Optimising Light For A Better Office Space
Lack of light in your workspace can be one of the quickest ways to lose motivation, deplenish focus, and guarantee a stressful day. Particularly if you’re heavily reliant on a computer or device screen, the glare of artificial screen light without the balancer of natural light can take a heavy toll on our eyesight, increase headaches, and affect our mental and emotional wellbeing. Finding ways to incorporate natural light into your workspace can make a huge difference to your productivity, lift your mood, and boost your health.
Some of us are fortunate enough to have large windows in our office spaces, letting in plenty of natural light - but what about if you’re working in a cubicle, repurposing a home working space at home or working remotely in a boxy home office? Some broader thinking is needed when it comes to your office design to incorporate light; fortunately, we have some brilliant pointers to get you started. Let’s take a look.
Make Decor Work For You With Mirrors
If you have minimal window space in your office, or find yourself in a particularly shady or gloomy spot, you may think you’re immediately out of opportunities to bring light into your workspace. But think again!
Incorporating mirrors, however big or small, can make the most of the pre-existing light in your office, and multiply it around your workspace whilst also making the space feel bigger. As Anna Franklin, Interior Designer and Founder of Stone House Collective explains to Homes & Garden, “'In terms of functionality, a mirror can be used to spread natural light and to create the illusion of space.If you have a small living room, consider mounting a large mirror above a fireplace, or style leaning against a focal wall. To maximize light, position mirrors in areas where natural light shines to reflect the light to more dimly lit areas - making the overall space feel brighter throughout the day”
Whether a feature piece or smaller decor details along a wall near your desk, try bringing mirrors into your space for an instant boost of light.
Lift Your Colour Palette
Does your office feel light and airy, or dark and gloomy? If you feel weighed down before your day’s even begun, it may be time for a lick of paint. Updating your colour palette to whites, light neutrals, or pastel colours could be enough to create a feeling of light and space in your shared workspace or home office.
If you’re on a budget, try focusing on a feature wall, or bringing in lighter decor and accessories to complement your existing colour scheme without breaking the bank. Colours like blue and yellow can calm and focus us, making for a much more productive day - whilst creating a greater sense of light than darker shades.
Bring In The Gadgets
If these options are all a little too traditional for you - how about bringing in some gadgets?! The range of products that simulate natural light is ever growing, and increasingly easy to incorporate into your workspace.
Try switching to full-spectrum light bulbs for an initial gadget hack, as these seek to fully emulate the appearance and effect of daylight. Alternatively, you can go one step further into high tech and invest in a full spectrum LED light, a stand alone lamp that expertly imitates natural light. There are various options on the market, many with dimmers and other customisable settings, as well as being UV free.
Full spectrum LED strip lights are also beginning to appear on the market, if you’re keen for a permanent installation - these also hint to be fully customisable to your preferred geography and weather! You could have a gloomy box office in London, but manipulate your lighting gadgets to give the appearance of a sunny afternoon in Melbourne - imagine that!
Lighting Up The Possibilities
Whether you choose to keep it traditional with effective interior decor and careful mirror placement to optimise existing light, or fully embrace technological advancements to develop a bright, inspiring office, there are plenty of possibilities to brighten your workspace this season. Embrace what you already have, and allow yourself to get creative where you workspace lacks - there is always a way to make you workspace work for you!
