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For our team, we know a key factor in maximized productivity is comfort. One of the ways we try to maximize productivity in the workplace is by fostering an environment where everyone feels comfortable bringing in little touches of hominess for their desks or workspaces.
According to research published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology,
“Individuals may consciously or subconsciously take comfort from the items with which they surround themselves at work, and these items may help employees to maintain emotional energy in the face of the stresses that come from their work and the distractions and difficulties inherent in working in a low privacy environment.”
In short, this means when you’re in a cozy space, you’re able to focus better, longer.
Cozying up your office space can be an individual endeavor or something employer-led. It can be as simple as adding some framed wall art and a few potted plants, or as widespread as encouraging each colleague to bring in a collection of personal items that make them feel more relaxed and comfortable.
Scientists from the University of Technology in Sydney conducted a study found that when offices added plants to their workspace, their employees saw a 58% decrease in dejection and experienced 38% less fatigue.
You can also encourage colleagues to decorate their walls with photos of family members, personalized calendars, or other positive, motivational décor. Our open office workspace doesn’t always allow for in-depth personalization like those with cubicle walls, but we still find ways to add personal touch to our spaces.
When moving into our new space, our CEO Owen Franklin’s wife and chief adviser Tiffany helped select key pieces for the office. Here are some of her choices and her reasoning behind them.
“Owen is really picky about desks. He likes really long desks, which is why y’all basically have tables. These specific desks happened because, in the smaller office space, he only had three desks that he grabbed from a local shop. When Blue Summit Supplies expanded, he needed more but the shop didn’t carry any more. So, we decided to support local business by hiring an expert craftsman, Joel, to create desks with a similar sturdy, rustic feel.”
“We were on a budget for all the décor, and I had to keep that in mind when grabbing pieces. I really love gold, and Target had these lamps for a reasonable price, so we got them to brighten up the place – literally.”
“Larry! We knew Larry had to play a big part in the business, and our photographer Amy with Storefront Studios always takes the best photos of her. My mom, as a gift, custom-framed large prints of our product photography, and a few of Larry as well. Now they hang on the office walls so everyone knows who’s really in charge!”
Along with these workplace touches, everyone at Blue Summit Supplies is encouraged to make their spaces cozy and homey through little person touches. Here are some of our team’s workspace must-haves.
Laurel:
A cute coffee mug that makes me happy to drink from, my French bulldog blanket, and an airplant!
Katie:
My Yeti coffee cup is my ride-or-die. I am also a pen fanatic, so if I don't have my Uniball Vision Fine pen, I'm lost.
Jess:
I have a unicorn-shaped stress ball and a cactus-shaped pen. (I am clearly a college girl.)
Patrick:
I just have pictures of the family on my desk. I'm boring, I guess. … Oh! And Borg Picard.
Megan:
I have things my kids made me!
Owen:
Larry. She’s been with me almost every day since the start of Blue Summit Supplies.
Shannon:
I like to have some little personal desk accessories that reflect my style around me - like my blue glass pen cup, cute designer desk planners, etc.
Grace:
Fake succulents. All of the aesthetic pleasure, none of the guilt – since I would’ve inevitably killed real ones.
What methods do you use to cozy up your workspace? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
To find out more about office culture, check out our blog! For further office-related questions, send us an email at larry@bluesummitsupplies.com. Larry would love to hear from you!
Grace Treutel is Blue Summit Supplies' content marketing manager. She writes for work, writes for her blog, and when she's done with all that, she writes for fun. Her two finished novel manuscripts have not yet been published - but just you wait. Also, she has some kids and some pets. Find her online at How to Learn Your Twenties.
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