Office Wall Art Ideas - How To Add Glam To Your Office Interiors

It has been well researched that art in the workplace helps businesses address key challenges such as reducing stress, increasing creativity and encouraging expression of opinions.

Art offers respite to employees from mundane activities, motivates them to think creatively and can play an important role in setting the tone of the culture the company promotes in the office.

For visitors it often makes a lasting impression, is an excellent conversation starter and helps in nonverbal communication.

Art that is showcased in offices is usually a depiction of the company’s personality and can be used as a great brand building tool as well.

So if you’ve decided to give your office an artsy touch, be rest assured, it’s worth every investment. To help you make the decision here are some tips that can help you get moving in the right direction.

1. Plan in advance

It’s a good idea to select your artwork before the interiors are complete. This helps one to integrate the design with the art work and vice versa.

It’s not uncommon to see custom wall to wall art work in offices and it’s possible to achieve the desired look only if it is pre planned.

2. Be in sync

Pick a theme for your art work on the basis of the company philosophy, culture and the message you want to communicate. When choosing multiple artwork for the office, it is a good idea to keep a common theme and explore different mediums.

Since offices have large walls to cover, series of art works also look lovely and create a sync in the overall theme.

3. Go neutral

Since offices are occupied by people from all religions, castes, beliefs and prejudices, it’s a good idea to stay neutral and attempt not to hurt the sentiments of anyone involved.

Opt for neutral pieces of art that are more focussed on motivating employees to work well and infusing energy into their work life.

4. Focus on the colours

Most offices have a colour scheme running through usually inspired by the company logo or colours. Ensure that the artwork you select is in sync with the overall colour scheme and fuses well with the décor.

5. Focus on sizes and positioning

While art is a great way to communicate to visitors and employees, it can get distracting if placed inappropriately. Thus, when choosing the artwork, it’s important to place it right.

Large, colourful artwork is more suited for cafeterias while intriguing artwork is apt for conference rooms and meeting areas. For common work areas, it’s better to go simple and opt for something that is not too busy.

If there is a large area to cover, you might want to consider a series of art work.

6. Customised wall art

Many offices like to create graphic art with their logos and corporate colours to add a unique touch to their interiors. A good example would be Google, Facebook and Twitter.

Leo Burnett featured a lovely piece of custom art comprising of a sketch of the company's founder spread across the walls and floor, wielding a scaled-up model of a pencil.

Once you have an overall theme for your artwork in place, it’s time to spend some time on selecting the right artwork for the right place.  Here are some tips for selecting artwork for the key areas of the office:

7. Conference room

1. Abstract art works very well for conference rooms since it makes for a great conversation starter and helps in understanding others point of views, their temperament and communicates without being too direct.
    
2. One medium sized art work or a composition of three or four small art pieces is best for conference rooms since you want the focus to remain on the discussion. It needs to be engaging but not distracting.
    
3. It’s a good idea to use art to communicate company philosophies, passions, achievements and social initiatives in the conference room. For example, if the company supports special children through its social initiatives, you can have a painting done by a special artist.
   
   Alternately, if you have a fabulous factory in the outskirts of the city, you could showcase a painting capturing the elevation of the facility.
    
4. The positioning of the artwork has to be away from the presentation area but visible from the seating. So if it’s a rectangular conference room, use the longer walls for displaying art, and the presentation can happen on either of narrower parts of the room. For a square room, its best to choose one wall for art and its opposite or adjacent wall for presentations.

8. Reception area

1. Depending on the size of the reception area, select artwork that communicates the company’s philosophy and culture in an innovative way. The reception table backdrop is a good place to position art.
   
   Custom art with the company logo could add a touch of creativity.
    
2. If there is a seating area, you might choose the biggest wall near the seating area to display art. It helps in engaging those who are waiting. However, ensure the artwork is visible from where the person is seated.
    
3. If the entrance is facing a blank wall, you might want to add art to it. Here too, a custom wall art would look lovely and set the tone for the interiors within.
    
4. Reception areas are a great place to boast company achievements and credentials. However, it is advisable not to overwhelm a visitor with too much information. So use creativity to design your art work.
   
   If in doubt, opt for a non-representational art piece that confines to the colours of the décor and is focussed more on aesthetics.
    
5. The colour of your artwork is important here, since it sets the tempo for further engagements. Usually bright colours bring with them a positive aura, making them ideal for use in reception areas.

9. Common Spaces and break out zones

1. Cafeterias, corridors, stairways, break out zones and recreation areas are zones in the office that need to look lively and energetic. So choose artwork that is peppy, fun and creative.
    
2. Colours and contrasts work very well here since one is looking at bringing in an energetic vibe.
    
3. Large wall art covering entire walls adds to the décor and lends a creative touch to it.
    
4. Themes can be created for this artwork and even graphiti art can be experimented with.
    
5. Most designers like to opt for graphic art for such spaces so they can play around with forms and colours.

10. Cabins and work areas

1. In cabins and work areas art has to be carefully chosen so as to fuse with the décor and not become a distraction.
    
2. It needs to be soothing and in sync with the personality of the cabin owner yet in line with the company’s philosophy.
    
3. Medium or small sized frames are ideal for cabins depending on the size of the cabin.
    
4. For common work areas, usually it is the columns that offer opportunity to showcase art. Here one can opt for nonrepresentational art that adds to the aesthetics or art that has a message to give in a more direct way like calligraphy art.
    
5. It’s a good idea to experiment with materials and techniques for these spaces and focus more on the overall aesthetic than a particular subject.

Enjoy decorating your office! And do send us your feedback on the article on: info@artzolo.com

Also if you need help in shortlisting works for you office, please get in touch with us for free art consultancy at info@artzolo.com