Office Furniture Trend

“Resimercial” Design

The office furniture industry uses the term “resimercial” to describe an office style that brings the home-like feel of residential furniture to the workplace. Its goal is to make the office a more inviting place, thereby reducing stress while increasing employee satisfaction, productivity and retention. Resimercial design features include flexible spaces, durable upholstery, home-like accessories and comfortable seating.

Resimercial furniture gives traditional upholstery, surfaces and forms a softer, more personal look. As long as the furniture is durable, comfortable and made with attention to detail, it can still be functional and utilitarian enough to be appropriate for the workspace.

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The role of furniture in a home-like office design

A “homey” office may include sofas, lounge chairs, comfortable upholstery, and rugs to make the workspace feel more like home. Workers may also be allowed to personalize their workspace by choosing their own furniture and experimenting with placement, just as they would in their own home. Domestic touches add “liveability” to a workspace that has historically been utilitarian and drab.

The furniture itself, including ergonomic office chairs and soft seating, as well as acoustic booths, dividers and acoustic panels, plays a significant factor in creating a home-like and silent atmosphere. The trend is using office furniture that one might find in a home. Specifications that include items from adjustable desks to lounge furniture make an office space more liveable, giving workers the ability to move about. Spacial variety that allows employees the comfort of choosing where they want to do a particular task plays a key role in worker satisfaction and productivity.  

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COVID-19 sparks a renewed interest

There has been a renewed interest in the interior design of office space as workers in Europe and throughout the world are returning to the office afterCOVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Employers everywhere are eager to encourage workers to come back by creating a healthy, comfortable and welcoming environment for their employees. Concerned with the need for attracting and retaining employees in today’s competitive market, companies are realizing that functional comfort and a feeling of security are major factors in job satisfaction and productivity. One of the ways this is being achieved - and one of the biggest trends in office furniture design today - is by creating an office space that incorporates elements of silence and privacy that you can get at home to inspire workers to return to the office.  

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‍The changing workplace

Due to new technologies, health concerns related to the pandemic, and a younger generation whose personal lives matter as much as their work lives, the workplace is evolving. No longer a place where workers go to sit all day, today’s office space has to compete with the comfort, function, and silence of employees’ own homes, offering privacy, freedom of movement and places for collaboration.

Office layout has swung from the “cubefarm” of the 1970s to open-office floor plans. But even before the pandemic, the open office has fallen into disfavor, mostly because of its failure to create privacy, and the distractions caused by ambiant noise. In today’s world, a hybrid office configuration can accommodate a mixture of work and leisure activities, allowing workers to choose an environment most appropriate to the task at hand. It includes the incorporation of private spaces for individual work in acoustic booths or sofas with acoustic panels, collaborative spaces for informal teamwork with various soft seating and poufs, and large spaces for meetings and brainstorming with upholstery chairs and flexible work areas. This type of configuration runs parallel to how people function in their own homes, making it a desirable alternative to working remotely, which can be detrimental to a company’s productivity.

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‍About LTP

LTP Group is a production partner for demanding Sport & Outdoor and Furniture brands with 9 privately owned factories across 6 countries in Europe, Asia and North America.

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About the Writer

Meryl Siegman is a content writer specializing in the interior design industry. She has an avid interest in the evolution of office design in a world impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.