Glass Partitions – Are They Always the Best Choice?

As a leading supplier and fitter of glass partitions in the London area we receive lots of enquiries about the possibility of installing glazed partitioning in offices. Our clients' interest is understandable as glass partitioning offers an extremely attractive option, making any office space feel more contemporary and aesthetically appealing.

However, the benefits of using glass partitions goes far beyond visual aesthetics – and in some cases they may not be the right choice at all, depending on a range of other factors. So here we take a closer look at the different ways glazed partitions can be used effectively – and where use of solid office partitions may be a more appropriate choice.

Why Glass Partitions?

Partitions can help solve a range of office design problems including:

Visual privacy – Reducing visual distractions for employees engaged on projects requiring concentration, or for private client or personnel meetings.

Sound privacy – Reducing day to day noise levels or to allow confidential meetings, if double glazed.

Zone definition – Having different areas for different work teams or projects, or for special uses such as quiet zones, break out areas, lunch areas, printer rooms and so on.

Creating rooms – Enclosed spaces within an open place space such as private offices or meeting rooms.

Improving aesthetics – Updating the look and feel of an office but without making major structural alterations.

While glass partitions can answer many of these issues, it may not be the most suitable option for all situations – so let's take a closer look.

When to Use Glass Partitions

Glazed partitions are the top option in the following situations:

Retain natural light while providing visual privacy – Here frosted glass partitions provide a good solution. The glass allows the light through while a manifestation (frosting effect) obscures the view and reduces visual distraction.

Retain natural light while providing basic sound privacy – Glazed partitioning gives occupants privacy to discuss matters privately, while also reducing noise distraction for others outside the partitioned area – although glass is not the most attenuating of materials and will allow through some sound. An additional level of visual privacy can be added using partial manifestation. This solution retains the visual benefits of the open plan office (people can see each other and have a sense of being part of a larger team) but solves the sound / distraction issue.

Multi use room requiring privacy sometimes – Where privacy is required only for certain uses, Priva-lite glass partitioning offers an ideal solution. Occupants of the space can opt to switch the glass to opaque for meetings requiring higher levels of confidentiality. This might apply to a room used for general meetings most of the time but which also doubles as a private meeting room when needed.

Create a cutting edge look – Glass offers the most up to date look and combines well with just about any other material including metal and timber (see image below) and, because it is colour neutral, will blend with any colour scheme. An added benefit is that glass creates a contemporary look, which isn't going to go out of fashion in a couple of years, so it is a good long-term choice.

Flexible solution – It is common for many companies to reorganise quite frequently in order to respond to changes in customer demand, or to focus on new projects. Demountable partitions – either glass or solid – offer a flexible solution, allowing partitions to be removed and reconfigured as required within the space, without requiring big structural changes to the building.

Enhancing Corporate Identity – Companies in leased offices can often be limited with regard to installing signs or decorations that would permanently change the office space – and will usually be liable for making good any such changes back to the original colour and condition. Internal, demountable partitions offer a way for businesses to introduce corporate branding into the office design while minimising any changes to the permanent structure. Frosted partitions can incorporate any design that may be required, including company logos, lettering or images to achieve a subtle branded effect.

When Not to Use Glass Partitions

The range of visual options available for glass partitions (frosting, using switchable glass etc) makes them a flexible option for a wide range of uses as part of an office interior design. But there are, nevertheless, some situations where they are not the best choice:

Privacy – When you need high levels of personal privacy, both visual and auditory, solid partitions are the way to go. Full privacy may be needed in office areas for a variety of reasons including private client meetings, personnel interviews, and so on. And nobody wants to see glass walls used for a washroom!

Security – It is usually prudent to hide from view equipment or stock which has value or which has restricted access. This might include stock rooms, server rooms, rooms storing confidential files or any other area which the business does not want to draw unwanted attention to.

Hiding Clutter – It is sometimes aesthetically desirable to hide some things from view within the office environment. We would not recommend glass doors for a storage wall or store room, for instance, as this will simply put your office clutter on display. Similarly, there is little point in using glass partitioning to provide an outside view if that view is itself rather unattractive.

