With startup office designs, it's all about brand interpretation. By materializing their company culture and identity through art, furniture, lighting, and design finishes, fledgeling businesses can transform their uninspiring premises into a true brand design studio. Here are a few suggestions. 

Drop wallpapers for a custom mural

Instead of wasting time on a selection of wallpapers that best resonates with your company values, hire a muralist to create a custom mural of your liking. Creating murals has evolved greatly over the years, with artists now using digital projectors and cloud-based illustration tools. Many wall-covering companies even have stock artist-designed murals that can be customized to fit the wall in your office. 

Reflect your company’s image

Just like choosing the best and the most meaningful photos for Instagram, you need to think of the furniture and objects that are related to your company's photography and technology platform. For some, it will be an eclectic mix of a new spirit of the company and an office space with vintage furniture and accessories. To achieve a warm look that is best reflected in the photographs, use materials that feel residential, like wood, and warm-coloured leathers.

Use lighting as art

While functional lighting in an office is essential, these fixtures can also serve as examples of fine art. Arm sconces can be found to present interactive wall sculptures that also increase the functionality by giving the ambient or task lighting a degree of adjustability. Let the natural light flow through the office, especially if you're employing an open floor plan. Avoid overcrowded bookshelves, especially if used to divide the office into compartments. With bookshelves stacked tightly to the top, the light can't filter throughout the space. 

Don't ignore the colour

Drawing from huge popularity of Mad Men, many startups successfully explore mixing vintage mid-century interiors with modern qualities. A material palette of chrome and saddle is a homage to the interior of classic cars, while yellow ochres and oxblood reds can add retro warmth to your conference room. Design your private conversation space with vintage leather T-chairs and beaded car seat covers that help dampen the sound. 

Choose flexible furniture

For a business that is looking to move away from a cubicle work environment, the open floor space is the first logical step. By discouraging isolation and segmentation from the very start, you need to create a culturally open and fluid workspace. To achieve this, you need versatile pieces that can come together or separate as needed. Some of the most recent collections by King Living include a range of modular sofas and designer lounges, that can do double or even triple duty – for informal team briefings, meetings, and even chilling-out when the work doesn't want to wait till tomorrow.  

Add office plants

While your startup office may not be large enough to accommodate a 10-foot weeping fig tree, a well-placed assortment of plants can add depth and natural feel to any room. They can help draw your eye up and away from the computer screen or frame the dramatic paned glass wall looking out on the concrete city landscape. While Aloe Vera, African milk bush, and sage palm favour sunny window spots, spider plants, pothos, and philodendron will thrive in shadier areas, away from direct sunlight.

Combine antique and modern 

If you have a large personal collection of antiques, consider integrating it in your workspace. In a modern office environment, vintage furniture, art, and sculptures can create a pretty luxurious impression. Add warm light and rich colour scheme, and your functional but bland office is instantly transformed into a modern grandfather's study. For many interior space designers, the golden ratio for antiques in an office is about 30% vintage, and 15% custom-made or one-of-a-kind items that remove the sharp edge of a brand new office.   

Shelving instead wall covering

One way to showcase your intriguing antiques and rare items is to position open library shelves against the window, so passers-by can take a peek at the curiousness contained inside. If you’ve made connections among local fabricators and artists, hire one to design custom-made furniture, built-in millwork, and design elements such as niched bookcases, which you can fill with inexpensive used books sourced from specialized vendors or thrift stores.   

Rug for structure

With so many area rug styles, picking one for your office can be challenging. One of the options that look great is a flatweave rug. Not only they are reversible and durable but come in a range of bright colours and pattern designs. There are perfect for office space since they are easy to clean and can last for a long time. A rug made from natural fibres is another great choice. Materials like sisal, jute, and seagrass are a tad less comfortable than wool or synthetic materials but are highly durable and stylish at an affordable price.

People often think that startup offices are all about ping-pong tables and free beer. Despite a seemingly informal environment that startups are associated with, you need to design a collaborative space that allows professionals to both pursue their creative ideas and to realize them through effective and focused work.

Nonstandard design elements like those mentioned here help both your clients and your employees realize that you're not just another tech startup in the block.