Reception Area Fit Out Tips

First impressions are lasting impressions and your receptions design can make your visitors feel welcome and give you a competitive advantage. By adopting a innovative reception design, this will also help to boost employee well being throughout the day. Take a look at Fusion Office Designs top reception to refurbish tips…

On brand

Your reception is the office equivalent of a handshake, it’s a greeting that says who you are and what you do. Strongly presenting your brand isn’t just advised, it’s essential as it’s what people expect and helps them to orientate themselves. No one should step into your office and wonder if they’re in the right place. You can go wild with your brand colour palette without being too in your face, think beyond paint and consider your flooring, furniture, lighting, carpeting, window treatment and décor.

The reception desk

The reception desk is the first thing anyone will see so it needs to look the part, make a statement with a custom desk that’s engraved with your logo, incorporate designs using natural materials, add a curve or install down lights. Your desk needs to be paired with an ergonomic chair, so its suitable for long periods of seated work. One of the advantages of using a design and build contractor to source your furniture is benefiting from their buying power.

Clutter free welcome

Mess usually equals stress, when your senses are overloaded with unnecessary stimuli, it can be hard to remain calm and collected. Ensure that your reception has the storage facilities required to stay clutter free and welcoming.

Office refurbishment specialists will be experts when it comes to creating secret storage and in some cases boardrooms. Striking receptions can include metal sheeting or walls with hidden doors which lead to storage rooms, meeting rooms, board rooms and offices.

Noise

The front door opening and closing, ringing phones and general chit chat amongst colleagues can make your reception area a noisy place. Over the years we’ve seen a trend of incorporating the reception area into a common room which can double up as a secondary space in activity based working environments.

Its essential that you keep your reception a social place, try to incorporate design tricks to minimise noise, as well as adding textured fabrics to your design which can make a big impact and absorb unwanted sound. Wall coverings including artistic panels and carpet can bring the decibel levels down, creating physical boundaries and décor flair with partitions, storage or plants can also help.

Climate change

A blast of cold air each time the door swings open isn’t good, as office redesign specialists we often get asked how to find climate control solutions that don’t include electric heaters under desks. Not only is it unsafe, your leaky reception isn’t very energy efficient.

There’re a few options including a door heater at the entrance, this will create an air barrier for a warm welcome as well as conserving heat. An air curtain can be mounted directly into the ceiling’s mounting recess, having a glass front reception with large expanses of glazing can also be tricky, prone to condensation and letting in cold drafts means that you can install a discreet trench heating system at the window’s base.

Reception deception

Having a ‘front’ and ‘back’ office design is important, is your design is disjointed and doesn’t flow throughout the office it sends a message that your employees and visitors aren’t valued the same. It’s important that your brand message and décor runs throughout the office building.

Be different

Don’t conform and instead don’t have a reception at all, maybe you’d prefer a coffee bar as the entrance to your office of a digital check in and welcome system, your space can be designed creatively and customised to fit all of your needs, brand, people and clients.