Glass Partitions from GDL Interiors

In short, glass partitioning is popular for a reason – several reasons in fact – but it needs to be used correctly to achieve the best visual and functional outcomes.

At GDL we can provide all types of solid and glass partitions as part of a new office refurbishment or fitout for businesses throughout London, Essex and East Anglia. More importantly, our 30 years of experience in the office design business means we can provide expert design advice about the best type of office partitioning to use for your particular requirements. Find out more about glass partitions here.

The Hidden Office – 5 Important but Invisible Aspects of Office Design

What do you think of when you say "office design"? You might think of sleek new desks, rearranged partitions, perhaps some new colours, a new reception area and a fresh carpet. But, as vital as these things are, some of the most important aspects of new office fit outs or refurbishments is what you never see.

At GDL Interiors we pay close attention to how a new office looks – the impression it makes on your visitors and the positive message it sends to your employees. But we also take care of what goes on behind the scenes. Here we shine the spotlight on 5 of the most important, yet invisible aspects of an office design.

1. Cabling
Power and data are essential services to just about any office setup. Whether you're a London multimedia company storing and transferring Terabytes of data every day, or whether you just need a basic internet connection for email, there are very few businesses that don't depend on computers and data connections to function. All this means a need for power and data cables to just about every employee's workstation, from the CEO to the office temp. Then there are phones, printers and photocopiers, not to mention spare power sockets for charging mobiles and laptops. While going wireless is a solution for some, this won't work for everybody, depending on the level of reliability and bandwidth they require.

Cabling presents two main challenges when designing an office. The first is capacity – ensuring enough sockets and connections for the number of people and devices, with spare capacity for future growth, catering for visitors, and so on. Insufficient sockets can lead to employees using expansion boards, which can put excessive load on the system, looks unsightly and can even be a fire hazard. It can also lead to staff having to regularly unplug equipment in order to find a spare socket – which can mean inadvertently turning off PC's, servers or other vital kit, with potential loss of work and time.

The second challenge is appearance. Lots of cables always looks a mess and can undermine the professional, uncluttered appearance that your new office interior design is designed to achieve. At GDL we can advise on the capacity of power and data sockets required to take account of your future requirements, as well as making sure that cables are suitably hidden from view within or behind furniture.

2. Storage
All offices need a certain amount of storage space. Even if all your files and data are fully computerised (and almost everybody has some paperwork that they need to store locally, either as back up or for everyday reference purposes) you will probably still need storage for stationery supplies and employees' personal belongings.

At best, a lack of storage will lead to clutter and detract from the aesthetics of your new office. At worst, it will impact on the productivity of your staff if they can't easily find the paperwork or items they need to do their work.

At GDL we work with clients to ensure they have the quantity and type of storage they need, to aid productivity and to maintain a good impression. As well as thinking about the quantity of storage, we'll consider where it should be positioned for maximum efficiency and how it can be integrated into the overall layout and design. 

One of our clients' favourite solutions is to use built in wall storage. This maximises storage capacity but takes up minimal floor space, and the frontage can adopt a variety of colours and designs to complement the overall decor (see example image below). 

3. Energy Efficiency
Employees and visitors may have no way of knowing how energy efficient your office is – but your finance department certainly will. As well as doing your bit to minimise carbon emissions, designing your office to be energy efficient can mean year on year cost savings for your business. But being energy efficient requires proactive design decisions in a number of areas including lighting and heating systems, most of which are best implemented as part of an overall sustainable office design. For instance, a zoned heating or lighting system allows staff to have higher control over when or if they need additional heat or light, instead of unnecessarily heating or lighting areas that perhaps don't need it; but the electrical and switching system required to allow this needs to be wired in behind walls or ceilings and is ideally carried out as part of an office refurbishment.

What's possible for each company will vary according the particular premises they occupy and the type of business they operate. So part of GDL's service includes an assessment of your current premises and a set of recommendations outlining what's possible.

