the main office, the collaboration areas and the breakout spaces.
When we enter a meeting room, chances are we’re in there for a while.
And when we spend long periods in drab surroundings, our brains quickly switch off, losing engagement in favour of boredom - which is the last thing you want when key corporate decisions are at hand.
We’re not going to give away all our design secrets here - you’ll have to drop us a line for a chat - but here are 3 key considerations for an interior that gets those neurons firing at full pace:
1. Colour
We’ve talked before about using colour to boost productivity and happiness in the office and with good reason, because they have such a huge impact on how we function.
Depending on your company’s branding and personality, adding splashes of colour into the boardroom immediately brightens a space, adding visual interest that triggers a response in the brain.
Accessed through Crittall windows, our design for The Property Buying Company’s boardroom bursts with the company’s brand colours, an ideal reflection of the the personality and DNA of this exciting young company.
Paired with plenty of natural light and sleek fittings, this amazing space creates a wonderful impression on visiting clients, and houses perfectly productive internal meetings.
2. Greenery
Did we tell you we have a passion for greenery in the office? (Only every time we blog ;)
But with good reason - biophilia is no passing design trend. Its proven wellness benefits mean that bringing nature inside our workplace environments is here to stay, and rightly so.
And your main meeting rooms are no exception. Being surrounded by greenery is proven to calm our minds and boost focus - and again, cognitive function. So green away!
3. Decorative elements
Another way to add visual interest that entice the brain and encourage creative thought is through the addition of decorative elements - and there are plenty of ways to do this that can keep a space feeling utterly professional.
Whether through the use of artwork, decals, decorative screening, interesting lighting or customdesigned panelling (see below), there’s a perfect option available for your brand’s DNA.
We hope we’ve inspired you to rethink your boardroom and create a space to hold the best meetings in town!
