Office Design Trends 2025

As we move into 2025, office design trends are shifting to focus on employee well-being, flexibility, and connection, while also embracing traditional design principles. With political and cultural changes influencing the workplace, such as the UK’s potential shift to a four-day workweek, we’re seeing new ideas emerge in office interiors to inspire your latest office fit out. Here are the top trends for 2025:

• Spaces That Build Meaningful Connections

Designing spaces that encourage informal, spontaneous interactions is crucial for employee morale. The office should serve as a connector for employees, helping them build friendships and collaborate. Examples include breakout areas with shared seating or casual working spaces with unassigned desks, which encourage longer conversations and stronger connections.

• Spaces for Recognition and Appreciation
  Regular recognition is key to fostering a positive work environment. Creating spaces for team gatherings, such as auditoriums or smaller meeting areas, allows managers to give praise and updates. For example, Ward Security created a space for team updates, while Fastned Charging built bleacher seating for informal group discussions. These areas help show appreciation and boost employee morale.
• Biophilic Backdrops
  Living walls and biophilic design continue to be popular, helping to create calming, nature-inspired environments. For example, Ward Security incorporated a living wall to create an oasis of calm in their office, while Orn Furniture used a biophilic backdrop for a striking feature in their showroom. These natural elements promote wellness and enhance the office’s visual appeal.

Raw Finishes

The modern-industrial look, characterised by raw materials like exposed brick and concrete, continues to thrive. This trend offers a unique, edgy aesthetic and adds character to office spaces. For example, at Circle Square in London, the new workspace maintained the industrial vibe by polishing concrete floors and incorporating Crittall glass meeting rooms and wooden furniture. Similarly, Ward Security’s office mixed old features like exposed brick with new, modern design elements.

• Classic Corporate Boardrooms

Despite the rise of virtual meetings, companies are investing in high-quality, traditional boardrooms to maintain a professional atmosphere. The classic corporate style, like the one at Ward Security, features sophisticated materials such as brass armrests, warm timber finishes, and velvet fabrics. These spaces are designed to impress and support formal meetings.

• A Jaguar-Style Revolution?
  Jaguar’s rebranding efforts to attract younger consumers may inspire businesses to adopt bold, Instagrammable office designs that appeal to the next generation of workers. The transformation of Magic Spoon’s New York office, for example, is a striking example of this approach. While companies may not go as far as Jaguar’s “copy nothing” strategy, we could see a shift toward offices that embrace unique, eye-catching designs that appeal to younger employees.
• More Choice for Employees
  Agile working, which gives employees the flexibility to choose where and how they work, is becoming more common. Businesses are creating spaces that offer a variety of work settings, from traditional open-plan areas to acoustic booths for private calls or focused work. For instance, our corporate insurance client blended a traditional open-plan layout with acoustic booths, providing an alternative workspace and enabling private online meetings.

Conclusion
Employee well-being, flexibility, and connection are key themes in office design for 2025. With changes like the four-day workweek and a shift toward more employee-centric spaces, companies are embracing designs that prioritise comfort, collaboration, and wellness. At the same time, traditional design elements like classic boardrooms are making a comeback, providing a balance between modern innovation and timeless aesthetics.

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