Decorate for Doing – Workplace Décor that Works

Creative and relaxing breakout areas are nothing new; companies such as Google are well-known for their in-house adult playgrounds, including slides, go-kart tracks, and a myriad of other things encouraging play. These aren’t just for show;

Working environments which are fun and encourage creative play and thinking lead to a happier and more productive workforce.

Year-round, it’s better to get as much natural light into your working environment as possible, as fluorescent strip-lighting can feel very draining. Additionally, the glare on computer screens can not only cause headaches and fatigue, but trigger migraines in sufferers as well. During Autumn and Winter, there’s not a great deal that you can do to extend the daylight, but you can brighten the office in the run up to Christmas with strings of coloured lights – LED lights are a good choice, as small, individual, battery-operated strings are available very cheaply and in a variety of colours. Blue or warm yellow lights can be particularly good to create a working environment that is both calm and cheerful.

Getting your workspace ready to decorate for Christmas is also a good idea – use the time to clear workstations, throw out obsolete stationery and office equipment, and organise your frequently used files so that you can hit the ground running after the festive season. The more your Christmas decorations are enhancing your workspace and the less you are covering up what is a disorganised mess, the more you will be able to enjoy them.

Untidy workspaces also impact on productivity – the clearer your desk, the clearer your mind!

Personal decoration in individual workspaces can also enhance productivity in the slump before Christmas. The benefits of plants in offices are well-known; they’re not only pleasing to look at, they improve air quality and mood too. Encouraging staff not only to personalise their workspaces but providing office plants will help with the inevitable pre-Christmas slump brought about by extra stress, stodgy food, and not enough daylight. It’s worth considering plants that have extra benefits, such as scent, or not needing a great deal of care to keep them in good condition. During December, consider a real tree in common breakout areas.

As for Christmas decorations themselves, don’t forget paper. If your experience of paper decorations is rather dull paper chains, look on Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration, and search YouTube for tutorial videos. The only limit to the complexity and beauty of your Christmas decorations is how much time you have to put into them. From simple paper chains to complex baubles and lanterns, scrapbooking papers can be turned into the most beautiful vintage-style decorations which will brighten your workplace and help individualise your celebration of the season.

The best thing about your handmade paper decorations is that if you have nowhere to store them, they can be recycled and recreated next year. With the modern trend for paperless offices, it’s easy to forget the simple beauty and versatility of paper.