8 Office Game Room Ideas That Your Whole Team Will Love

When refurbishing your office, designing an office games room can be exciting!

But, when you’re short on design ideas it can be tricky to know what to include in your space for your next office fit out.

In this article, we’ve highlighted 8 of our favourite game room ideas that will help staff to connect, unwind and, most importantly, have fun!

1. Office Pool table

First up on our list of game room ideas is the office pool table!

This classic pub game can be enjoyed by multiple players and is a great way to boost staff morale, ignite healthy competition and help staff to de-stress after a busy day of work.

Why not customise your office pool table to reflect your company branding?

Brand-coloured cues or personalised pool balls will really make your pool table stand out.

2. Office Table Tennis

There are few people that don’t enjoy a fun-filled game of table tennis.

A cheaper alternative to the pool table, a ping pong table can provide hours of fun whilst getting your staff active. If you’re looking to save money further, you could even consider repurposing an existing table.

All you need is a medium-sized conference table, some bats, a ball and a net, et voila, you’re ready to play table tennis!

3. Office Arcade Games

There is nothing more nostalgic than retro arcade games! From Pacman and Pinball to Frogger and Space Invaders, who doesn’t love an old-school game?

A vintage arcade machine is a great statement piece for your games room and provides a suitable alternative for staff wanting a more relaxed gaming activity.

If you want to incorporate retro games into your office design but don’t have the budget to accommodate a games machine, a vintage console can work just as well. All you need is a console, a monitor and some controllers and you’re good to go!

4. Office Video Games

If your team are more into modern gaming, then why not invest in a contemporary games console? From Fifa to Gran Turismo, there are so many multiplayer games that all your staff can get involved with.

What’s more, many of these consoles offer access to TV and film streaming services.

With Netflix, Amazon, Now TV and many other services at your fingertips, your team can enjoy a movie marathon or binge-watch their favourite series’ together!

5. Office Climbing Wall

According to UK market research conducted by ABC walls, 116,000 people visit indoor climbing walls at least twice a month. With climbing proving to be such a popular leisure activity, why not bring a climbing wall to the office?

While a 20 feet climbing wall may not be practical within a small office games room, a smaller 10 feet wall is still a fun way to keep your staff active.

If you do have the luxury of a warehouse space with high ceilings, you could go the whole nine yards and install a full-size bouldering wall within the office!

6. Office Vending Machine

When staff are feeling a little peckish, it’s always handy to have a vending machine within easy reach of the office.

By providing snacks on site, your staff won’t need to venture out of the building to stave off hunger.

Cereal bars, dried fruit and vegetable crisps are great healthy options for when staff require a much-needed energy boost.

And, for when staff are looking for something a bit more indulgent, consider including some chocolatey treats or flapjacks!

Don’t forget to take allergens and dietary requirements into account. Ensure you have a suitable selection of vegan, vegetarian and allergen-free snacks so that there is something for everyone.

7. Office Board Games

Another low-cost way to inject some fun into your office games room is with board games! Board games are the perfect option if you have a smaller budget and limited space.

From Monopoly to Trivial Pursuit, there are so many fun classics to choose from!

When picking your games, consider getting your whole team involved. Select a range of board game favourites then ask your staff to vote on their favourites.

8. Office Karaoke

You might want to invest in some good soundproofing for this one…

Office karaoke is on the rise, so instead of spending a fortune renting out a Karaoke bar, why not bring Karaoke to the workplace with an office karaoke machine?

While your colleagues may not appreciate you serenading them with Cyndi Lauper first thing on a Monday morning, come post-work drinks on a Friday, staff won’t be able to resist the opportunity to let off steam by belting out their favourite tunes!

Have you thought about hosting an office games night?

An office games night is a great way to bring all your team together. Order in some pizzas, set up your scoreboard and let the games begin.

If you really want to get the competitive juices flowing, you could even offer some simple prizes for the winners. Think wine, chocolates, vouchers or cinema tickets!

Designing Your Games Room

When it comes to the design of your office games room, there are many ways you can make your space both exciting and practical. If you’re planning a games area, it’s useful to think about the following:

Mood: How do you want your games room to feel? If you want to create a feeling of relaxation and comfort, why not go for a green indoor/outdoor look? Think squishy green bean bags, biophilia and textured rugs!

If you want a more lively feel for your games room, why not opt for a theme? Step on board a spaceship, get lost in wonderland or enjoy the fun of the fair with a novelty games room design!

