When you walk into an office, you expect it to be neat and organized. Maybe have a couple of chairs, one for you, one for the person you went to see. You’ll perhaps see a few decorations and, no doubt, a desk. Good enough. After all, it’s an office. You’re there to do business. In and out, right?

But there's something about having a nice office space that makes clients feel good. That feeling of comfort and being welcomed only comes when the office space design creates the right atmosphere. And here, we give you four tips on making your office feel welcoming, not by chance, but by design.

1. Make Your Clients Feel at Home

Believe it or not, beach rugs can often add a sense of warmth to your office. It doesn’t matter what business you’re in, whether you’re an accountant or a life coach. A beach rug can add a sense of Zen and relaxation to any room, especially if you choose an earth tone or a pastel.

But not all offices need to look the same or feel Zen to be comfortable. So if a beach rug isn’t for you, then go with a rug that expresses your business but combines your sense of style and personality.

An important bit to keep in mind is that rugs need appropriate care. Make sure you or the office cleaning crew cleans underneath the rug. Office debris tends to find refuge under rugs, so lift it and shake it here and there.

2. Choose Decorations According to Your Business

You probably don’t want to throw people off completely. If you’re in a more traditional business, then think about your client’s perspective. What would they expect to see in your office?

However, don’t just do the same thing everyone else does. Add a bit of “you” in there. It’s OK to have fun with your office space. There is a sense of professionalism to achieve, sure. Yet you can still have some fun. Find the balance. Your clients will notice.

3. Understand Colors

Keep your services in mind when you decorate. Reds and blacks are great, but what do you think they convey to your client? Same with blues and yellows. No need to study color theory to decorate. Think about this:

• How would you feel if you were in your client’s shoes and walked into an office with specific colors?
• If you were your client, would you think the colors match what you were expecting? Would this be a good or a bad thing?

And, if you have to think about colors too much, you’re probably overthinking it. Think about the personality of your business, choose three colors, and go from there. Make one the dominant color and the other two the accents.

4. Measure Twice

Now that you have a nice rug and decorations in place in your office, walk into it as if you were a client. Test every bit and look at every angle. Why?

The last thing you want is for the rug to make it difficult for your clients to scoot in or out of the chairs. Or for your decorations to distract your clients. Or your colors are so loud that they are stressing clients out, or so Zen that clients get sleepy.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, decorating your office could be easy. Think about what you’d like to see in an office and go for it. If it turns out to be good, keep it. If it needs improvement, recalculate and do it again as you get going. You’ll be on the right track in no time.