Decorating an office is very different from choosing how you want your surroundings at home. Not only does there need to be a more professional look, but there are also a number of practical considerations as well.
By making your plans clear and identifiable, the right blinds can help to:
- Provide greater levels of privacy
- Boost security
- Help reduce heat loss
- Manage lighting
- Improve branding impact
When setting up an office space, the last thing that you really think about is the blinds, especially if you’re already hunting high and low for office furniture and kitchen supplies, however you will find that many homes in this area also use these blinds for their home office.
Don’t underestimate the importance of environment when it comes to employee productivity and happiness.
With the right blinds, you can experience a whole host of benefits. Your office will become more functional, profitable, and enjoyable.
No matter if you’re struggling with strange window shapes, are keen to impress clients, or simply want your team to be in the best possible workspace, here’s what you need to know about choosing the right blinds for your office.
Style and Suitability
Not only can the right office blinds transform your workplace, but the right style can also be very beneficial too. Function and aesthetics combine, but a lot will depend on the location, layout, and size of the space that you have to work in.
For a commercial workspace, choosing the right blind can be a big influence on your branding and your impact. There are some factors that are worth considering before you commit to a specific type of blind. These include:
- Privacy: Are you on the ground floor? Are there buildings close to yours? Privacy is very easy to achieve with the right blinds, and that can help your security levels too.
- Branding: What kind of atmosphere are you hoping to create? If you have an established brand already with a set colour scheme, then you’re going to want blinds that work with the colours that you’ve chosen for your brand name or logo. You’ll also have to factor in the kind of workplace you want to be. If you’re going for a more corporate workspace, then you may want to look at a different style of blind from those companies hoping to achieve a more laid-back tone.
- Windows: Of course, not all buildings are the same, and the windows can be in a variety of unique shapes and sizes. That’s one of the reasons why blinds are so popular for offices. They can be fitted and tailored to even the oddest window shapes.
As with most tasks that are involved with setting up a new office space, the more that you think about every angle, the more likely that you will end up with the best end result.
Main Factors to Consider
There are some very clear benefits that come with choosing the right blind. As part of your initial planning, you will need to factor in the following criteria to ensure that you end up with the best office space to suit your company.
Lighting: This is one of the more obvious areas where blinds excel. Offices are always going to need good lighting, and blinds give you a lot of control over how much external light is let into a room.
To be able to make minor adjustments through the day means that you’re going to want fully functional blinds that allow for minor customisation. This is essential for offices, because when your team is staring at computer screens all day, then light becomes a very important factor.
Too little light (or too much) can lead to cases of eye strain, and that is going to reduce the productivity of your workforce. Being able to adjust the amount of sunlight that comes into your office means that you will prevent screen glare too, and that can also have a big impact on your team’s ability to get their jobs done.
Improved Comfort: Direct sunlight is rarely fun to sit in, unless you’re relaxing on a beach with a cocktail in hand. Working with glare can be very frustrating, but the right blind can make everyone in your office feel much more comfortable.
It’s not just about light either. Blinds can be chosen that will let you reflect outside heat so that your office doesn’t become overly stuffy in the summer, or keep the heat inside the room during the colder months. That will make your team much more productive because they won’t be sitting at their desks shivering in the cold or complaining about the summer heat. You’ll even be saving money on your heating bills too.
Colour Matters: There has been an inordinate amount of research done on the effects of colour in the workplace. It can be quite surprising when you look at the psychological effects of blue or red walls, or yellow blinds with green carpets.
If your office is feeling a little too bland and corporate, then a splash of colour in the form of your blinds can be a nice and simple way to add some dramatic flair that will reflect your company branding. Look at the office space that you’re working in, and consider the areas where your brand’s personality is not coming through.
If you want to impress clients and attract the best hires, then you need consistency and professionalism, and blinds can be a simple solution that will help you achieve that without the need for a major decoration overhaul.
Control: Not every room in your office is going to need the same kind of blind. If you have a dedicated meeting room where the majority of your company presentations are held, then you may want to look at blackout blinds so that slideshows and videos can be seen more clearly. For the main workroom, that could be excessive, but the fact that you can mix and match the style, fabric, design, and function of any variety of blinds means that you have a lot more control over the finished look.
Automation: There are a few reasons why you might be looking at automated blinds. One of the most common reasons to invest in this type of blind is down to window size. If you have high ceilings and high windows, adjusting some blind types can quickly become a chore. A remote control means that you won’t struggle to adjust the blinds as and when needed, without having to get the ladder out! They can also be set to a timer so that they adjust throughout the day and night for maximum privacy and lighting control.
