December 13, 2023. Written by Reetta Sohlman

What’s new to consider when designing working environments in 2024? Any emerging trends?

Only a crystal ball would give us an answer for that but for several years already the most important influential issues in interior design are:

sustainable design
biophilic design
multifunctional spaces with features of flexibility and adaptability

Increasing emphasis on eco-friendly and sustainable materials, energy-efficient solutions and focusing on reducing environmental impact are the key values that prevail now and will be increasingly important in 2024.

Adapting to the Hybrid Era

A fact for the new year is that employers still need to attract employees to the office and the shared environments while the hybrid working trend is expanding. A pleasant and attractive home-like environment is more important than ever. In addition to high-quality furniture that fulfills the influential issues mentioned above, even more attention should be paid to the pleasantness, ease, and health of the work environment.

Amenities and Sensations: Trends for the New Year?

Although some kind of minimalism might be today’s trend, attention should be paid to the elements that make the atmosphere more attractive, work more enjoyable, and elements that inspire people naturally to join to spend the day and work together.  Work environments call for more elements that can be perceived with senses – Sight, hearing, and touch. Could amenity and sensation be the trends for the new year? In the context of designing a workplace, amenities might refer to the additional features or services provided to employees beyond the basic work requirements. Workplace amenities could include the provision of recreational spaces, co-working spaces, fitness facilities, on-site cafes, wellness programs, and other perks designed to enhance the overall work experience.

There is also a growing emphasis on creating sensory-rich environments. This includes consideration for visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory experiences. Interior designers may focus on incorporating more natural light, pleasant scents from nature for example, and tactile materials to create environments that engage multiple senses. We usually knowledge that these kinds of sensory experiences are used to enhance customer satisfaction in stores and markets, maybe restaurants, so why not use the same methods in other workplaces also, to enhance the well-being of employees.

Thumbs up for the Trends of Employee Well-being and Caring

The work environment can have a significant impact on an individual’s ability to cope with stress, job satisfaction, and overall work performance. A comfortable and well-designed workspace can contribute to employee well-being and reduce physical stress. In addition to ergonomic furniture, proper lighting, quiet and peaceful but still versatile and functional working surroundings enhance concentration and focus, improve comfort, and reduce the risk of physical discomfort leading to better coping and improved work outcomes. Organizations that prioritize a positive, supportive, and balanced work environment are likely to see improved employee well-being, job satisfaction, and overall performance.

When talking about renewing and planning the work environment we could name a new trend for next year, employee well-being. Consider the example of Innolink, which renewed their work environment and immediately noticed an improvement in employee well-being, emphasizing the transformative impact of a thoughtful workplace environment. To achieve a good result when designing a functional and pleasant work environment by chasing these assumed trends, it could be essential to create different layers, visible and invisible, soft, and hard layers, utilize the existing and combine the new, listen and discuss, understand, and solve the existing cornerstones. To succeed in this and reach the best possible result, we must care – I could add caring as the fourth new assumed trend to be.

But who knows what the new year will bring us, these are just my assumptions for trends to be – or maybe my wishes. But what I know, is the Pantone’s color of the coming new year, Peach Fuzz – a pleasant, gentle, warm, caring, and soft color that we should definitely use in interiors in 2024!