The design elements in a particular firm are constantly evolving as time and demand change. Each firm tells its own life story in unique ways through displays to greet its visitors while maintaining a strong environment to work efficiently. And it is this design which gives a very individualistic meaning to each of these spaces. Though the impressions of any office start with a lobby and reception area, the overall productivity and employees’ mental health remain dependent on the typical office interiors. When it comes to the reception area, meeting area, and library, they all have design elements that are specific to the firms, but the studios and design space of any office remain original. Hence, there is a difference in each firm’s design as they have different needs and beliefs. Similarly, the space in any office has different corners and areas according to the enhancement of the work and mental health of the employees. And trust me, all these areas are significant. You can’t go wrong with the entrance, kitchen space, meeting rooms, or even the bathrooms. Well, I certainly wish to cover all these aspects in upcoming articles so that you have the most productive office interiors; today, I will be covering an area that is the basis of proper discussions and easy conversations, i.e., the boardroom.
Why Is a Boardroom Necessary?
A boardroom or meeting area is significant for the presentation of multiple forms of media. Whether you need to exchange ideas for better creativity or display large-format video presentations, meeting areas are meant to be created for different roles. Not only these conference rooms are necessary for client presentations, but these rooms facilitate the design charettes within the office, large format layout reviews, business/marketing meetings, video conferencing with national or international affiliations, consultant reviews, product presentations, and even small cocktail and holiday parties.
Now, these might range differently in size according to the numbering of people, making every aspect of it, like layout, lighting, power, and furnishing, different. Also, unlike a rectangular room with regular tables and chairs, this communication space is changed according to the designer’s palette, accommodation of people, and style. I will tell you everything about it to design it on your own for your firm. While you must take the help of an architect/interior designer, small firms can easily manage to decorate by themselves.
Six Steps to Design a Boardroom.
1. Deciding the Color Palette for Functionality.
One thing that completely changes the entire look of any space is the wise choice of colors. Earlier, Sahaj wrote an article on making your own interior color palette, which you can get help with while deciding on an overall color palette.
To decide on a color palette for a board room, you can always choose either darker shades for an accent wall paired with darker wooden floorings and create a more hooked look, or you can use lighter shades to create a modern and minimal look. In case you wish to have a creative look, then you can use 3D wall panels as it gives more enhanced texture. You can also take a pure black or white look if you like. Then, use a simple table and accent ergonomic chairs. I will tell you more about the furnishings in the later sections of the article. For now, I am giving you a few interior color palettes which you can use for your boarding room. Or you can always create your own palette using the previously linked article.
Furthermore, you can always choose different color palettes, according to a particular interior style. For instance, if you have a traditional office, then you can use walnut or expresso finish and even oak-finished furnishings with patterned walls of warm colors like mustard, cream, or terracotta to give an overall shade. Next, if you choose a country-style office, then you can always keep your board room in the direction of the fresh outdoors. You can use a simple trestle table as furnishing with a wood-clad accent color and white walls. Use blue-and-white striped blinds or curtains to keep the look fresh.
If you choose a modern scheme of colors, then you can go for metal furnishings, light or bold, and bright colors like gentle off-white, pastels, or even pale green. You can always use toning colors together, like soft shades of blue and green to use a calming effect.
For a pretty Scandinavian-style board room, you can include a simple scheme of powder blue, white, and red in a well-proportionate manner. The important point is that you have to keep the boardroom in such a color scheme that they are less distracting. So, if you don’t know anything about it, you can always choose neutral creams or off-whites, pale greens and blues, etc. Even warm colors can be stimulating, so if you have high-pressure work, then you can go for these colors for your boardroom.
2. First Impression Is the Last Impression, Creating a Layout.
There is only one way to create the best floor plan for your boardroom.
Use graph paper to draw the scaled version of your available space. Cut the pieces of paper to represent the furniture you would like to put into your room. The boarding table must be placed near a window so that you take advantage of the natural light, which should ideally come from the side. You have to keep in mind the projector wall so that there is a right way to present.
Further, always make sure to add space for cabinets, shelving (if needed), and even an end table for refreshments. Mark these spaces in your graph paper so that there is the best layout created according to the needs of the firm. Lastly, make sure that you don’t neglect the power outlets before setting up the layout.
Please note a few points for a more functional boardroom. Keep a distance of 1 meter in front of the desk so that you can get in and out of your chair and allow 1 meter in front of a filing cabinet to pull the access of cabinet drawers and have access to the contents. Also, don’t use too many furniture items of storage or shelves as the space might look cramped and oppressive. The boardroom must be free and mostly empty so that there is an easy flow of ideas. I will tell you more about furnishings in the next step.
3. Choosing the Right Furniture for Ergonomic Seating.
To ensure the right furniture, I am making a quick list of the best-recommended options in every case. These are industry-standard products and I personally felt that these products are efficient and stylish.
1. Boardroom Tables.
Office boardroom tables are the most significant element of the boardroom, and it can’t go wrong. A perfect boardroom table can be adjusted according to your seating or standing. Sturdy enough, modern office boardroom tables have built-in outlets and data ports to adjust to the power needs of your laptops.