4. Safety
However your office looks and however productive your staff may be, there is one thing that your office has to be: safe.
Office furniture has to comply with a raft of safety regulations, from fire resistance to weight bearing stability.
Not only that, the way the office is laid out (space between workstations, width of passageways and doors etc) all have to abide by current DDA legislation to ensure ease of access for disabled staff, customers or visitors, as well as building regulations relating to fire escape routes and so on.
Your employees might not notice it, but a few centimetres more or less can make the difference between being compliant and not.

At GDL we have been designing office interiors for over 30 years and are fully familiar with all such regulations and ensure that safety issues are dealt with as a matter of course as part of the overall office design.

5. Space Planning
Perhaps the most invisible aspect of office design is the planning that went into it. Expert office space planning is what makes the difference between a purely cosmetic office refurbishment and a refit which really meets your needs and supports your people to do their work in the most efficient way. 

As well as considering the number of staff you have now, we can factor in future growth fluctuations at different times of the year, how different teams need to work together, how much private or meeting space is required, whether the space needs to be flexible to cater for different projects or reorganisations, and so on.

Factoring in all these hidden elements, while also creating a visually appealing environment requires a combination of technical expertise and creative flair – so it's important to choose a fitout company that can handle both.

Office Design London – Click here or call us on 01376 515243 to find out more about our design and fitout services. 

Commercial Office Interiors – 5 Things Google Got Right

Google's famous (or perhaps infamous) workspace design has caused a great deal of controversy and debate in the world of commercial office interiors. London and UK companies are divided about whether this is a style to be emulated as forward-thinking and inspirational, or avoided as extravagant nonsense.

As leading contractors carrying out new office fit outs and refurbishment in the London area, we are very much in touch with what organisations really need from their office designs. So we have taken some time to reflect on what Google got right, and how this can benefit our clients. We've picked out 5 key lessons that we think designers of commercial office interiors can usefully take forward into their designs:

1. Unique Spaces Encourage a Sense of Belonging

The bigger a company gets, the less you can rely on direct personal relationships to make a workforce feel like a team, all pulling in the same direction to meet organisational goals. Putting workers in individual cubicles that all look the same is a recipe for alienation, making people feel separate and less likely to feel a sense of belonging and connection with others, or with the company. Innovative and visually striking office design which feels significantly different to anywhere else, helps to send a signal that says: "Everyone within this space is connected".

What this means for other companies is that simply copying design elements from Google won't work – employees will just feel like they are working for a copycat Google. Instead the goal should be to find a design which is distinctive and unique to your company, whether that's in terms of colour scheme, materials or layout. For instance in our example below, the effect is nothing like Google – but is totally distinctive in its own way, giving a sense of identity to the building and to its occupants.

2. Attracting Post-Recession Talent

Clive Wilkinson, the architect-designer behind Google's workspace transformation has said: "One of the biggest motivators for creating good workspaces is being attractive to people you want to hire."

UK businesses – and particularly those in London – are steaming ahead and driving the economic recovery, especially in areas requiring high levels of individual creative talent, such as design, media, finance, software and engineering. To ensure their long term success, companies have to hire the best people and then keep them for as long as possible. In an age when the youngest talent can change jobs as often as they change their smartphone, companies who want to be able to "take their pick" of the best talent need to excite prospective candidates and appeal to them as an exciting place to work.

As the recovery beds in and recruiting key skills gets more difficult, an innovative office interior, combined with other progressive employment policies, may even start to be a factor helping to reduce staff "churn".

3. The Use of Glass Partitions

The use of glass partitions was a key element in transforming the old Google offices from "cubicle land" to a space which helped to connect people visually. Even in a conventional office space, glazed partitioning adds a sense of modernity and provides a level of soundproofing between zones, to aid productivity. Glass also makes best use of available natural light to brighten and lighten interior spaces. Clever use of glass manifestation (such as below) lets in the light and allows staff to get a sense of what is happening elsewhere in the space, while the frosting helps to retain a level of privacy.

4. Use of Colour

Using colour is a quick and easy way to make a space feel unique and stimulating, even if the furniture and layout are fairly conventional. Indeed, the use of bold colour is one of the most immediately obvious characteristics of the Google workspace and is often what companies have most trouble embracing – especially if their company is in a sector where stability and restraint may feel more "fitting" to their company image.

