New job positions and ultra-flexible professional opportunities have required workers to grapple with a redefined idea of work/life balance. For many remote workers, especially those seeking alternatives to home offices that are both flexible and functional, there are coworking spaces: office-like environments where space, equipment, and ideas are shared between people who are self-employed or might otherwise work in isolation at home. 

As the workforce continues to look for hybrid spaces at a lower cost and commitment than full commercial leases, designers and architects are stepping in to create solutions. We’re investigating this growing trend and the key considerations being factored in when designing coworking spaces that combine color, collaboration, and a sense of community.

Even before the isolation periods of the coronavirus pandemic, the global market for coworking spaces had begun to occupy an important role, as more and more companies introduced hybrid or full-time work-from-home positions to join the ranks of freelancers, startups, and entrepreneurs already dependent on these types of workspaces.

The Sherwin-Williams color forecast team, including (left to right) Design Marketing Manager Kendall Ace and Senior Design Account Executive Emily Grundy, and Color Marketing Managers Patrícia Fecci and Emily Kantz, gathered in a coworking space to curate this year’s Colormix Forecast.

As the trend develops, opportunities for designing these flexible spaces will continue to grow and expand over time. Companies in a wide variety of industries have been more inclined than ever before to cater to the shifting lifestyles and desires of their workers, and all signs suggest that the need for “third places”—neither home nor work—is likely to intensify.

Audrey Melissa Morton Hoyt, of The Pioneer Collective in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, believes that designated coworking spaces can provide a needed counterpoint to the “cavernous and impersonal” corporate offices of old. “In my opinion,” she says, “there is room for independent operators to thrive by creating work environments and communities with a human touch” that will appeal to those who don’t, or can’t, work in a corporate office or at home.

Workers at the Lola can freely move from the kitchen to more conversational sitting areas to private spaces, depending on their day-to-day needs. Waterscape SW 6470 (169-C1) (walls, left) and Naval SW 6244 (253-C6) (island), Extra White SW 7006 (257-C1) (right). Photos by Mali Azimamali.

For Morton Hoyt and the team at The Pioneer Collective, it’s of paramount importance to approach this kind of design from the bottom up. “We start at a micro level, design every component of the space for functionality and feeling, then build a cohesive design out of the individual elements. It gives our space a truly welcoming and organic feel.”

Shared-space design presents a unique challenge because the client isn’t a single individual, family, or even, sometimes, a static group of people at all. There are many different perspectives and needs to anticipate when designing office spaces for a revolving door of personalities. The secret, according to The Pioneer Collective, is to be intentional about creating distinct zones.

“It all comes down to managing common resources—tangible resources like coffee and conference room space, or intangible resources like noise levels. It’s important to create multiple zones for people to engage in the various types of work they do throughout the day. We build quieter areas for heads-down focus work, areas for taking calls, and areas for collaborating and meeting.”

The bright and cheerful ’70s-inspired SheSpace brings back retro nods with a vibrant color palette and modern “phone booths” for taking calls. Navel SW 6887 (116-C5) (desk), Parakeet SW 6711 (148-C5) and Impatient Pink SW 6585 (right). Photos by Julie Soefer & Claudia Casbarian.

Courtnay Tartt Elias of Creative Tonic Design agrees, referencing SheSpace, a space “designed for hard-working women by hard-working women.” Because the company got its start around the time the pandemic first began to impact workplaces in the United States, it became crucial to marry an assurance of safety with the collaborative spirit upon which SheSpace was founded. Elias’s solution? “Lots of glass walls to create an open feeling while still being in a safe and separate office.”

In many ways, coworking offices are a place of refuge—a place to safely escape from the distractions that might be found at home or working from a cafe or coffee shop. And just as they provide a comfortable and inviting world for their occupants, the users of such spaces often, in turn, provide a service to the buildings themselves. 

