Refurbishment vs Renovation: What do I need?

When talking about decoration, refurbishment and renovation it’s easy to forget the key differences between each one. This is especially true when talking about the difference between office furniture refurbishment and renovation, as not only do the words sound similar but it is also easy to think they mean the same thing.

When you are planning changes to your workspace it helps to understand what each term means so you can communicate your ideas to any professionals involved in the project. To give you an idea, here we look at redecoration and refurbishment vs renovation of your office space, so you have a much clearer idea about the definition of each term.

What does refurbishing mean?

Refurbishing is when you refresh an existing item or space to make it look like new. This can be anything from refurbishing an entire office or building to give it a new lease of life, so everything looks new, or updating desks or individual pieces when they are looking a bit old and tired. Some people incorrectly refer to this as “furniture renovation”, although they actually mean “furniture restoration”, which is an entirely different craft.

While refurbishing sounds like a renovation to some degree, there is actually a big difference in the final outcomes. During a renovation you tend to make much bigger, dramatic alterations that can go far behind refurbishing.

You are generally likely to spend less when refurbishing, as it involves the process of improvement by cleaning, equipping or decorating, while renovation can involve specialist tools and bigger changes that are more expensive. However, that doesn’t mean refurbishing is always a cheap process, as there are different levels of changes you can make, depending on your office furniture budget.

What is redecoration?

When you redecorate a workspace, it means you are updating the aesthetic of the space by applying a new colour of paint, changing the wallpaper, or adding in other smaller, no-fixed features, such as biophilic elements or wall art, to improve the mood and ambience.

The redecoration process doesn’t require you to change furniture pieces or alter significant elements of the property structure. It is simply changing what is already there to give it a new look and feel and is generally the cheapest option of all three available.

And it is not only the interior of a building or property that can be redecorated. The exterior is just as important for brands that work in the retail sector, for example when a rebrand is needed or new units are being opened, with a redecoration carried out to bring the aesthetics up to standard.

What is renovation?

As we alluded to above, renovation usually involves a much bigger change to the décor, which can be anything from knocking down a wall to expand a space, to changing the position of windows and updating fixtures and fittings.

Once renovation has been completed it provides a blank canvas for the space to be decorated, such as the repainting of the walls or updating of the wallpaper, flooring and more. Due to the cost involved, renovation needs to be well planned to ensure your budget is maximised as much as possible. Of course, depending on the scale of the renovation it will likely throw up some unexpected issues – usually to do with wiring, piping or the property structure – that can add more expense, so it’s helpful to have a contingency budget in place, if possible.

It’s always a good idea to discuss your desk plans with your employees, as they will be the ones using the space every day, so it should be tailored to accommodate their practical needs. It also demonstrates that you value their opinion, which can improve morale and lead to a more productive environment in the long run.