How To Make Your Office Boardroom A Flexible Workspace

A boardroom or executive office has the opportunity to leave a strong impression on both your employees and your clients. It’s the room where results are usually delivered, negotiations made and deals are done.

But a boardroom can be so much more than that.

However, it shouldn’t fill you with fear in the style of Lord Sugar’s The Apprentice. So, we want to show you how you can make the most of your boardroom to create an inviting and flexible workspace for your team to thrive.

This blog post looks at the importance of using your boardroom as a flexible workspace and shows you how to do it.

Why Is It Important That Boardrooms Can Be A Flexible Workspace?

Your boardroom shouldn’t be seen just as the place where important meetings take place and key decisions are made. This not only creates the impression that it’s “out of bounds” for a lot of your staff, but it’s also a waste of space.

It’s important to use all of your office space effectively, particularly if you’re bursting at the seams. Read on to find out the top three reasons why flexibility is key when it comes to this type of meeting room.

How To Make Your Boardroom A Flexible Workspace

Making your existing conference room into a flexible workspace doesn’t have to involve knocking down walls and huge renovations. You can transform your existing space with minimal disruption by changing or moving the furniture and adding the right technology.

Flexible Office Furniture Solutions

The key to designing a flexible workspace is having furniture that can be easily moved and put into different configurations. Choose tables and chairs that are stylish, and have the ability to be put together to create different types of workspaces or relaxation areas.

A boardroom table is likely to be the main piece of furniture in this type of office layout. It’s where you, your team, and clients will come together at various times and get down to business, so it’s important to make sure that the choice of desk or table is functional and versatile so that it can also create adaptable workstations.

Some things to consider when choosing your boardroom desk are: 

• Should it be solid and imposing, or lightweight and modular so it can be moved around easily?
• Does it need to be adjustable in terms of height and length?
• Does it look good in the space l and is it well-maintained, with storage solutions and cable management to hide any clutter and cables?
• Can it be integrated with all the technology and power sources that will be required?

Integrated Technology & Power Sources

If you want to create a  boardroom that can be easily adapted to different working functions, it’s a smart move to have furniture that is integrated with technology and power. Your tables can be fitted with customised power and data points to ensure your teams can plugin easily and start working without wasting time looking for extra connecting cables or extension leads.

We can design your shared office space so that it incorporates fitted storage and display units to complement your boardroom tables and desks, with integral display screens and power and data provision as required.

Flexible Lighting Facilities & Acoustics

Getting the lighting right is another key aspect of turning your boardroom into a flexible office space. Consider the specific needs of your workers and the type of lighting they need to work effectively. This could be incorporated into the tables and furniture, or be a flexible ceiling fitting that can be moved around as needed.

Boardrooms are usually a space to get down to business, therefore you want to ensure that you hone in on the acoustics of the room so that the room provides: 

• Privacy
• Soundproofing
• Sound clarity

Whether the room is being used for an important board meeting, or as a shared office space, you don’t want to be distracted by background noise.

Tactically Locate Your Office Boardroom

The location of your boardroom is key to its success as somewhere for both confidential negotiations and business to be discussed and flexible workspaces. Finding the right location for this dual purpose may take time, but it’s worth spending time getting it right so that the flexible office space works well.

For example, if the nature of your business can mean discussing highly confidential information, or you will hold regular meetings with VIPs, then it would be best to not locate the room next to your customer services department which is active on the telephones, generating a lot of background noise.

Similarly, you may not want it to be located in a corner far away from the main office space if you also want it to work well as a flexible office space.

Aim For Natural Light & Comfort Seating

A room with plenty of windows is always beneficial for any type of office space, but particularly so for a boardroom or executive office. You want your team and clients to feel awake, motivated, and alert in meetings and a room bathed in natural light is going to help with that. Natural light is always the best source of light, especially within the workplace. The less that you have to rely on artificial lighting the better.

There may be many intense or lengthy conversations held in a boardroom, therefore comfortable chairs are important. As well as comfort, consider these tips when you’re choosing your seating and office furniture:

• Durability: you don’t want to have to regularly replace your furniture

• Mobility: wheels on furniture enables you to easily move seats, storage or folding tables around as and when you require
• Stackability: useful if some of the furniture is only going to be used occasionally
• Comfort and support: a comfortable chair and the correct table height helps the user to focus on the work on hand

We have a range of seating options that will help you to create flexible spaces that work equally as well for formal meetings as they do to encourage collaboration and teamwork.

Get In Touch To Refurbish Your Boardroom

Refurbishing your boardroom is a great opportunity to get this key room working hard for your business. Having flexible furniture will enable you to create an office layout that works just as well as a confidential meeting space as it does as a working area that provides employees with somewhere to collaborate.

Flexibility is key not just for furniture but for things like lighting, power sources, and comfortable chairs too.

Established in 2002, Office Options has over 20 years of experience in the commercial, educational, and healthcare interior fit-out sectors. We believe in providing our clients with a complete package and total peace of mind, delivering a one-stop shop for inspirational work environments. Get in touch with our team to discuss your boardroom needs and find out how we can transform it into a flexible workspace.

For information on Office Planning and Design, check out our other office design blogs: 

• Office Interior Design Tips 

• 5 Design Ideas For A Productive Office

• How To Adapt Your Workspace To A Mobile Post Lockdown Workforce

• How To Create An Inspiring Office Space