Filing systems don’t have to be boring. If your modern office works with a fairly neutral palette, a great way to add a splash of color is to your filing system or office cabinets without overwhelming a room with one bright hue. A hot trend for 2017 is strategically using smart mobile storage, filing cabinets, cubicle file systems, and carts as room-brightening accessories instead of a dark abyss of employee records or receipts.
Filing cabinets can serve as a block of color to brighten up an otherwise neutral wall or a room that doesn’t receive a lot of natural light.
Check out these ideas for your contemporary office design.
Use a file cart for meetings on the go.
A file cart is a great way to conserve foot space and office real estate around cubicles, so you can get rid of the bulky, overhead cabinets. Let your employees choose from a variety of mobile cart solutions to fit their personal needs but use a system that will match them for a streamlined look across the office. A file cart is easy to pull over to a touchdown table or brainstorming meeting nearby, and you can add cushions to certain systems to make an impromptu cozy seat for a guest at your cubicle.
Offer a locker area for commuters and remote workers.
For commuters, remote workers, visiting consultants or long-term guests, offer a beautiful and sleek locker storage area so people can safely store their purses, bags, or other items while enjoying lunch or a break. They can also keep files, books, and more in a storage space that thinks “up,” not “out.” This will conserve the need for desk space so you can use a combination of colorful lockers and a cafe-style work area for laptop users.
Consider a go-to wardrobe in your private office so you can change from day to night looks.
The classic wardrobe recently received a facelift and is now common in startups and private offices where entrepreneurs are working around the clock. A wardrobe will store your suits, dresses, shoes, ties, and other accessories so they remain fresh and wrinkle-free for a quick change from day to night. Did you just finish an all-weekend hackathon? Don’t worry about the long commute home…you have what you need right at your fingertips in a sleek wardrobe system.
Use elegant, modern designs to make filing cabinets “disappear” in plain sight.
Opt for no handles or single brushed matte cabinet pulls to make sure your filing systems remain bright, but not hogging attention in the room. Filing cabinets can serve as a block of color to brighten up an otherwise neutral wall or a room that doesn’t receive a lot of natural light.
Add just a splash of color using inspiration from your brand palette.
Reference your logo or brand palette in your brand style guide and choose a tertiary or secondary logo color as the swatch when choosing colors for filing cabinets and storage systems. You don’t want a huge, wall-length burst of color, but a cabinet cushion here or a mobile cart there that is light and bright: think cherry red, sunny yellow, grass green, robin’s egg blue.
Cabinets and filing systems can become unwieldy in your office space as you grow or expand your customer base and employee numbers.
Consult an interior designer or furniture installation expert.
Cabinets and filing systems can become unwieldy in your office space as you grow or expand your customer base and employee numbers. Hire an interior designer or furniture installation expert to consult with you before you purchase a bunch of new storage systems and try to squeeze them in. You can avoid a “clunky and cumbersome” look with a second expert opinion and layout.