But it is possible to use colour in a way which helps a workspace to feel modern and cutting edge, but without undermining more conservative organisational values. For instance, in the image below, a single bold accent colour is combined with shades of white, chrome and grey, which creates a look which is understated but far from dull.

5. Embodying the Brand

Apart from providing employees with somewhere to sit and work, the next most important thing that any office space has to do is put them in the right frame of mind for doing work that expresses the values and standards of the organisation. These values then find their way into the ideas, products and services those employees create, which are then experienced by the company's customers.

Perhaps the reason that Google's office design provoked so much controversy is that it exactly reflected the tech giant's brand values: original, maverick and cutting edge. Companies with similar brand values loved Google's offices; those with different brand values hated it. So what Google got right here, was to allow their offices to fully express their core brand values.

GDL Interiors have wide ranging experience of creating high quality commercial office interiors for companies in London and the South East. We combine practical, functional design with creative flair to help organisations of all kinds achieve a workspace which promotes productivity as well as enhancing their brand.

Commercial Office Interiors London – Click here to see our portfolio. 

Three Office Interior Solutions for 2014

Does your office interior look tired and shabby or is in need of a revamp to reflect your firm’s ethos? Or, has your business expanded and you need to provide a more comfortable environment to accommodate more staff? The installation of office partitioning - such as glass partitioning, storage wall partitioning, soundproof partitioning, solid partitioning, operable partitioning, fire rated partitioning or demountable partitioning – offers the perfect solution.

GDL Interiors has 30 years’ experience in providing high quality office refits and fire rated partitioning to multi-national organisations, regional firms and local companies in Essex, Suffolk, London, Cambridge, Hertfordshire, and further afield in the UK. Even the smallest office refurbishment project makes a considerable difference to operational efficiency, and will enhance a firm’s image.

If you have an expanding company, the start of the New Year is a good time to review your office environment. One of the many benefits of space planning and office refurbishment is that it eliminates the need to move premises. Here, GDL provides answers to common questions on how to make the best use of space to lead your organisation into 2014 and beyond.

Fire Rated Partitioning – click here to find out more about office partitioning or contact us today to discuss your requirements.

I Only Have a Small Office – How Can I Improve on My Existing Space Without Moving Premises?

Files strewn across the floor, piles of paper on the desk and lack of storage for even basic office essentials – such as pens, paper, the kettle or photocopier – will reduce efficiency as you struggle to find things.

At GDL interiors we offer space planning for even the smallest of offices, so you can obtain those much needed documents within seconds. One of the ways we can create an organised work space is through the installation of storage wall partitioning, which is a stylish way to conceal office paperwork and clutter, as it combines valuable cupboard space with partition walls. 

Our bespoke office partitioning can be installed floor to ceiling, or at low height, and incorporate pull out filing systems, projectors, plasma screens or fitments such as refrigerators.  Whatever your requirements, GDL’s experts will discuss these with you and suggest innovative space saving solutions.

How Can I Maximise My Current Workspace to Accommodate More Staff?

If your company is expanding and taking on more staff in 2014, moving addresses may not be the solution.

Finding new premises, changing the details on correspondence and letterheads, and organising removals, all prove costly. One answer is to talk thorough the cost effective solutions with our experts so you can maximise your space with the minimum of upheaval to your business.

At GDL, we provide a full range of refurbishment services from space planning to office partitioning and complete company refits. Office partitioning is extremely versatile and can be used to transform your interior and create additional areas that are essential to an expanding business: such as extra storage, conference rooms, management areas, break-outs spaces, meeting rooms, boardrooms, reception areas, and even entire office departments. And, in order that your firm complies with fire service regulations, we also provide a full range of fire rated partitioning and doors, which can offer a maximum of two hours’ protection.

One of our recent space planning projects was Colne Housing’s Offices in Colchester. The brief was to reorganise their office space so they could use the building to its maximum capacity and accommodate more staff.

We provided an entire re-fit across two floors which involved creating an attractive new reception area, designing new offices, installing two interview rooms and a brand new security office. The entire project was completed on time and on budget, with only a limited disruption to the day to day running of the organisation.

Can an Office Refit Create a More Eco-Friendly Environment?

