Instead of bringing your work home with you, this office trend brings home to the office.

As the latest workplace trends enable employees to work where, when and how they want based on their flex schedules and unique preferences, office furniture manufactures like Allsteel are using “resimmercial design” to create a welcoming, comfortable home-like environment at the office.

Community tables were added at Northern Arizona University's South Dining Commons and its Carlisle Café for sharing information and to encourage a sense of community.
Similar to a dining room in your home, community tables were added at Northern Arizona University’s South Dining Commons for sharing information and to encourage a sense of community.

“As a manufacturer, our clients want a range of solutions that reflect more of a residential environment – an inviting living room space, a communal dining or café space, all with a casual comfortable feel, yet with the commercial quality that our clients expect,” says Jennifer Callahan, market development manager at Allsteel.

In essence it is a residential feel with the quality of contract furniture solutions.

Callahan explains, “More and more companies realize this type of environment helps with employee recruitment.”

It provides employees with control over what type of environment they work in at the office, and it allows them the option to work in the office, yet away from their desk.

“Giving employees control over their environment by providing a range of settings allows them to work how and where it best suits them,” says Callahan. “It keeps them more engaged, allows them to do their best work and it shows their employer understands that the workplace experience is critical to both the employees and the employer’s success.”

At Central Arizona College’s new Learning Center, students can enjoy flexibility by moving pieces around to suit their needs, and choose how to collaborate – either at a table, at mobile seating or at sit-down & stand-up spots surrounding screens and white boards which can also be mobile.

Linda Salzmann, associate at SmithGroupJJR, says, “Residential-like furniture can allow for different work styles.”

A common space with a variety of furniture for meeting, eating or simply taking a break can create an atmosphere that’s casual, inviting and flexible, much like the multi-purpose functionality of your living room.

“Think about your own preferences,” says Salzmann. “In today’s wireless offices, one can seek quiet space away from the desk, perch a laptop on a pull-up table, place one’s feet on an ottoman and work like at home in a lounge chair.

Community Commons at the Republic Services Customer Resource Center

At Republic Services, individual sit-to-stand workstations are organized around general use meeting space. “These no-wall meeting arbors offer alternate methods for collaborating and sharing information, explains Salzmann. “Some have comfy colorful sofas surrounded by screens and writable surfaces while others are fitted with bar height tables and suspended monitor displays.”