Embracing Resimercial Design

Is it me, or is the “resimercial” trend – residential design in a commercial space –  taking the interior design world by storm?  As a contract furniture designer, often my challenge is to incorporate the comforts and feelings of home with the reality of creating a productive, functioning office design. Without hesitation, I attest that it can be done successfully!

Once upon a time, just about every office space had walls painted pale yellow, tan or white and lacked the expression of company culture.  Sometimes, a feature wall painted the company’s brand color topped by a large logo let you know exactly where you were, and it screamed “welcome to your office!”  This was one of the first ways to convey a company’s “personality”, but didn’t really represent the people working inside the four walls.

Thankfully, times have changed and we have embraced residential design in the workplace to comfort and inspire employees. We all spend much of our days working in the office. As a result, we desire to be surrounded by a feeling of familiarity and security so let’s make the workplace feel more like home and provide people with a sense of belonging and comfort during work hours because essentially, they are “living” in the space.

You may have notice that your personal workstation is often the smallest space provided to work in within the entire office. Incorporating resi-mercial design allows you many other homey areas to work in throughout your space. These areas might include cafes and outdoor spaces, conference rooms, multipurpose rooms, phone rooms, privacy/wellness rooms, sleep pods, simple open areas without walls…or even living plant walls.  The success of implementing residential design in the workplace has led manufacturers to create or modify products to bring the feeling of home to the workplace. Spaces can be punctuated with inviting sofas, cozy seating, lighting, outdoor furnishings, and area rugs all in fabrics and finishes echoing residential-inspired textures and patterns. Any (or all!) of these elements can evoke a feeling of calm and ownership for the employee.

Now, get inspired!

Photos below show creative ways to incorporate a residential vibe in corporate environments. Many of the spaces beautifully highlight products from the Haworth family of brands.

Below are some of my favorite “go to” residential products that translate very well in corporate spaces. Hover over each item to see the source and name of each piece.

 

Photos from our recent projects that infuse residential design in the workplace:

• Kronos, Inc.
• Carbonite
• Continuum
• Placester

 

More inspiring spaces from the Haworth Collection:

 

How does it all make you feel? We’d love to hear what you have to say…don’t hesitate to comment or connect with us!

• What aspects of resi-mercial design do YOU like best?
• Has it gone TOO far?
• Do YOU feel homey at work?

 

About the Author:
As an account manager/designer, Julie-Anne brings an unparalleled breadth of knowledge to EAW. Her creativity, focus, attention to detail and her warm demeanor help Julie-Anne form lasting relationships with her clients. In her “off hours”, she loves spending time with her husband and their young children.