[Updated 2019] Latest Office Interior Design Trends

People spend a great deal of their time in the work environment. This is why those who own or manage commercial premises in the UAE, and across the globe, are becoming more and more concerned with providing an interesting and well-designed working space. If you have a property, you need to consider creative and cost effective ideas that can help make your commercial space a great place to visit or to work in. A working space is more than an office, it’s a marketplace, and one must sell it to customers who will make their choice based on previous experiences.

One of the best ways to do this is to take a look at interior design trends, and see how you can make them work for you. We are going to take a look at some of the latest office interior design trends, including using plant walls in Dubai to bring the garden inside, and creating work zones in your office space. We are also going to consider how smart technology is great for interior design and for business overall, and how a good optimisation of the working environment can boost the human potential. All of these trends are worth considering for commercial premises, not only in the UAE, but also internationally.

A breath of fresh air

How can one turn a boring, grey scaled office into a fresh living environment? The answer is easier than you may expect – bring the garden inside! 

Biophilia is a natural tendency to bond with other forms of life and it’s the reason why some people feel relaxed and happy while taking a walk in the park or hiking in the mountains. And now you can grow that feeling in the work environment and offer the people the same raw feeling by creating a more natural business and working environment. Medical research suggests that green spaces, and the presence of plants, can help to improve a person's psychological well-being. This is why the trend for biophilic designs makes so much sense. 


But if you decide to invest in creating such a work environment, the best thing to do is to hire an expert in interior landscaping to help you with everything from creating bark walls to maintaining the landscape in your office and providing trees to use in your businesses. And besides creating a wonderful inside experience, you can also add an outdoor landscape. This way you can provide an excellent environment inside and out and offer unique experiences to your clients.

Read more on the importance of biophilic environments here.

This trend for interior landscaping is something that any business can benefit from. No doubt this trend will stay not only in 2019 but in the years to come!

More than a working space – a full experience

Since 1924, Elton Mayo has conducted a series of experiments regarding the way an individual interacts with the working environment. The results of his research managed to prove that good working environment can make a radical change in productivity and the overall working experience. What an individual expects from the work space is more than just the fulfillment of basic needs, and the office hours are more than half of the awake time spent by an adult person on a daily basis. This is why it’s important to turn the work space into a full experience which will bring to the person the feeling of community, quality time and meaningful, pleasant experiences. 


One way to increase the quality of the working experience is by adding different features to the work space such as meditation areas, yoga studios or walking/jogging trails, massage therapy, game rooms, or even an espresso and cocktail bar. The working place must also be seen as a socialisation space which enables the people to build relationships, both professional and personal, among each other. Facilitating this process not only helps them feel like they are spending quality time, but also brings them a unique bond with the work space itself. 

A fine blend

Cohabitation spaces are a way of mixing people from different companies, and different departments under one roof. This is a method that has proven itself to be efficient and satisfying for both employers and employees. 

People are social animals. They get a specific feeling of satisfaction and happiness when they connect with others. By sharing the office space, they share a part of their lives, gaining new relationships and new experiences. 


A co-working environment must feature open-format offices which help maximising the collaboration between both companies or departments, increasing creativity and flexibility among workers. This opens the possibility of a constant interaction opening new horizons which help develop more innovative approaches towards what a work day should look like. The main features of a co-working space are:

• Transparency – Walls must come down, and the few ones left are replaced by glass;
• Unconventional spaces – More than just the regular desks, the co-working space enables workers to work from a couch, a bean bag or even a coffee table;
• Mobile furniture – Fixed appliances give the feeling of framed, non-flexible work space, which can drive away individuals from forming spontaneous working groups, for example. That is why mobile furniture is the best option, allowing self-grouping and easy, spontaneous organising of the space around.
• Creative spaces – Creative and out of the ordinary spaces are the ones that spark initiatives and good ideas within an office. So the best way to inspire pro-activity and innovation is by providing an interactive space which will animate the working space.
• Dynamic meeting areas – Another feature placed at the core of the co-working spaces is the opportunity to have spontaneous meetings that will help employees to brainstorm and work together at any given moment, without a pre-planned framework. These spaces will allow them to create an impromptu team meeting, with an improvised team, allowing them to find ingenious solutions to various situations.

Work zones – because not everybody works in the same way

Take a look at interior design trends for the commercial world, and you will see that creating work zones in an office space is up there amongst the most popular. In recent years, there has been a trend for completely open plan office designs. Even CEOs have often left their office, and relocated to the open plan environment. This trend has certainly helped to create a more collaborative environment, and a feeling of belonging. But it does have its faults. Though co-work spaces might be a great choice, it’s necessary to also think about the moments when some people need time alone. 

There are moments when workers need a quiet and private space, simply in order to perform effectively. This is why current office interior design trends are embracing the use of both collaborative open work zones, and more private areas, such as work pods. This trend is gaining more popularity because of its flexible approach to the working environment and the options it offers to all types of individual personalities. 


