Back in the height of the pandemic, it felt like remote work was set to stay forever. Now, the rates of workers returning to the office are at a 5-year high, and experts don’t expect that to change anytime soon. For businesses, the benefits of returning to the office speak for themselves. Collaboration, workplace culture, and costs are all easier to manage in person. But the vast majority of America’s 22 million remote employees don’t actually want to get back to in-office work. Managers are tasked with finding ways to ease them into this transition.
Perhaps the most obvious example of this comes from a rising trend in office design that’s inspired by the homely spaces these workers have become accustomed to. But just how much are home office styles impacting office interior trends right now, and can it really make that much of a difference?
1. Residential Styling
Offices in 2025 are following far more of a traditional ‘residential’ styling focus this year, as we see the emergence of trends including soft, homely textures, and even home comforts such as sofas and other comfortable seating. This residential focus is also having a far-reaching impact on office layouts themselves, with more managers currently leaning into a modular office style that provides their reluctant returners with the same level of in-office privacy as they’re accustomed to at home.
2. Downsizing the Office
In keeping with this more modular focus, many managers are currently downsizing their office spaces to achieve a more comforting, easily workable vibe. This more compact style of office design aims to provide the ease of access that comes from home working, allowing employees to find whatever they need within arm's reach. To achieve this, managers have to think carefully about layouts and may even need to seek small commercial space for storage elsewhere to keep the office neat, tidy, and generally more appealing.
3. Making Way for Natural Elements
The benefits of natural elements like plants are already general knowledge in office design, but nature is set to become even more important to commercial spaces in 2025. The trailing or standing indoor plants that have taken the place of colleagues for many over the past five years are certainly returning to the office with us, alongside other natural, calming incorporations that include natural textiles and raw materials that feel a far cry from the traditional office.
4. Prioritizing Wellness
Wellness priorities like regular workouts have been easier than ever to achieve in this age of home working, and managers are making sure that wellness is also prevalent in back-to-work office designs. Dedicated wellness rooms, comfortable seating, and even well-stocked break rooms are all incorporated within this. Where possible, managers are even incorporating office gyms to meet all of their employee’s wellness needs!
It’s plain to see that home offices have impacted commercial office design this year. But will it make a return to work any easier? Only time will tell!
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