Yes. An increasing number of businesses are making the move towards becoming more eco-friendly, either by reducing their packaging, cutting down on their use of paper, and by increasing recycling.

If your organisation has taken the decision to become more environmentally sound, you may want to reflect this in your office refurbishment. A ‘green’ friendly office refit will demonstrate your commitment to the planet and this will have a positive impact on staff and customers.

GDL Interiors offers a sustainable office design service which takes into account every aspect of the office refit such as making the best use of natural light, using low energy technology and sourcing materials that have limited impact on the environment. We only use sustainable, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approved timber, and even our wall coverings offer 1,300 stylish ‘green’ products.

For more information on our services, contact us direct, or just click on the link below.

GDL Interiors  provide a full range of office interior services, including the installation of glazed partitioning, solid partitioning, demountable partitioning, and fire rated partitioning for public and private organisations and educational establishments. 

How Office Partitioning Can Completely Transform Your Workplace

If you are looking to redecorate your workplace over winter, one of the ways that you can completely transform this space is through office partitioning. London businesses use frosted glass partitions and demountable partitioning in a wide variety of premises, from call centres to factories, offices, workshops and newsrooms, because they are so versatile.

Installing office partitioning can bring a number of benefits to firms based in London and elsewhere. As well as making the most of the space available – by creating work spaces and additional rooms – it also helps reduce noise levels, which in the long run can help to improve productivity.

Essex-based GDL has many years of experience of office interior design services. Here, we will focus on the benefits of installing partitions and how they can help create a more appealing environment to work in.

Office Partitioning London – Click here to find out more, or follow the link  for more details of our services.

Beautify the Workspace

Frosted glass partitions are used to create a more attractive work environment, making the most of natural light and helping to make the workplace feel more airy and spacious. Glazed partitioning allows employees to keep visual contact with colleagues in other departments, but it also brings more privacy and helps cut down on noise. Another advantage of glass partitions is that when glass manifestation is applied, it can carry attractive designs, including company logos, which provides a more co-ordinated look to an interior.

Create additional rooms

Installing solid or glazed partitioning will help to make better use of the space within an office, by breaking up large areas to create meeting rooms or conference rooms, as well as managers’ offices. Although open-plan offices have been the norm in many types of business for decades now, they do have some disadvantages, including the lack of privacy in places where confidential meetings are held. Using partitioning to create smaller rooms within an open area is a way to combat this and will ensure that the offices meet the current needs of the workforce.

Reduce Noise Levels

As well as the problems with lack of privacy, open-plan offices can also have difficulties with noise. For instance, a department which holds sales meetings with motivational speeches may be located next to an administration section, where people are doing paperwork that requires silence and concentration. The result of having these two sections near to each other is that productivity may be lost and expensive errors could occur.

Call centres are another type of environment which can benefit from office partitioning with sound reduction qualities. It can cause distraction if workers are forced to listen to the details of other people's phone calls while they try to concentrate on their own conversations with customers. However, if the right type of partitioning is used, such as sound-proof partitions in between desks, it can cut down on this type of problem.

Make the Workplace Safer

By law, fire partitioning needs to be installed in some areas of a building, including corridors. Using fire-rated partitions can help to stop a blaze spreading, and so this type of partitioning offers protection to both employees and customers. Another advantage is that business records will also have an extra safeguard.

There are also other building regulations governing partitioning, including the need for glass manifestation to prevent people walking into glass walls by mistake. You can be confident that all GDL's partitions meet all the regulatory standards and will enhance the safety of the workplace.

Add Flexibility

Demountable partitioning can help to make your workspace more flexible, because you can  create conference facilities or meeting rooms as and when they are needed. A demountable partition can easily be taken down and used again elsewhere, so using this type of wall makes it possible to adapt your offices as your business needs change without the need for expensive building work.

Increase Storage

Storage partitioning is another type of installation that can help make an office more adaptable to the current requirements of a business. In many workplaces the lack of storage is a problem, because the space which was adequate when the company first set up may become less so as it expands and launches extra departments and services. Storage walls are a space-saving solution, as they have a two-fold purpose: they serve as partitions and also provide somewhere to store away records and supplies.

