Resimercial: the next big trend in workspace design
With the lines between home and work becoming increasingly blurred for many employees, the spaces in which we work are following suit. The changing nature of our work habits is reflected in a new office design trend which incorporates residential influences into commercial spaces.
This residential and commercial fusion is referred to as “Resimercial” and our team here at Accent are excited to work with our clients to develop design concepts that will encourage success and wellbeing in the workplace.
What is resimercial?
Resimercial is a design philosophy that aims to bring the home to the workplace and to introduce the comforts of residential design within a commercial setting. The trend is geared towards optimising employee productivity by creating as comfortable environment as possible to work in. By creating comfortable working environments, the workplace is transformed from a place in which employees have to be, to a place where they want to be. Creating a home away from home at work will ensure that employees feel more engaged and positive about their work, inspiring increased collaboration, creativity and, ultimately, productivity.
What’s driving the resimercial trend?
There have been a number of significant changes in our working habits in recent years that have helped to bring this design trend to the forefront. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of people working from home in the UK has hit record levels over the past few years, with 4.2m homeworkers recorded in 2014, a massive 14% of the entire workforce. According to the ONS, at the time this represented “the highest rate of home working since comparable records began in 1998”. In addition to this, many people in the UK are moving into self-employment, with the number of registered freelancers almost doubling in the period between 2008 and 2016.
Another factor in the blurred lines between the home and workplace is the rise of millennials in the workforce. According to a study by the Brookings Institution, it is estimated that millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce by 2025. This is significant because millennials are known to have different working habits to their predecessors. According to Forbes author Dan Schawbel, “Millennials will redefine ‘face-time’ as more work from home each year and fewer want to pick up the phone or go into an office”.
How can you incorporate resimercial design in your workspace?
With the rise of resimercial design, developers and office designers are moving away from corporate style office plans, to open concepts, with a more homely look and feel. One of the areas in which resimercial design is most easily incorporated is in the choice of furniture, where softer lines and comfortable furnishings are preferred in contrast to the bulky, hard-wearing staples of the traditional office.
Ultimately, it’s important to incorporate a wide range of styles into your office design, from relaxing lounge areas and work cafes, to more traditional conference rooms and focussed working spaces. There’s a time and a place for relaxed work and socialisation, and a time and a place for focused work and collaboration. It’s all about the needs of your employees and providing them with the environment to realise their potential.
If you would like to explore the possibility of redesigning your office in-line with the principles of resimercial design, then please get in touch with the team at Accent on 08456 595911 or email interiors@accentoffice.co.uk, we’d be more than happy to help. We provide interior design, office refurbishment, and office relocation services.