How to Create a Resimercial Workspace?

Sterile furnishings, cold cubicles and white walls have become talent deterrents in the workplace. According to Staples' 2019 Workplace Survey, 52% of respondents felt their open workspace encouraged distractions and 40% felt their office was too open.

Employees want something more from their office space. Even if your business needs cannot accommodate work-from-home flexibility, you can design an office space that is both functional and comfortable.

Welcome to the resimercial revolution. Learn how top brands are already incorporating resimercial design into their commercial space and how you can do it, too.

Basics of Resimercial Workspaces

A comfort and creativity-inducing hybrid between the traditional workspace and a residence, resimercial merges the flexibility of home with the functionality of an office. It also lays to rest the tired, boring open office concept that so many workers have grown to dislike.

But this isn't an overnight endeavor. Upgrading your commercial space to a resimercial production hub takes planning and resources. So, what's in it for your company? Talent retention and improved output.

Why Design a Resimercial Work Environment?

Bridging the gap between in-office work and the increased demand from employees to work at home, a resimercial design concept fosters collaboration, productivity and creativity. A few ways in which your company may benefit from introducing resimercial design include:

• Appeals to all age groups. With millennials outpacing Gen-Xers in the workforce and projected to comprise 50% of the labor force by 2020, leadership teams need to create an environment that meets the needs of workers in various generational groups.
• Improves productivity and collaboration. Resimercial design incorporates cozy meeting spaces, wireless technology, natural lighting and function-specific spaces into a commercial setting. The combination inspires employees to engage with one another while equipping them with the technology and function they need.
• Increases retention rates among top talent. To keep the best people, you need to prove that you're invested in their happiness at work. Flexible schedules and work locations are in high demand. When you can deliver the experience of home with the assets of the office, you create an environment that encourages staff to grow within the company.

How to Incorporate Resimercial Principles into Your Existing Office

You don't need a bottomless bank account to infuse your existing office space with resimercial components; you simply need to reimagine your space. This can be done piece by piece or all at once. Here's how to do it.

Choose the Right Furniture

The most impactful item in your office (and often the most important to employees) is furniture. When choosing furniture for your resimercial space, consider the following:

• Select a mixture of comfortable chairs, couches and standalone pieces that can be rearranged to suit the needs of individual spaces in your office.
• Choose pieces that add comfort and function to your space, many of which are now available in commercial-grade options that will withstand office use.
• Look for surfaces that encourage conversation, are easily moved and are compatible with the seating options you've chosen.

Add Decorative Flair

When you're at home, you don't want to look at blank walls. Neither do your employees. Art and decor can transform and otherwise hum-drum room into a brand-centered focal point that encourages productivity and collaboration. Think about the following when choosing your decor:

• Choose pieces of art as tabletop, wall or counter decor that represent your brand's products, values or mission.
• Incorporate a variety of textures and natural elements into each room of your office space.
• Don't forget to add coziness and pops of color with items like area rugs and table lamps.
• Whenever possible, use natural lighting to illuminate meeting rooms, huddle spaces and break areas. You can find out more about the importance of natural light and biophilic design elements here.

Plan Your Layout

This is where you really need to put your "at-home" hat on as you plot out the flow and natural order of the office. To truly make your office a resimercial space, it needs to meet the needs of your employees' projects without feeling forced. Consider the following:

• Create spaces that are specifically designed for certain tasks, such as group brainstorming, corporate meetings or break areas.
• Think about the flow of your building. Employees come in the front door and where do they go? Is there a dedicated space to get coffee, chat with teammates or put their belongings? Like your home, a resimercial space should allow for a bit of unwinding before work starts.

Brands Doing Resimercial Well

Top brands and their leadership teams already understand the positive impact resimercial design can have on an in-office workforce, which is why they've implemented the concept in their own commercial space. Two brands, Carter's and Newell Brands, showcase just how creative you can get with office design regardless of your industry.

Newell Brands

Newell's owned brands include everything from Sharpie and Elmer's Glue to Coleman and Graco. Running the gamut of brand identities, Newell faced a unique challenge when implementing resimercial design throughout its Hoboken, NJ office. Here are some ways they chose to customize the resimercial concept for their employees:

• Playful and colorful style as communicated by the varying display of patterns and bright solid colors in the room decor
• Clean and uncluttered spaces inspire creativity with the use of natural wood, glass instead of walls and daylight as opposed to artificial lighting
• Designated social zones on each floor of the building encourage collaboration and community
• Small group huddle rooms and conference rooms are interspersed throughout each floor
• Office decor incorporates owned brands to help inspire productivity and weave branding throughout the space, such as the use of wall art created from 26,000 Prismacolor® pencils - a premier Newell product

Carter's

When consumers think of Carter's they may think of quality clothing for baby and toddlers, but the brand's identity is much more than creating cute clothes and this is clearly seen in the office's resimercial design. The brand used resimercial principles to outfit its 275,000-square foot commercial space with the design need to foster community among nearly 2,000 employees in Atlanta. Here are a few things they did:

• The reception area features two large living room-like spaces that encourage conversation and relaxation while illuminated with a mix of natural and artificial lighting
• A natural color scheme in the furniture and area rugs draws the eye to the focal point of the company: Large canvas art showcasing children wearing Carter's expertly designed clothing
• Built-in shelving found in natural wood walls offers a space for books, sculptures and artwork that surround open-air meeting areas
• A mixture of conference rooms and intimate collaboration areas can be found throughout the commercial space, which gives employees a variety of meeting informal meeting options

Resimercial Space for Every Industry

Creating a resimercial office space is about more than redesigning a work area; it's about bridging the gap between a disconnected work-at-home culture and an overworked, hectic in-office team. Implementing a resimercial design helps increases employee morale, comfort and productivity. As a bonus, it's an office design strategy that can be launched within any industry's commercial space.