Office design has evolved rapidly over the past decade. If you take a walk through several modern office spaces, you might notice a shift in design philosophies taking place. There are fewer identical cubicles in a row and less of a reliance on harsh fluorescent lighting. You’ll find more couches, more plants, and more spaces that look like they belong in someone’s living room. And yet, these elements still fit naturally in an office environment. This kind of shift has a name: resimercial design.
Resimercial — short for “residential” plus “commercial” — is exactly what it sounds like: taking the comforts of home and applying them to office furniture ideas and office design layouts. The goal isn’t to turn your office into an actual house. It’s to soften the formal, buttoned-up feel of a traditional workplace, allowing employees and visitors alike to feel more at ease.
Why It’s Not Just a Trend Anymore
Resimercial design has been around for a while, but unlike many other design fads, it hasn’t faded from the public consciousness. If anything, it’s become more relevant as companies deal with hybrid work schedules and try to give employees good reasons to come into the office. When the couch at home is more comfortable than anything offered at the office, it’s hard to argue in favor of making the commute.
Businesses that get resimercial design right see the benefits in real time:
- Workers on hybrid work schedules spend more time in the office, rather than at home
- Employees connect in the breakroom instead of eating alone at their desks
- Teams gather informally to discuss important topics, instead of waiting to use the conference room
- Overall stress levels will reduce among your workforce
Work candidates will notice these differences as soon as they walk in for an interview, and your business will be all the more enticing to them.
What Resimercial Design Actually Looks Like
There’s no single formula for a resimercial office, but a few common items tend to show up again and again.
Soft Seating
Soft seating is usually the first thing people notice. These include sofas, lounge chairs, ottomans, and other types of furniture you’d expect in a den, not a lobby. Natural materials matter too: wood grain, woven textiles, and greenery go a long way toward making a space feel less sterile than laminate and steel ever could.
Reduced Reliance on Fluorescent Lighting
Lighting plays a bigger role than most people expect. Resimercial offices usually swap out overhead fluorescents for floor lamps or warmer lighting fixtures. Even a simple lighting change like this can change the vibe of an office space completely.
Flexible, Modular Furniture
You will also find furniture that can be moved and reconfigured on a whim, instead of furniture pieces that are bolted into one layout permanently. Flexible and modular furniture pieces give workers room to breathe and allow them to adjust the space as their needs change from one week to the next.
Homely Amenities
Finally, there are the amenities that make an office feel like that’s worth spending eight hours in. Instead of a basic breakroom Keurig, you’ll find a proper coffee bar. You’ll also find that the kitchen has been outfitted with proper appliances that employees will actually make use of during lunch breaks. Finally, you might find a fully realized breakout area that employees will use to socialize and relax.
You might not find all these elements in a single resimercial office, but you’ll certainly find many common ones.
Is It Worth the Investment?
For a lot of businesses, yes. Comfortable spaces tend to lower stress and make the workday more pleasant for employees. This sounds obvious in hindsight, but it genuinely matters in terms of how people work. Informal seating areas invite the kinds of spontaneous conversations that will never happen during a scheduled meeting. And in a job market where people have options, an office that feels thoughtfully designed and inviting is one more reason someone chooses to work for you — and stays.
Where to Start
You don’t have to redo your whole floor plan to bring resimercial elements into your office. A lot of businesses start with one space — a lobby, a breakroom, or a conference room that never quite felt right — and build from there. Swap out the stiff waiting room chairs for cozier seating options. Add some warmth to a room that’s been all metal and laminate for years by implementing more natural elements. See how people react to these additions and go from there.
At Andy Stern’s Office Furniture, this is the kind of work we do every day for businesses across Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. If you’re not sure where to start, that’s exactly what our team is here for.
Contact us and let’s talk about what resimercial design could look like in your space.
