Free design consultation – Email us: info@mobiusatwork.co.uk

Free design consultation – Email us: info@mobiusatwork.co.uk

2025 OFFICE DESIGN TRENDS

5 minutes

Resimercial Principles

An often-loathed term, Resimercial is the name that blends the terms of residential and commercial design, bringing homely elements and warmth into the corporate workspace. Initiating as trend post pandemic when businesses sought personnel to return to the workplace and the continued growth of hybrid workstyles gained serious traction. 2025 sees resimercial not so much as a new trend but as an evolution of that inspiration into a core design principle, elements of which are essential to the success of a contemporary workplace.

Resimercial blends desking with softer seating areas and private spaces. Using optical and physical dividers to provide privacy and the sense of ‘rooms’ and cosy spaces for more informal gatherings and spaces to escape the desk. Colour choice and softer mixed lighting can also aid this workplace style, together with fabric selections that veer away from technical textures. They now include more tactile materials such as bouclé’s and velvets to encourage lounging and define breakout zones.

Layered lighting, incorporating overhead lighting with lamps and feature lights, promotes good resimercial design and aids in the flexibility of the space. Mixed lighting, both in placement and colour temperature, allows an easy transition from a comfortable work zone to a convivial conversation space as light levels change through the working day.

 

Warm Earthy and Natural Tones

Gone are most monotone greys, bringing new neutrals into the backbone of a good design. These design tones piggyback on the resimercial trend, bringing a relaxed warmth to the environment. Transversing across furniture, fabrics, surfaces, and accessories, these can be offset with bolder and more fashion-led colour palettes and corporate-inspired colourways whilst still accessing a pleasing emotional response.

For a good selection of modern paint colours, we love Graphenstone. Their range of natural, ecological, and health-conscious paints are ideally suited to the contemporary workspace, supporting airflow, eliminating condensation, and reducing carbon emissions. Its high coverage and washable texture also mean less product is needed and less maintenance and repainting is required. For a more in-depth look into the product range, please read our blog, ‘Sustainable Workplace Solutions.’

Sustainable Design

With sustainability now at the forefront of many businesses, it’s not surprising to see an intensely strong drive for sustainable construction and interior design. We note many clients requesting a sustainably led design, even ahead of budget considerations. With suppliers continuously adding to the wealth of sustainable choices available this year, it is undoubtedly easier to make environmentally conscious choices while upholding a highly desirable and practical workplace design scheme.

Sustainability is no longer a compromise; in fact, often sustainable choices offer great value and longevity, together with intriguing and beautiful design inspiration. For example, why have a simple meeting room chair manufactured from petroleum-based polypropylene, when you can have an almost identical version grown from wood or plant matter like hemp, with a near negative carbon footprint, and further opportunities for reuse and recycling at end of life.

We see an increase in upholstery fabrics born of recycled or natural composition, including beloved versions woven from Seaqual yarns from the Seaqual Initiative.  A positive and inspiring collective working to clear our oceans of damaging plastic debris, and reutilise that substance for high-quality upholstery fabrics, more than capable of providing exceptional style and resilience to today’s commercial environments.

Advancements in natural composition fabrics have augmented existing wool, cotton and hemp-based options and now introduce plant-based faux leathers like Ultrafabrics Volar Bio and Panaz Nature. Each feature high natural composition and organic biodegradability. With exceptional wear, they also win our vote for commercial practicality and longevity.

An influx of product circularity schemes has made a welcome debut, with many suppliers now providing dedicated facilities to reuse and recycle products and surfaces at the end of their lives rather than risk entering landfills or insufficient recycling routes, which could miss reusable componentry.

The ceiling as a canvas

Commerical interior ceilings have evolved from merely functional spaces to prominent design features, often referred to as the “fifth wall.” Architects and designers are increasingly using ceilings as a canvas to showcase architectural details, vibrant colours, unique textures, and innovative acoustic solutions. This shift allows for greater creativity and the ability to enhance the overall aesthetic of a space. Textured paints and finishes, such as metallics, matte, or 3D patterns, bring visual interest, transforming the ceiling into a unique art piece.

Acoustic panels, cleverly integrated into the ceiling design, improve sound quality by reducing noise and reverberation, creating more comfortable and productive environments. The use of colour can set the tone of a room, with soft hues creating calm, neutral settings or bold shades energising the atmosphere. Additionally, these design elements can improve the functionality of a space, making it not only visually striking but also more acoustically effective and tailored to the needs of the users. This approach combines style with practicality, making the ceiling a key focal point in contemporary interior design.

Smart Office Technology

Many businesses across the UK face higher costs, particularly regarding energy, so it’s no surprise that more companies are investing in technology that can save them money and increase productivity. Smart offices provide a high-tech workplace that uses analytics and integrated technology to control mechanical and electrical equipment and utilise technology to control movement, access, and even food ordering, optimising the office environment while simultaneously keeping the controlled space environmentally friendly and cost-efficient.

We have spoken to numerous clients who are interested in this approach to office design. It can be even more powerful when a BIM model is used and linked to a CAFM system (Computer Aided Facilities Management). Accessing this information means that the occupier of the building knows exactly which products are in use and when they are due for maintenance, saving vast amounts of time undertaking investigative work before maintenance starts and providing an immediately available audit of the building and its assets.

Deloitte has a good example of this breed of smart office in London; we have a blog on this unique space if you would like to read more about it here.

 

The Office Bar

Fitting a stylish bar into a modern office scheme is no mean feat but usually worth the effort. Far from a rowdy distraction, a good office bar can be a multi-purpose space for all sorts of casual and professional personnel interactions as well as more formal client meetings. An obviously welcoming space, it can provide a focus for networking and relaxation, providing employees with a hub for a post-work wind-down and a reason to be physically present in this hybrid working age.

An office bar needn’t be an awkward collection of bottles mere metres from a desk. Cleverly integrated with good storage, it can function as a practical hot desk hub or casual meeting zone during the day and transform, with revealed glossy bar elements and dimmed lighting, into the place to be when the workday is complete.

WONDERING WHERE TO START?