When trying to make your office a little more comfortable to inspire some creative brainstorming, you have plenty of options.
If you are really committed to creating a more casual work environment, you could go all out like the offices of Threadless in Chicago and buy an Airstream trailer to use for conferences, convert the back ends of some 50s-era coupes into couches and throw in a pool table for mid-meeting entertainment.
How does any work get done here?
Then again, rather than turning your office into a playground, maybe you just want to add some more laid-back touches.
We rounded up some office furniture that put the “fun” in function, without going overboard.
Check it out:
Here’s yet another reason you wished you worked at Google.
Of course any discussion of cool office spaces has to include at least one mention of Google, right? We can’t help it that they have such a unique aesthetic. What works to make this conference room especially comfortable are the oversized, cushy club chairs with pillows that can be readjusted for maximum comfort and the uber-futuristic coffee table. Also, the running trend in cool-looking offices seems to be keeping the palette neutral with bright pop of color. And, like Google, most offices spaces are seeing red.
Unilever
Cocktails on the terrace at 5, anyone?
While the chairs in Unilever’s glass-enclosed conference room don’t look like you’d want to sit in them for hours upon hours, we love the whole Knights-of-the-Round-table meets Mid-Century Modern vibe of this room. We especially love the very club-like lighting: the neon blue lighting wrapping around the room and the antler-inspired chandelier (which pairs nicely with the tree-inspired table legs and the wall of bamboo outside, by the way). While it might not be built for comfort (and who knows, we might be wrong about those stiff-backed chairs), the beautiful design combined with all the natural light and Zen-like plant life should make for some very innovative ideas.
Baker Donelson
The morning meetings are for black coffee, but after hours the lawyers switch to martinis.
There’s that pop of red again, this time in a conference room at the law offices of Baker Donelson. These sleek, white chairs look like they could belong in the coolest urban club (well if someone took off the wheels and lowered the backs a little) but are also ready to get down to business, especially when paired with this ultra-modern conference room table. Of course, we’d be remiss to point out that they kind of give off a strong Dr. Evil vibe, too (he’s head of a multi-million dollar corporation, so that’s not such a bad thing…even if it is evil).
UK Country House Hotel
Worried that you have something stuck in your teeth? Just look up!
If you want to make your office more comfortable, but still keep it traditional, then take a page from this conference room at the UK Country House Hotel. The chairs are more formal, but are still inviting with their wide, plush seats, helping employees withstand long brainstorming sessions. The room earns more fun points with it’s mirrored ceiling and gold and yellow wallpaper.
Cone of Silence
We’re not sure where the office that houses this amazing little conference room is; all we know is we want one. Sure, you might feel like a fish stuck in an aquarium while meeting with co-workers, but then no one can complain about transparency, right? Admittedly, the furniture in this room doesn’t scream comfort, but the simple style is casual and the room itself looks like VIP seating.
NeoCon 2012
The dish of mints is critical for fighting that morning coffee breath.
This photo snapped at NeoCon 2012 is kind of the piece de resistance of inviting a more lounge-like atmosphere into your office. There’s the pop of red and the soft seating, plus a booth-like setup, which makes it seem like you’re pow-wowing over drinks after rather than toiling in an office.
