Despite the joys of cutting down on commutes, dictating their own dress codes, and time together with furry family members, there’s one part of in-person work that many employees have missed: human connection and collaboration. As professional offices welcome back a WFH world, we’re seeing a rise in “workspitality” design trends.

The Blurring of Business and Home

A deeper appreciation for home comforts is changing how we design work environments. The enjoyable parts of being “stuck” at home are now trending in workplace design: cozier aesthetics, moments of privacy and quiet, yards and gardens, and meaningful interactions with the people (and pets) of our choosing.

We see this manifest in stress-reducing biophilic nods: hybrid indoor/outdoor workspaces and bringing natural elements inside, such as warm wood tones, comforting fibers and textures, and greenery, whether in living walls and indoor gardens or in lush color palettes and patterns.

Going Back to Work as a Getaway

Post-pandemic offices are under increased pressure to create a “destination” feel for reluctant remote workers, leading to a rise in glam metallic sheens, premium textiles, and eye-catching geometric shapes and faceted forms.

To ease the transition from solo isolation to social interaction, cocooning privacy pods are cropping up in office designs, offering workers the opportunity to minimize workplace distractions and reclaim some personal space throughout the workday.

Coatings and Colors for a New Company Culture

The wave of workspitality design captures a new kind of company culture and the excitement about returning to familiar routines in refreshed surroundings. Color, as always, plays an integral role, and our trend forecasting team at Sherwin-Williams carefully composed our Commercial Colormix^® palettes for 2022 with these shifts in mind.

 

Within the commercial and hospitality palettes, you’ll find luminous blues, like Frank Blue SW 6967 (176-C3), and deep reds, like Sierra Redwood SW 7598 (125-C7), interspersed with a wash of warm neutrals, verdant greens, and cheery brights. Emily Kantz, resident commercial interior design specialist and Color Marketing Manager at Sherwin-Williams, notes that “a soothing atmosphere of soft grounding neutrals creates that cozy feeling of home, which is especially important when transitioning people from working from home exclusively to transitioning back to the office.”

The New Office: A Place for Flexibility, Flow & Furry Friends

A more fluid approach to work schedules and spaces is impacting the way professional environments look and operate, and an emphasis on flexibility, modularity, and comfort will rule the day for modern offices. Soft and subtle partitions and screens define spaces, promote privacy, and offer a gentle remove from bustling office activity.

The year 2020 saw a boom in pet adoptions, and a rise in pup-friendly office policies has followed. Factoring in the needs of a few four-legged colleagues—outdoor access, designated play zones, treat storage, etc.—allowed commercial designers to get creative in rethinking the office setting.

We’ll continue to keep an eye on workspitality trends and the evolution of workplace design in 2022 and beyond. Read more about paint specification for work environments, like how color can impact productivity and infusing colorful details into the office.