With The Pioneer Collective, for example, coworking spaces are often established in unique old buildings that have fallen into disuse. This provides ample opportunity to work with existing architectural and organic elements, like exposed brick or timber, and to play with the space’s inherent color scheme when deciding on a direction for the design.

Coworking spaces in repurposed buildings offer opportunities for unique floor plans and intriguing architectural focal points. Iron Ore SW 7069 (251-C7) (wall and door trim). Photos by Taylor Roberts.

For the coworking spaces that arise from activated properties, such as office parks and strip malls, however, Morton Hoyt says that even brighter colors can be used to bring life to buildings that people might otherwise find bland or uninspiring. “I think those types of conversions are exciting and great for the communities they serve. The most eco-friendly building is the one that’s already built, so it’s inspiring to see operators out there breathing new life into spaces.”

Shared workspaces, both in their design and in their ultimate use, are all about a necessary kind of freedom. “Coworking spaces are focused on the ‘free group,’” says Cara Cummins, partner at TaC Studios, an architecture and design firm in Atlanta. “Unlike a conference room that establishes hierarchy, a group can gather in a less formal way. I think behavior is very informed by the environment.”

The 2023 Colormix for Commercial Spaces features trending colors to support contemporary coworking environments, like Half-Caff SW 9091 (199-C7), at left, and Palm Leaf SW 7735 (278-C7) on the right.

A thoughtfully executed design can influence how a space is received and used. For Cummins, she looks to the five senses when crafting a custom environment for coworking. Whether it’s adjusting for an excess or lack of sound, or the use of certain materials, flooring, or other elements to create a more appealing tactile or auditory experience, she believes that better cognitive function and concentration can be achieved when a space is designed with these details in mind.

When it comes to the sense of sight, color plays a pivotal role. For the office design of the Lola, Cummins selected a palette that would promote a nurturing environment. The building’s exterior is industrial, so the interior design creates a softer, more feminine contrast. Pink marble; rich blue, mustard yellow, and rust orange velvets; and ample natural light from East-facing windows support a pastel palette, with walls of delicate Waterscape SW 6470 (169-C1) and Extra White SW 7006 (257-C1) to warm up the room in the afternoon sun.

With a color palette specifically selected to promote calm and comfort, Cummins expertly created spaces to support the wellness of the Lola employees. Waterscape SW 6470 (169-C1) (left), Cabbage Rose SW 0003 (right). Photos by Mali Azimamali.

“I think clients are becoming savvier to how they want their business or brand to be reflected in their office interiors—in the storytelling of their mission,” says Cummins. “If these are spaces where team members are spending a whole day or a few hours a week, companies want a space that creates a transformation and promotes an attitude of ‘let’s make this happen together, because together we go farther.’”

Courtnay Tartt Elias considers color to be the jumping-off point. For SheSpace, she chose a palette of green and yellow for heightened productivity and stress relief. “The color green is proven to be a color that decreases stress, while yellow is a color that is proven to enhance creativity and increase productivity. If you look around SheSpace, you are most likely going to see yellow or green in every room!”

Collaborative areas in SheSpace’s location bring energizing pops of color into functional spaces to inspire creativity and drive conversation. Navel SW 6887 (116-C5) (left), Daisy SW 6910 (131-C6) and Snowbound SW 7004 (256-C2) (right). Photos by Julie Soefer & Claudia Casbarian.

When it comes to color, the designer says, Creative Tonic’s motto is “more is more.” “We never shy away from color when designing a project. One of my favorite color trends in both interior design and fashion is the comeback of the ’70s colors palettes and patterns. SheSpace is very 70s inspired through the use of vibrant bold colors and unique tile patterns.”

If you have coworking space projects on the horizon, be sure to download our online exclusive lookbook, Colormix^® for Commercial Spaces, to get inspired by the latest trend colors, and connect with your Designer Account Executive for resources and assistance.

Top image: Waterscape SW 6470 (169-C1). Photo by Mali Azimamali.