The reception desk and reception area are the first things that visitors, clients and prospective employees see when they visit your office. They set the tone and showcase your company.
This post will help you to ensure that the first impression your business makes will always be the right one. Read on for tips and inspiration on creating the perfect reception area and desk.
When decorating a reception area, there’s one major thing to consider before you get down to the finer details of the design process.
What is your company brand style? Are you hoping to create a vibrant, energising buzz, or should your space bring to mind an air of serene, capable, professionalism? Whatever you go for, it needs to be welcoming. These finishing touches will then help to make that happen.
Colour is a brilliant way to create a mood, literally. Bright, brilliant colours can help to bring high energy to a room. Calming blues and greens can make things feel more relaxed. If you don’t have a choice about white walls or white reception desk, use decor or soft furnishings to create pops of colour.
Boost colour schemes and enhance mood with relevant artwork or wall decor that reflects the overall style and inspires. Everything in the reception area should be welcoming to everybody who visits, so think about the subject matter and keep the atmosphere light.
People in reception might be waiting a while, so make sure they can sit in comfort. This doesn’t mean saggy sofas – modern commercial reception seating is comfortable and stylish. Think bespoke sizes of sofas, armchairs and even modular seating in bright, pastel or neutral colours. And keep the overall styling on-brand.
Lighting is an often overlooked element of office design. Even if the reception area has huge windows, consider the light in winter and the shade in summer. Make sure lighting is adequate to allow reading or working in all areas.
Don’t forget to match the plants to your style, the light and the temperature. And stay away from anything too spiky. Try and avoid large-leafed plants because these attract dust and will need regular cleaning.
Whatever the design theme, the reception area needs to welcome everyone equally, and that means it needs to be as accessible as possible to people with disabilities. Try to add colour around doorways and to the edges of furniture to make it easier for partially sighted visitors to navigate the reception space.
We’ve touched on it briefly with plant maintenance, but it’s important to take time regularly to maintain the entire reception space. The new visitor will immediately see any flaws, even if people who use the space everyday have stopped noticing.
If you only have one piece of furniture in the reception area, it’s going to be the reception desk. It’s the focal point, where visitors congregate and staff work. So how can you make sure it’s extra-special?
In conclusion, creating a stylish and welcoming reception area can make a big difference to the way clients and visitors perceive your business. Incorporate these tips and ideas to create a welcoming space that looks great and reflects your company’s culture and values. Ask our experts for more advice on 020 8840 6298.
Take expert advice, but this will likely include making sure that your reception space and reception desk are accessible to people with disabilities, for example, ensuring there is sufficient room for wheelchairs, having height-adjustable seating and a range of desk heights. Make sure lighting and colour contrast is sufficient for the visually impaired. Consider hearing aid users.
Talk to a contract florist and choose low-maintenance, low-allergen plants that match your design theme and the room conditions. If you know you don’t have the manpower or budget to take care of your reception plants regularly, go plastic, but dust regularly.
Even if you don’t think you have the budget for a bespoke desk, modular furniture systems can allow you to create a unique look. Built-in LED lighting can highlight your company colours and some desks can incorporate brand colours as an accent.
Consider seasonal updates and rotate decorative items and artwork to keep things fresh. Add items and artwork from the company’s past would be the most relevant thing to add. This can also show your visitors a bit of the company’s history.
