The coronavirus pandemic has caused many businesses around the globe to close their doors and send their employees home. Many have transitioned to remote work, leaving offices and workspaces empty. For business owners, this is the perfect time to make improvements to the office space that you might not have had time for previously. Here are a few ideas to help you enhance your office while your employees are busy working from home, so they have a new and comfortable space to come back to:

1. Go Green — Literally

We’re all looking for ways to make our businesses a little more eco-friendly, but in this case, we’re not talking about sustainability or recycling. We’re talking about adding literal greenery to your office. Researchers have found that having plants in the workplace can increase staff wellbeing by up to 47%, with some plants even removing contaminants from the air. 

If you don’t have a lot of windows or natural light, make sure you’re choosing plants that thrive indoors. Water them often, and they’ll do the rest.

2. Add More Natural Lighting

If you have the option, add more natural light to your office. Doing this can reduce your utility bills by lowering your need for artificial light, and it can also keep your team more focused. A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found natural light helps employees stay on task 15% longer than those who only work among artificial lighting.

This suggestion goes hand-in-hand with the previous advice of adding greenery to the office. If you have more natural light, you have more plants to choose from.

3. Improve the Flooring

If your office usually gets a lot of traffic, now is the perfect time to improve or even replace the flooring. First, take a look at the kind of flooring you currently have. Then figure out what the most cost-effective option will be. Hardwood floors, for example, could easily be refinished and sealed rather than replaced, where old laminate flooring might be better off torn out and completely redone. 

The exact steps you take here will depend on what your office looks like and what your budget is for repairs and replacements.

4. Use Color Theory

Color theory is more than just figuring out which primary colors you can mix to make the rest of the color wheel. It explores the effect that color has on our psyche when we’re exposed to it. Green, for example, is a calming color, which is why so many hospitals and medical facilities paint their walls a pastel green. The relaxing hue encourages patients and visitors to remain calm.

Bright or oversaturated colors tend to stimulate and inspire, while pastel hues calm and soothe. Consider giving your office a makeover by following color theory to see how you can help your team be more productive and inspired when they return to the office.

Enjoy Your New Space

There is no telling how long we’ll need to work from home as the coronavirus runs its course, but once you return to your job site, you’ll have a refreshed and comfortable space to indulge in. Enjoy it! You never know how much you miss working in an office until you have to work from home.