Guide to Millwork Design for Corporate Offices

In corporate offices, originality, personalization, and utility are important indicators of success. As a leader, owner, or designer, you know that the design of a corporate space can address productivity challenges, improve flow, and even increase retention by streamlining operations and stimulating discussion.

Following pandemic-era workflow changes and widespread adoption of remote and hybrid work models, in-person office design needs to compete with convenience by adopting more human-focused, interaction-based designs. This guide reviews how custom business millwork can make a company more effective, remove productivity barriers, and improve employee experiences through better design.

How Office Design Can Influence Productivity

Since the purpose of a corporate office space is to be a productive workplace, the relationship between design and worker productivity is significant. For example, according to Cambridge University Press, just a few minutes in an open-air office design increased negative mood by 25% due to a lack of privacy and increased noise. By contrast, access to natural light has been shown to increase productivity in corporate spaces by as much as 18%.

These are two clear examples of how physical design can impact productivity and even change corporate workflows. Strong office designs can make workers happier, more productive, and more collaborative, but executing them requires a clear picture of what makes a design “strong.” Since employees who are unhappy in their work environment are three times more likely to take a sick day, simple design changes can even impact employee retention and daily performance by keeping workers in the building longer.

Essential Takeaway

Design considerations trickle down into every aspect of corporate productivity, from employee retention and satisfaction to client engagement, making millwork design choices a significant factor in the office design process.

How Can Millwork Be Used in Corporate Spaces?

Many designers and business owners think of millwork as a finishing touch, such as a door, siding, or baseboard. While these features require millwork, custom millwork design can be used to great effect in corporate office spaces by recognizing its purpose and potential to be so much more.

One area where millwork shines is in adding storage space. Hidden compartments in built-ins, such as banquette seats, custom reception desks, shelving, and custom cabinets, can create more ambient, functional spaces. They can hide amenities, conceal technology, and display office decor without taking up limited floor space.

Custom millwork can also enhance the employee experience. The right siding and layout can improve natural light distribution, improving employee mood. Built-in seating can be used to create multi-functional conference and work spaces. Desks can be commissioned to be modular, encouraging collaboration.

Custom tables can be made with a close eye for the needs of the space, differentiating conference, reception, and work areas by the function of their millwork.

These are just some examples of how custom millwork can inform design and influence productivity in the process. The possibilities are limited only by the designer’s imagination and the space’s constraints.

How Does the Company’s Industry Affect Its Millwork Design?

Since millwork is so integral to performance, successful millwork designs recognize that the business’s industry can impact the intended functionality. This can be addressed by choosing the right tone for the intended vision and feel of the space.

For example, tech startups often hope to appeal to younger generations of employees with designs that read as innovative and modern. They may prefer modular millwork designs and sustainable materials. That choice alone can improve productivity since studies show that employees prefer to work for businesses that share their values. Interacting with reclaimed and sustainable materials can trigger feelings of loyalty and improve retention.

Other types of businesses have different needs, but millwork can be customized to accommodate them. For example, law firms may prefer designs that are elegant, premium, and professional, opting for the highest-quality wood. The design should reflect the owner’s intentions, which is why custom millwork is the best way to implement a distinct vision.

Consider How Material Choices Impact Cost

While matching the aesthetics of millwork to the intended flow of the business can yield powerful results, custom millwork can be costly. This is why custom millwork artisans match not only the intended aesthetic but also the business’s means to the designs they implement.

Luxury hardwoods such as maple and oak are durable, stable, and expensive. Engineered wood, such as particleboard, is less durable and less stylish yet more affordable. The choices designers and owners make should match their intended usage, foot traffic, and even environmental conditions.

Pro Tip: Businesses in high-humidity areas may require moisture-resistant wood, such as white oak or cedar, to prevent warping and cracking, which can reduce employee confidence, satisfaction, and productivity. Untreated pine, fiberboard, and particleboard are much less moisture-resistant than treated wood. Local millwork artisans will know the local climate’s limitations and recommend the right materials for your business’s needs.

Start Crafting Your Custom Business Millwork

At Sixth Avenue Custom, our custom millwork artisans can achieve the desired feel and goal for your corporate office through guided millwork designs. We work with designers, architects, contractors, owners, and more to deliver custom, high-quality solutions that meet your needs and standards. We work through all phases of a project, from construction through installation and finishing touches, to make sure our clients receive the service they expect and the guidance they need at each stage of their custom millwork project.

Contact our experienced team of millwork artisans today to learn how to achieve your vision for your corporate office space, impress your visitors and clients, and satisfy your employees.