Coming in varied sizes according to your space, you can choose a smaller table, a U-shaped table, or a sizable table. You can either customize a board room table through DIY (if you are very good at carpentering skills) or buy from this furniture store, which has standard board room tables.
2. Ergonomic Chairs.
Ergonomic Chairs are essential as you will spend more time than usual. And trust me, sitting long with that back pain can do no work, and sometimes, it even irritates you to the extent that you can’t complete a project. Well, there is a long list of perfect chairs, and it’s never-ending. You can look for a chair with adjustable height, lumbar support, and swivel capabilities to ensure that they are good for even long-hour seating. The best ergonomic chair is Herman Miller, which is a bit pricey, but it is all worth it. And for the lesser price options, you can go for Steelcase.
3. Side Tables.
To give a comfortable and cohesive space, you can always include side tables. They are good for managing snack options as well as giving a stylish look. Selecting an appropriate side table is necessary as it maintains professionalism while acting with functionality. I recommend you to check the Koskela store for the end tables as they really have stylish appeal with better functionality.
4. Whiteboards.
Whiteboards are necessary for the right presentation and collaboration. The best ones are the interactive whiteboards, which not only help to create and write in real time but are more efficient. You can check out Steelcase to choose from the whiteboards.
5. Storage Cabinets.
Smart storage ideas are absolutely necessary to complete the formal wall decor of the board room as well as give functionality to the board room. I find the BFX store really interesting when it comes to storage cabinets, as they look professional and have exceptional designs.
4. Installing a Detailed Light Layering.
Any space is incomplete without light layering, but an office space needs it most. Previously, I told you that I am working on a light layering article, but that is taking me so long as there are many components to cover. However, I can tell you about the light layering of a board room here. When you plan for lighting, you need to take account of your space’s size, shape, and decoration. To create a basic lighting scheme, start with a central fixture of a general wash of light and then add interest to the room with wall lights, table lamps, task lights, or floor lamps. Remember that whatever you choose, the quality, intensity, and spread of this illumination will react to your room.
Step 1: Start With the Central Fixture for Uniform Lighting.
The first thing is to use a central fixture to start light layering. You can use fluorescent lighting that is much kinder on the eye and does its job.
Step 2: Add Task Lights Over the Board Table.
As the name suggests, task lighting is brighter than the surrounding room lighting, and tungsten or halogen bulbs are great sources to do so. These are necessary as they are stimulating and help to prevent eye strain while working. You can always use a series of strong lights just above and in front of you so that there is no shadow cast. You can use an overhead light, as a task light just above your board table to give it a proper look. Furthermore, you can use desk lamps to focus on the work surface, if you are not going for the overhead lights.
Step 3: Touch up With the Accent Lights.
Highlighting is the most significant aspect of designing a basic lighting scheme for any room. As a hard-working element, the ambient lighting includes table lamps, uplighters, downlighters, and spotlights. If you have an empty corner in your board room, which looks secluded, or you have an abstract artwork, then you can use spotlights or downlights to add a little drama to the space. You can further use it to highlight the architectural aspects of your boarding room.
5. Considering Acoustics and High-Quality Conferencing System.
The foremost principle to a successful meeting or presentation is no disturbance. Even to work efficiently, you have to have no disturbance and that’s only possible by great acoustics. While acoustics is always built while deciding the architecture of a place, there is an option for artificial acoustics to minimize noise in boarding rooms especially. The best option to minimize noise is the use of acoustic wall and ceiling panels, double-glazed windows, solid-core doors, and area carpeting. I am making a separate guide on acoustics and I will update here as soon as it is done.
To make a boardroom more efficient and interactive, you must include:
- A good video conferencing system with a good HD camera for video calls and microphones and speakers in case of virtual meetings.
- A smart TV for screen sharing or a projector for easy presentations.
- Good power outlets, USB ports, and wireless charging stations for participants’ devices.
- Clips and under-desk trays so that there is no dangling of wires and there is a maintained clean and professional look.
- Smart room booking system so that there is an integrated calendar software to avoid any booking conflict.
6. Finishing Up.
To finish up, you can always include Roman blinds or other window treatments to maintain professionalism and a good vase over the cabinet to fill up the space. I have written a detailed guide on window treatment which you can refer to while decorating your boardroom.
Final Words.
Boardrooms though look simple yet they can be overwhelming to decorate. I have made sure to write a pretty brief article on what and how to decorate a boardroom. I will keep updating more products and content as soon as I find it useful to you all. Meanwhile, you can read my other guides on interior decor and obviously ask me any questions regarding this article in the comment section.
Resource.
Featured Image by Michael Hsu Office Of Architecture.
Frequently Asked Questions.
A boardroom style can vary from traditional to modernist and minimalist office interiors. Though it carries the interior design of your office, it varies as a space as it is more comfortable and allows your entire team to generate a flow of ideas. Acting as a conference room, it also serves the purpose of presentations, video calls, product finalization, and sometimes cocktail parties.
While a meeting room has a lot of space and can be creative, including ancillary furniture, a board room is strictly professional with a similar layout in all firms.
To design a conference room, choose a color palette first, then add professional furnishings in an appropriate layout. Next, layer it with lights, acoustics, and high-conferencing systems for more efficiency and productivity.
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