In a world where real estate is becoming more and more expensive, smaller working spaces are becoming more commonplace. Companies are increasingly looking for creative ways to maximise office space and at the same time maintain a conducive environment for their employees to work in.

A cramped, cluttered work environment is likely going to bring down your work productivity. Conversely, a pleasant office will likely make employees look forward to stepping into their workplace more.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make an office feel more spacious than it actually is. Here are 4 great ways of doing so:

Reduce clutter

The idea here is to have an office that is free of any clutter and keeping just the bare minimum amount of furniture possible to keep your employees satisfied. Get rid of unnecessary things like that filing cabinet nobody uses or that extra table you moved in from your old office.

Ditch the heavy traditional desks and opt for more lightweight and space efficient ones. Reduce your storage needs and start thinking about vertical storage spaces to utilise as much space as possible to maximise that office space.

If you are having trouble reducing clutter, here is a helpful article – The Simple Guide to a Clutter-Free Desk

Lighting

Recent research has shown that lighting has an impact on how effective you are at work. Opt for offices with windows so that there is natural light coming into the office. Natural light also makes a room feel more spacious.

Open plan work desks

Having bench-style, open plan work desks are the best way to make efficient use of the space you have. To minimize distractions, install noise- absorbing panels between the tables. You may also consider allocating certain discussion zones and phone booths so that the main work area remains relatively quiet.

Share your working space

With companies now adopting flexi-working and telecommuting, it becomes increasingly common for work desks to be shared. Even large organisations such as Google adopt this company culture of allowing employees to sit wherever they choose for the day.

Have infrequent board meetings? Instead of allocating space in the office for a conference room, try booking conference rooms at co-working offices within the same building to maximise office space.

Lastly, when looking for a new office, find one with break-out area facilities so that you do not need to create one within your own office!

While following the above concepts will help you with maximising your office space, if you get the chance to work on a blank canvas (aka bare office), it is always recommended to engage an interior designer to do a proper space planning for your office.