Office Design Ideas

What is the purpose of the front reception area of an office? I consider it’s most important job to be impressing the clients and walk-ins that a business manages during the day. You want to project success, affluence, and power to everyone meeting you and evaluating your office – and spending money here is one of the easiest ways to do this, typically on a more subconscious level.

If you have a limited budget, what should you focus on improving? We’d all like million dollar waiting areas, but it’s just not realistic for many businesses. Well, one of the first things you should consider are the reception counters that are in the waiting areas. It works on two levels – the counter itself will look good and feel nice for them to stand at, and it will also encourage the receptionist to behave in a professional manner that will doubly impress the client. The counter is where all the focus of a visitor goes when they first walk into the building, so make sure you have a powerful centerpiece to draw their attention from the get go.

A more subtle thing to improve on is the carpet in the area too. When a person walks into a building that gives them a more padded, comfortable feel when they take a step, it makes for a more welcoming impression. When we upgraded the waiting area of our office we had the room refitted with seagrass carpet, which is more comfortable to stand on than a tile floor, but it is professional looking as well. It seems to give our visitors a more upbeat personality when they come to see us in person.

Remember, the front area is a place to impress everyone – visitors and workers both. By upgrading the reception counters and carpet, you’ll end up with clients more likely to work with you in the future.