When creating a work space for various people, one must keep in mind that there are not only extroverts, team players, but also people who may work better as individuals, or people who would rather share the working time between teamwork and individual tasks, performed alone. By creating both solitary and open spaces, you offer flexible options which will make the workers feel comfortable and relaxed, no matter what tasks they might have. It's worth embracing this trend in your office if you want your workforce to be as productive as possible. 

A great way to combine these first approaches mentioned is by adopting the booming trend of moss walls in Dubai and using it to help create a more natural environment in an open collaborative area, with pods placed strategically around, for extra privacy when it's needed.

The smart office – a constantly developing office interior trend

As interior design trends go, this is probably not so much of a trend, but as a development that is here to stay, and which will continue to advance in 2019 and beyond. New technology can actually be integrated with the desks that are used in modern offices. Adopt this type of trend, and the people who work in your office can get all of the benefits that come from using a tech desk. 

Using smart technology enables people to use any kind of devices they want, including mobile devices, desktops and laptops. This allows them to work from what part of the office they want, sit either on a desk, on the couch, or even at home, and share their work with other colleagues. Of course, all of these devices need to be connected in order for this to work. This is where using smart technology comes in. 


The ability to adapt the way we work is especially useful when it comes to remote working. If you have employees who work from home, they can do so while still remaining connected to the work that is being done in the office. This helps to create a greater level of flexibility throughout the company.

It's important to recognise that the use of technology in this way is something that is expected by the millennial generation who often make up a large part of the workforce. They are used to being able to swap between the devices they use at home, so it makes sense to enable them to have the same level of choice when they are at work. 

Smart technology is more than a trend; it’s a necessity in a modern work space. More than an interior design option, it's an integrated part of the office, no matter the interior design or type of work space. Creating a smart office is one of the most basic needs that have to be taken into account when building a modern business. Without incorporating new technology, the working environment might become obsolete, leaving all the advantages to the competition. 

Old fashioned in a new world

Photo Credit: Ambius

Though old technologies may not be welcomed in modern working environments, this doesn’t mean that everything that is old must be dismissed as useless or outdated. One of the main trends in interior landscaping involves features of the old world which are brought to life again, following a cyclical path of rebirth. This gives the feeling of belonging and bonding with the past which is not forgotten, but is honored by becoming a part of the present. Some of the elements encountered might be dilapidated steel and old brick structures integrated in modern, smart offices. 




Old buildings such as warehouses are the most suitable to host great co-working environments. Their huge open spaces provide the perfect space and ambiance for enjoyable and comfortable offices and offer a great mix by blending the charm of the old building with the efficacy of the new age technologies. The worn-out aesthetics seem to balance out the impersonal and dehumanising feeling that cutting-edge technology might give. Also, the innovative and unconventional use of space is a creativity booster for the workforce performing in such an environment, sparking the imagination and initiative of the employees. Some of the most common features you might find in such a space are smooth and old textures, mixed with modern furniture and modern equipment; modern design accents. The sturdiness and coldness of materials such as glass and metal, is softened out by the brick structures, wood beams, and carpets or wall coverings. 

Micro-trends for a macro perspective

There are a series of micro-trends that can help you transform an office into a productive, efficient and comfortable working space. These little details can help us have a holistic implementation of the approached trend and follow it in every little detail.

If you choose a biophilic design, then plant walls can be your chosen element. Though they might seem like high maintenance and complicated add-ons, they are actually easy to manage and has artificial alternative which can save you time and money. They also give versatility to the design, giving the possibility to be arranged in an infinite number of patterns. 

Another micro-trend that can easily be incorporated in various types of interior design is the geometric patterning. Single coloured walls are too monotonous and unfit for an active, creative work space. Some abstract geometric patterns can help build a personality of the office, being, in the same time, a way to break the routine and help workers come up with innovative ideas. 

Hand-crafted items are highly appreciated when 
it comes to interior design and accessorising. Though hand-crafted furniture might be quite pricy and difficult to handle, the small objects are a good asset which can give a more personal feeling to 
an office. Bespoke plant containers and office accessories from local artists and manufacturers can create a feeling of warmth and add personality to your interior.

All of these interior design trends have an important part to play in the commercial environment this 2019 and even in the next years to come. From the must-have smart offices to the biophilic designs and use of old warehouses, the way the working space is adjusted leaves its mark not only to clients and visitors, but also to the employees working in it. The best way to ensure it is used in the most efficient way is to get help from an expert in interior landscaping and bring out the full potential of your space. No matter the trend you choose for your office revamp this year, whether it be vertical gardens or moss walls, work zones or smart technology, all these choices have an important part to play in the future of your business in the UAE or abroad. Originally published on https://www.planters.ae.