Flooring: Wood, carpet tiles and rubber flooring all work well in an office games room. If you can’t choose just one type of flooring, why not combine different flooring styles? You could go for a carpeted movie/console area and a rubber floor for more active games such as table tennis and pool.

Lighting: Your office games room is a great opportunity to get playful with lighting. Combine cosy pendant lights with modern strip lighting to create a nice balance within the space. If you want to create even more of an ambience, consider coloured LED lighting. This works particularly well if you’re going for a specific theme!

Layout: While it can be tempting to cram as much as possible into your office games room, it’s vital that you use your space wisely. If your games room is on the smaller side, select just a few games that you know your team will love. You can then use the leftover space for decorative touches and shelving.

If you’re lucky enough to have a large open-plan area, think carefully about sectioning. Hanging dividers and partitions are an excellent way to break up your game zones.

Furniture: As well as gaming activities, staff might also choose to use the games room as a place to catch up with colleagues or unwind with a coffee. With this in mind, be sure to select comfortable seating and other office furniture options such as lounge chairs and sofas. You can then accessorise your seating with comfy cushions and throws to create a sense of snugness!

And don’t forget about the coffee table!

For the ultimate relaxation spot, add a small coffee table where you can place tasty snacks, magazines and coasters.

What Next?

If you’re planning an commercial office fit-out and would like us to design you an exciting office games room that will enhance productivity and increase team bonding, why not get in touch?

At McFeggan Brown, we create eye-catching office spaces that will transform your business and help you to achieve your company goals.

Simply tell us what you have in mind and we’ll create a bespoke design to suit your time frame and budget.

Office Meeting Pods: The Ultimate Break-Out Space

If you’ve been keeping tabs on the latest office interior design trends, you might have heard the terms “work booth”, “break out space” or “work Pod” thrown around quite a lot in recent times.

Whatever you decide to call your office pod, all of these spaces essentially serve the same purpose.

As open-plan offices rise in popularity, never has it been more important to provide quiet zones where staff can focus on important tasks, host meetings and answer phone calls.

From small telephone booths to mini-conference suites, the idea is that your staff have a private place to work, away from the noise and distraction of the office floor.

In this article, we’ll be talking through the ins and outs of office pods. So, if you’ve been toying with the idea of incorporating a break-out space into your commercial office fit-out, read on to find out the benefits.

Office Pods Offer a Quiet Space

According to a study conducted by Future Workplace, 93% of workers reported feeling frustrated at distractions whilst on the phone.

So, if you have to go dashing about your building in search of a quiet space to handle important phone calls, chances are, you could benefit from an office pod. The last thing you want when taking a client call is to be banished to a storage cupboard, or, even worse, a toilet cubicle!

This is where office meeting pods offer the perfect solution. Rather than having to put up with noisy distractions from colleagues, you can take refuge in a soundproofed booth that is designed to keep out distractions.

How do you ensure that your office pod keeps noise out?

One of the easiest ways to soundproof your pod is with acoustic panels.

These ultra-absorbent panels not only help to reduce unwanted noise from outside the space, but they also dramatically limit the amount of reverb and echo on the inside. Made from thick acoustic foam and upholstered in fabric, they are easy to install and can be applied to both the ceiling and walls.

With a simple soundproofing solution, you’ll never have to put up with noisy colleagues again (well, almost).

Office Pods Support Staff Wellbeing

If you’re planning an office refurbishment in the near future, it’s important to design your space with employee well-being in mind.

Research carried out by HSE highlights that stress, anxiety and depression accounted for around 50% of all work-related illnesses between 2020 and 2021.

It’s statistics like this that show us we need to be doing more to support our staff.

By providing a place to work autonomously, staff can take time out whenever they need a break from the busy office environment. This can be particularly beneficial for staff with anxiety disorders who can find these settings uncomfortable.

If you don’t offer a space for autonomous working, you may find that staff opt to work from home often. And because they’re at home, you may not always have a chance to check in with them and find out how they’re doing.

So, keep a pod space free for your staff. That way, employees will feel less reluctant to come into the office knowing that they have a calming place to de-stress whenever they need to.

Office Pods Offer Comfort

When staff are tied to their desks all day long, aches and pains can start to creep in.

