The psychology of office interior design – insights from Amy Brandhorst
Interior designer Amy Brandhorst.
Amy’s design philosophy & work
Amy is currently Head Of Design Operations at Homewings, the UK and Europe’s leading digital design hub for large scale interior design projects both residential and commercial, from design concept to completion. Previously, Amy has designed interiors from micro-apartments to restaurants and commercial spaces in Berlin and London. She has a strong philosophy that guides her design work:
“What interests me is creating spaces that somehow makes people feel good when they're inside them, and also in some way improves their quality of life—whether that's through the function, lighting or biophilia. There are many features of an interior - large and small - that I consider when I’m designing”
Her portfolio includes projects with high-profile clients such as Adidas Germany and Habitat UK. Teaming up with set designer Emilia Margulies, she renovated and redesigned a circular room in the Adidas headquarters. Using primary colors and bold shapes, they conveyed the playfulness of the Adidas brand while creating a multi-functional space.
She has also worked on a number of small-space design projects as part of a long-standing partnership with Habitat. One of these interiors focused on biophilia—the concept of connecting with nature to improve health and wellbeing.
“In small spaces you need injections of greenery to uplift it.” Amy explained. With this particular project, elements of biophilic design were brought in “through the use of colors, plants, greenery, and representing greenery and nature in patterns on soft furnishings and in the artwork around the interior.”
Circular room at the Adidas headquarters
The psychology of office design
Throughout our conversation we kept coming back to the impact of interior design, and how a space can make us feel. “Color and shape, the sources of natural and artificial lighting, plants, furniture layout—all these things come together to create a design that affects the user’s mood in a certain way,” Amy told us. She explained how color psychology influences employee performance in the workplace:
“If you want to create an atmosphere where people are more reflective or considered in the decisions they’re making, then blue is a great colour to use, because it aids clarity of thought and calmness. In contrast, red heightens our emotions and makes us feel like we have to make quick decisions, so it’s probably not the best color to use in a meeting room!”
Awareness of the psychology of interior design can support a company’s growth too—the best commercial interior design improves employee productivity and wellbeing: “It's about happiness and productivity in combination... If you feel connected to your surroundings in a positive way, for example, you feel comfortable and ‘at home’ then you are more productive.”
Blue hues bring clarity of thought and calmness into a room.
Where commercial interior design goes wrong
Unfortunately interior design psychology is often neglected by companies—not enough plants being the first issue Amy mentioned. Second to this, it’s about colors: “there are so many drab colors used, or colors that are too bright in the wrong spaces. For example, in rooms with a huge amount of natural light, you should avoid painting the walls yellow - it can be overstimulating for the eyes” she said.
Another common mistake is to choose lighting at the end of a design project—this should always come first, she told us. Lighting is “the base and the background upon which you build other layers of the design. I’ve seen pretty average interiors absolutely transformed by a killer lighting scheme” Amy explained.
While kitchens are the heart of the home, in many office spaces little care goes into how kitchens are presented. As “offices are leaning towards becoming a second home ,” this area and other communal spaces will need more attention when considering office design principles in future.
Lighting is the base of every design.
The role of plants in interior design
We wanted to know how plants featured in Amy’s designs for commercial spaces. “A great way to instantly lift up a space is to implement plants. Whether you lean towards a jungle vibe, plant filled interior or a small curated selection of plants, it makes a difference ” she said. When positioning furniture, she tries to balance objects with greenery. This isn’t for purely aesthetic reasons:
“Seeing any kind of nature in an interior is vital because it reminds us of being outside, which signals our brains to relax. At the end of the day, that’s where humans feel most calm, in nature. Try adding some greenery to a space you use regularly and you will notice the effect within a couple of days.”
She spoke about using plants as waypoints—to create a “journey around the office to make the employees feel like they’re constantly connected to nature in some way.” With evermore evidence of the benefits plants bring, we hope greenery will become central to office interior design.
Plantclub.io provides you and your colleagues with the benefits of plants, wherever you work. Rent office plants and transform your space into a green oasis, with flexible monthly membership options to suit your size. Diversify your employee perks with a dedicated company store, where you can give green gifts and your team can buy plants for their home office. Book a time to chat with us today.