About GDL Interiors

GDL interiors was founded in 1984, and has decades of experience, including installation of office partitioning in London, Essex, Kent and Cambridgeshire. Our expertise ranges from office refurbishment services to designs and space planning. Whatever project you have in mind, we will talk through you the various options on how to make the most out of your space.

Frosted Glass Partitions Essex – Click here to find out more about our expert and cost-effective service

Innovations in Office Design for Modern Commercial Establishments

Getting the best out of your available workspace through office design involves a lot more than simply choosing some new desks and brightening up the reception area. There are now a range of ground-breaking materials and techniques which can transform your office into a more efficient place to work and make a good impression on staff and visitors. This article will highlight some of the more high tech and innovative solutions for modern offices available from GDL Interiors.

Office Design – click here for more information on ingenious ideas for new office fit outs or click here to discuss your requirements.

Whiteboard Paint

Whiteboard paint can be used to cover an entire wall so that one side of a workspace, conference room, or even a complete room, is transformed into a whiteboard. It is an extremely functional form of office decoration, and offers a sleeker, minimalist alternative to individually mounted whiteboards.

Walls covered in whiteboard paint are ideal for use during office presentations, conferences, staff meetings (for brainstorming sessions), or simply as an ideas board for management and business executives.

Digital Printing

Digital prints can be used on walls, office partitioning and in reception areas; they serve to promote your company brand and to inspire and motivate staff and/or customers (such as in a gym, spa or shopping centre). This type of decor delivers a big visual impact and  creates a highly distinctive space, without costing excessive amounts.

Digital prints are designed to your specifications and can feature anything from an inspirational photograph to your corporate colours, the logo of your organisation and/or your company mission statement.

Bespoke Storage Walls

Cupboards may not initially seem like the height of innovation, but in fact clever design of storage can make a huge difference to the way your office looks and functions. Storage walls are perfect for small or large spaces, and help to minimise clutter to produce an elegant, contemporary workspace.

Bespoke storage walls are the perfect solution for contemporary office interior decoration, and as well as creating an orderly, efficient working environment; they also act as a room divider and sound barrier, to minimise noise distractions.

Storage walls are available in a wide variety of finishes, including timber effect, solid wood, and laminates in bold, contemporary colours. Choose from hidden storage, open shelving or a combination of both; you can also decide to incorporate a range of multimedia options within the walls.

Sound Control

New office fit-outs often require a certain amount of sound control to create a more peaceful working environment. Obtrusive noise can be controlled with a variety of innovations:

• Sound reducing solid core doors – high quality, multi layered doors that can be found in a variety of commercial and residential buildings. They are used to block out noise and have fire proofing advantages.
• Acoustic panels and partitioning, including moveable partitioning – to reduce noise pollution.
• Suspended ceilings – these are available in a variety of textures and will also reduce echo and absorb sound. This can be a good alternative where use of acoustic panels is not desirable for aesthetic or functional reasons.

In addition to the office interior decoration improvements featured above, noise can be controlled with correct space planning, such as strategically placed panels or furniture  which can be used to ‘block’ sound. Another technique is to section off areas where printers, photocopiers, or other noisy office equipment is located, thereby reducing overall noise levels in working areas.

Operable Walls

Operable walls are walls that are designed to be easily moved by office occupants. They allow space to be put to multiple uses at different times so you can get the most out of your working environment.

As well as for office refurbishment, operable and folding walls are suitable for hotels, schools and conference halls. They can be used to create meeting rooms, section off sports halls and extend existing office space in an instant.

Operable walls are available in a variety of designs and finishes, and you can also choose from a selection of glazed units.

Eco-friendly Offices and Low Energy Technologies

There is a growing trend towards sustainable office design as commercial organisations strive to become more eco-friendly and want to demonstrate their commitment to the environment in all aspects of their company, including their commercial redecoration and office reception design. 

Your eco-friendly new office fit out can involve the use of sustainable materials, such as timber sourced from FSC approved forests, recycled materials and furniture, and other eco-friendly products. It can also promote a variety ways to help save the planet, such as having an office recycling policy and choosing an energy source that is kinder to the environment.

