It’s time to move on and leave these design fails in 2024

Just like a snake sheds it’s old skin, we are ready to let go of the many design mistakes that we have seen last year. Here is our take on the OUTs for 2025.

THE ‘LIVED-IN’ LOOK: When resimercial trend joined the workplace design chat, we all got really excited and welcomed it with open arms.

The issue we are seeing now is that oftentimes residential quality items have been used in commercial settings, and the wear and tear of these items ruin what once was a fresh and inviting environment.

TIMBER SLAT PANELS: They are functional, yes. They bring some visual interest in the room, yes. But they are EVERYWHERE! Even B&Q sells them now.

When commercial goes maintstream, you know it’s time to move on.

LONELY PODS: Just because a sofa or an armchair has a high backrest doesn’t mean that it can be placed in the middle/ corner of a room/corridor completely on their own. This creates a very clinical and uninviting look, and we have seen this mistake being made way too often.

ROUNDTABLE TALKS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY: Listen... we get it- sustainability is important and we are BIG supporters on everything sustainable. Just ask our suppliers how much our eyes light up when we hear about their sustainability efforts!

But... it’s 2025. We’ve been having roundtable talks on this topic for years now and all we keep hearing is just more of the same. It’s time that we switch gears and actually move forward with actions and receipts on how these efforts are performing.

LAZY LIGHTING SOLUTIONS: Just because we are in a workplace environment does not mean that we can’t have ambiance. Relying just on ceiling light boxes and daylight, that oftentimes get’s blocked out by roller blinds, is just lazy. Do your team a favour- fire your designer and give us a call!

CLUTTER AND WIRES: As interior designers we can do a lot to improve the functionality and aesthetics of a workplace environment. But we are not magicians. If you haven’t yet introduced a clear desk policy then it might be time to do so.

WHY SO SERIOUS? I think we can all agree that we need more joy and fun in our everyday lives. The world seems to be falling apart, and it is proving to be more and more challenging to stay positive. For years our environment has been ‘watered down’ to fit budgets and brand manuals, and we have forgotten how to find joy in the smallest things in life. Let’s change that!

COOKIE CUTTER SCHEMES: Your brand is not a glove- one size does not fit all. Just because your brand has multiple venues, does not mean that all of them have to look the same. There are ways how you can bring variety in your brand manual and still keep the same vibe across the multiple sites.

We will be sharing various solutions to these design mistakes in the upcoming weeks.

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