Office design: The rise of resimercial design

The ‘resimercial’ trend is growing in popularity in office design circles. The modern workplace demands a flexible, forward-thinking environment and blurring the lines between residential and commercial design is a key way to achieve this. Here, Coulter Office Interiors Managing Director, Stewart Simon, discuss this latest trend. 

Defining ‘resimercial’

The resimercial trend brings together the best elements of residential and commercial design to create a workplace that feels like a home-away-from-home. The idea being that striking the right balance between comfort and functionality will boost employee wellbeing and productivity. 

The comforts of home 

Resimercial design is popular for a reason: it promises a whole host of benefits. The pace of working life is faster than ever and with today’s ‘always on’ mentality, creating a homelike, familiar environment is crucial to reducing employee stress. Promoting relaxation at work through the incorporation of residential features enhances wellbeing and, in turn, boosts staff productivity and creativity. 

The trend is equally beneficial for physical health. Resimercial-inspired spaces are designed to breed comfort and interest; both of which encourage people to move around throughout the day. Changing posture and increasing your daily step count are vital for the physical health of employees in sedentary jobs, whilst creating an engaging workplace is a key component of happiness.  

The bottom line? Today’s workforce has higher standards and demands when choosing their place of work; resimercial design will help employers meet these expectations. 

Elements of resimercial design 

A recent survey by the Association of Accounting Technician’s (AAT) found that British employees will spend on average 34.5 hours at work per week. With so much of our lives spent in the office, it is important that this time is comfortable.  Infusing homely aspects throughout the workplace can contribute to this, providing a more personal environment. Key design features include: 

• Comfortable furniture (e.g. sofas and big chairs) 
• Electronics (e.g. TVs and sound systems)
• Accessories (e.g. lamps and rugs) 
• Soft lighting (e.g. mood lighting and dimmers)  
• Flexible workspaces (e.g. meeting pods and standing height desks)

Putting the trend into action, Coulter Office Interiors introduced residential design features to Ingredion’s office in Manchester. Incorporating the key elements of resimercial design, Coulter created a comfortable and engaging breakout area, including ‘colour-pop’ booths, canvas pictures and a breakfast bar, much to the delight of the Ingredion team. 

If you would like to find out how resimercial design can improve your office space, contact Coulter Offce Interiors for a free assessment today on 01772 702555.