Choosing low energy technologies can save money in the long run, by helping to reduce bills and provide a more efficient and productive working environment. For more information on this and any other form of office decoration available through GDL Interiors, just click on the link below.

Office Partitioning – click here to choose from a range of office design options.

Office Partitioning - Five Reasons to Consider an Office Refurbishment this Autumn

Autumn is traditionally a great time to take stock and think about plans for the year ahead; and, if you are considering expanding your company and making room for more staff, office refurbishment could provide the answer. GDL Interiors has 30 years’ experience of space planning and office partitioning, and we have a wide range of clients on our books, ranging from local firms to major household names. 

Office Refurbishment – click here to discuss your requirements, or click here to find out about cost-effective solutions.

This article looks at the five most popular reasons company directors will choose an office refurbishment this autumn.

1. Provide Staff with a More Efficient Workplace

While it is easy to think of office refurbishment as giving your workplace a makeover, this is only one aspect of office design. What is more important than changing the way your office looks is how well the space functions and supports the work that goes on in it. A well- designed office helps your staff do their job more effectively, so that less time is wasted as they go about their daily tasks (for example, by providing adequate storage space and minimising noise from nearby meeting areas). 

Office design does not just take the desk space into consideration, but looks at how to make the most of all the space available. GDL Interiors provides a complete office design service that is tailored to your requirements and budget. Improvements may range from entire office fit outs (including floors, ceilings, kitchens, bathrooms and furnishings), to office partitioning, and/or details such as cabling, lighting and storage.

2. Making Your Office Your Own

If you have just moved into an existing office, you may still be using the facilities designed by someone else, and these may not fulfil your own requirements. For example, you may need more meeting rooms, additional storage, extra facilities for people with disabilities, or more workstations to support people’s actual working methods.

In addition to this, a new office fit out gives you the opportunity to include the company name, logo and/or colours within your office design. Incorporating the brand identity within your refurbishment promotes loyalty and teamwork and makes a better impression on customers and visitors. You may want to add your logo or company mission statement behind the reception desk, or to your office partitioning. 

GDL Interiors offer a wide choice of wall coverings that produce amazing results, ranging from digital prints to write on/wipe off white boards, fabric, paper-backed, fibreglass or eco-friendly wall coverings.

3. Accommodating a Bigger Workforce

What suited your firm when you were a start-up business may no longer work as the team grows. Fitting in additional desks as you employ more staff may be fine at first, but your workforce could eventually outgrow the existing space.

Moving office is costly and is a big upheaval for a business, so it pays to find out whether an office redesign can solve your space problems. GDL specialise in designing clever layouts to make the best use of space.

4. Better Noise Management

Noise can be an issue in a company workplace, even if the overall layout is working. This is particularly so if much of your staff’s work is done over the phone, or there are frequent discussions between team members.

Noise distraction can impact negatively on productivity, as well as raising stress levels. Some talks are also better kept private, such as confidential meetings with clients (particularly those that involve financial matters), and one-to-one talks with staff. GDL Interiors can offer a variety of solutions including office or sound proof partitioning between desks, and the provision of conference facilities and meeting rooms.

5. Making the Office a Better Place to Be

Investing in new furniture, decoration and facilities can be a big morale boost to employees, especially if they get direct benefits. Your company may not require a complete refurbishment to achieve this. Instead your office revamp may focus on renewing or brightening up shared spaces such as kitchen and dining areas, washrooms, or staff breakout areas, which may need practical provisions such as fridges, kitchen cupboards and microwaves. All these facilities could have a significant effect on how employees feel about being at work. Whereas refurbishing desk areas is seen as work orientated, refurbishing shared areas will be perceived as focusing on employee welfare. GDL Interiors carry out all types of refurbishment work for kitchens and washrooms, including installing lighting and the relevant plumbing and electrical work.

Office Design – Click here to find out how we can provide expert commercial re-fits on time and within budget.

About GDL Interiors

GDL Interiors are experienced in providing high quality, competitively priced office refurbishment, partitioning, space planning and design in Essex, London, East Anglia, and elsewhere in the UK.