Choosing The Right Style
In order to get the right blind for your office, you’re going to need to know the different types that are available. There are many styles and options to choose from, but the most popular is a useful indication of what might work for you and your brand. Like with everything business-related, the more that you know, the easier it will be to make the right decision.
Vertical Blinds
As one of the most low-maintenance styles of blinds, vertical blinds are one of the more common styles to see in an office environment. They are the type of blind you might want to look at if you’re worried about dust in the office, because they not only help to trap that dust, they are also very easy to clean too.
When choosing blinds, buyers often dismiss the vertical style because they are worried that it will be too common, too bland, and maybe even boring. Of course, with the right colour choice, your blinds can avoid all of those things. The thing to remember about vertical blinds is that there is a certain amount of class to them, and their use can help to make a room feel much more inviting too. They are easy to adjust, so you’re getting maximum and precise control over your lighting and your privacy.
With a range of materials to choose from, including stylish aluminium or more elegant wood, you can choose your blinds room by room, creating the maximum effect with very little effort.
Venetian Blinds
When you think of blinds, most people think Venetian without hesitation. Popular in homes, schools, and universities, they are also becoming increasingly popular for workplaces of all kinds. They certainly fit the part in the modern office space. They have flexibility when it comes to creating your own customised design, and come in a range of material options too.
Venetian blinds are always a popular choice simply because they have that timeless look to them that does not detract from their elegance and modern twist. The material that you choose can have a dramatic effect on your overall office design impact too. Consider the effect of luxurious wooden blinds that will add to a more stylish environment that whispers class, while those brands hoping for a more modern appeal might want to look closer at aluminium Venetian blinds. These can make a workplace look a lot more cutting edge, and for tech startups and IT companies, it’s going to be hard to beat.
Roller Blinds
These are a very different style of blind. Whereas other types of blind are made of slats, roller blinds are simply a single piece of material that can be pulled up or down very easily. In terms of customisation, they’re very hard to beat.
They can obviously come in every colour imaginable, but they’re also much easier to brand than other blind styles. That flat piece of material is the perfect place for your company logo, which can be very effective if your exterior is visible in the offices opposite or in the streets outside. Clean and clear, with an elegant simplicity to their straight lines and blocky feel, they can also be designed to fit even the most unusual window shape, and you’ll even be able to use them on doors for extra privacy, or on skylights to help control lighting too.
Pleated Blinds
These are the blinds that have been designed for maximum control over light and privacy. They help to add very real texture to an otherwise bland room, and the colour choices mean that they are as customisable as imaginable.
Where other blinds may allow for light to get into a room, pleated blinds have no gaps. That means that they can be pulled up for total light, or pulled down for a more blackout feel. This can have a very dramatic effect on your heating and air-con bills, but the contemporary feel makes them look the part too.
Pleated blinds are an all-in-one particular solution to blind choice, and for those businesses hoping to keep utility bills under control while maintaining control over lighting and security, they could be the perfect balance to bring a fresh feel to your office.
Common Challenges
All offices are different, and you may find that you have unexpected challenges when it comes to choosing the right blind. Some of the more common solutions mean that you can avoid the obvious problems with these challenges. They include:
- Oversized windows: While having large windows is usually considered a good thing for maximum natural light, they can create a problem if you don’t look at the practicalities. You’re going to need a lightweight blind style in a light material. Wooden vertical blinds can be a good choice, although light fabric roller blinds can also be an effective solution that’s worth considering.
- High Windows: For skylights or windows that are just out of reach, you might fall into the trap of thinking that you’re going to need to get the ladder out every time you adjust for light. Automatic blinds can be a massive help with this, and should definitely be looked at. Motorised blinds, or those on a timer, will mean that you won’t have to worry about adjusting your blinds
- Arches: With so many windows coming with a top arch, fitting a straight blind is obviously going to mean that you lose total light control. The Shuttercraft team can custom design your blinds so that they can fit seamlessly into even the most unusual window shapes and designs. A customised blind design could be the answer for those looking for total control over their workplace aesthetic and environment, no matter the limitations forced by the existing space.
When the environment has such a dramatic effect on the workplace, it makes sense to prioritise your windows. The right blind in place can improve the look of your office, but also gives you a genuine level of practical control as well. If you’re looking at office premises and you’re worried about the practicalities, then the right blind could be just the solution that you’ve been looking for.