According to the European Society for Safety and Health at work, 3 in 5 workers report having some sort of musculoskeletal disorder. Given that so many staff have to deal with ongoing joint issues, it is crucial to offer comfortable seating that will reduce the likelihood of injury.

The type of seating you provide within your office pod will depend on the primary purpose of the space. For example, if your pods will predominantly be used for independent working then it’s worthwhile investing in ergonomic chairs. These chairs should be stable, fully adjustable and should offer some sort of lumbar support.

If you envision your pods as more of a collaborative space, why not provide sofa-style booth seating? Not only is this type of seating comfortable, but it can also add a contemporary look to your pod space. With the addition of a central table and some stylish pendant lighting, your staff won’t be able to resist hosting meetings in their exciting new space.

Office Meeting Pods Offer Privacy

Having a private place to escape to within the office is crucial when hosting 1-1s or important meetings. If you’re checking in with a team member and you don’t offer them a quiet corner to catch up in, you run the risk of them withholding information from you.

It’s time to give staff your full attention…

By hosting your 1-1 in an office meeting pod, you’re giving your staff a safe and secure space to air their issues and concerns. Without the worry that they might be overheard or that you might get distracted, they’ll open up and will value feeling listened to.

Office Meeting Pods Look Great!

The best thing about office pods is that there are endless possibilities when it comes to the design! With office pods, you can play about with shape, size and colour to create something completely bespoke and reflective of your brand.

Nowadays, there are so many different contemporary pod designs to choose from. From quirky igloo-shaped spaces to hexagonal booths with 360 seating, these eye-catching structures add a sense of fun to the workplace so don’t be afraid to get creative!

What Next?

Want to spruce up your space with some stylish office meeting pods? If you’re looking for custom-built quiet booths that look fantastic and offer excellent soundproofing, we can help!

At Mcfeggan Brown, we design unique contemporary workspaces that represent your business.

From decor to furniture, lighting and flooring, we can completely transform your office space to meet your company needs.

So, if you’re based within Bristol, Bath or the South West and are in need of a office fit out company, we’d love to hear from you.

Let’s have a chat about your upcoming project…

Talk to us today.

How to Motivate Staff with Your Office Interior Design

Think that office interior design is purely about aesthetics?

Think again…

While switching up your office design can certainly improve the look of your space, concentrating on appearance alone won’t result in a more motivated workforce.

Any experienced interior designer will tell you that interior design is all about a balance between style and function. In the workplace, this means creating an office that both looks beautiful and helps to motivate staff.  

So, if you want to create a more motivated workforce, and even attract new talent with office interior design during your upcoming office fit out, read on to find out our top tips…

Lighting

How important is good lighting when it comes to office interior design?

Well, if you want a more productive and motivated workforce, then it’s not just important – it’s essential.

Did you know, 40% of European office workers struggle with poor office lighting? What’s more, 1 in 4 workers has expressed frustration at having to deal with inadequate lighting on a daily basis.

These striking statistics were recorded by Staples as part of an online survey involving 7,000 European office workers and prove just how pivotal effective lighting is for staff.

So, how do you motivate staff with office lighting?

It goes without saying that natural daylight is always going to be the best form of office lighting. However, if your office space has few windows and little exposure to natural light then you’ll need to find alternative solutions. When introducing artificial lighting into your commercial office fit out, there are 3 key areas to consider:

Lighting temperature

The temperature of your office lighting can have a profound psychological effect on your staff.

For example, when used correctly, cooler, blue-toned lighting can help with alertness and help to freshen up a space. However, too much exposure to blue-toned lighting can physically make people feel colder which can be counterproductive during the winter months.

To ensure that you make the most out of your lighting, consider introducing different lighting hues within different areas of the workspace. This way, your staff will have a choice of working areas that are lit appropriately for the tasks that they need to perform.

Lighting Efficiency

Illuminating a large office space with minimal natural light can be both costly and harmful to the environment. So, if you want to cut your energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint, LED lighting is the way to go.

Unlike incandescent lighting which uses almost all of its energy to heat the bulb, LED lighting is far less wasteful, with only a tiny fraction of its energy generating heat.

The other great thing about LED lighting is that it can be used to mimic the hue and intensity of natural daylight. With the replication of sunlight, not only will your staff feel more energised, but they will also benefit from better sleep as it helps to balance the body’s natural circadian rhythms.

Better sleep + increased energy levels = a more motivated workforce. 

Office Furniture

Whether your staff are sitting or standing, they need to feel comfortable within the working environment.

So, if your staff are spending half their day adjusting their chairs or desks and still don’t feel content, it’s time to rethink your furniture.

To ensure that staff stay pain-free and motivated throughout the day, consider incorporating some ergonomic office furniture into your new interior design.

Office Desks

When sitting at an office desk, feet should be flat on the ground and there should be ample space underneath to move the legs around freely. If a desk has drawers built in or bars that restrict movement, staff will be more prone to muscle cramps and pain in the legs.

If using a standing desk, it should extend to a height of 46” inches at a bare minimum. If a standing desk doesn’t extend far enough, then it encourages poor posture which will do more harm than good.

So, make sure that your desks offer plenty of space and can be adjusted to a height that will suit everyone.

Office Desk Chairs

In order to prevent back pain and discomfort when sitting,  your office desk chairs need to have sufficient lumbar support. A chair that is unsupportive or too rigid can be harmful to the spine and may increase the likelihood of musculoskeletal injuries.

In addition, there should be no pressure at the back of the knees and both the height and tilt should be fully adjustable.

By providing a range of ergonomic furniture options, staff are much more likely to stay motivated throughout the day.

Storage

 

You may be wondering what storage has to do with motivating staff but bear with us…

It all has to do with clutter.

If your office space is busy and disorganised, don’t be surprised to find that motivation levels have dropped.

According to a survey conducted by Brother, 40% of employees feel that a messy workspace lowers their productivity levels.

To keep on top of clutter, consider the addition of open shelving with contemporary storage boxes and slick filing cabinets with easy-to-read labels. By keeping stationary and supplies neatly tucked away, staff will feel calmer and more productive.

What’s more, when clients visit your office, you’ll create a much better impression if everything is in its place.

Soundproofing

The office is a hive of activity. From phone calls to workplace chatter, there are so many ways that staff can get distracted.

If you allow noise to get out of control and don’t take steps to reduce distractions then staff motivation will drop significantly.

To counter this issue, acoustic wall panels and dividers offer a great solution.

When planning your office interior design, there are a number of ways to incorporate soundproof panelling that is in keeping with your office decor.

Section Off Quiet Zones

Quiet zones allow staff to work autonomously within a space that guarantees calmness and tranquillity. To keep these spaces quiet, consider adding layered foam wall panels or hanging partitions which will absorb unwanted noise and reduce the amount of reverberation.

The best thing about these panels is that they can be designed to blend in seamlessly with your office design. So, why not get creative with colour, shape and pattern to liven up your space?

Soundproof Your Meeting Spaces

When it comes to meeting spaces, privacy is key. The last thing you want when discussing confidential client information is a nosy passerby listening in on your private conversation!

Once again, wall panels offer a great solution for noise reduction. However, if you want to let more light into your space, you might want to think about adding frosted acoustic glass.

Acoustic glass is made from Polyvinyl Butyral and is often found in busy spaces such as airports and stations. While this style of glass doesn’t always come frosted, it’s very easy to apply a layer of frosted film which will add an extra layer of privacy and still allow light to travel into the space.

Wall Colours

If you really want to motivate staff with your office interior design, then choosing the right colours is hugely important.

Did you know that your choice of wall colour can have a direct impact on performance?

In 2015, a study was conducted to determine the influence of colour within learning environments and produced some very enlightening findings.

When testing out different wall colours, the researchers found that students’ reading scores were markedly higher when taking a test within a vibrantly coloured environment.

Furthermore, it was found that specific hues had a profound effect on student heart rates.

So, if you want to create an environment that energises staff and improves performance, why not add a hint of bright orange or zingy green?

You could even go as far as to carry out your own colour psychology research. With a simple online survey, you can find out which colours your staff are most drawn to and which colours are best to avoid.

Asking your staff for their opinions is a great way to get everyone involved in the interior design process and will (hopefully) make decision-making a little easier!

Greenery

Aaah…plants.

At McFeggan Brown, we’ve made no secret of the fact that we’re big fans of office greenery. With an exhaustive list of employee benefits and positive environmental effects, plants are a fantastic addition to any office design.

But how do plants help to motivate staff?

As well as improving air quality, office plants have been scientifically proven to reduce stress.

While a small amount of stress can temporarily increase motivation, prolonged stress has been shown to have a negative effect on motivation levels.

If you want your staff to feel inspired by their work environment, dotting a few potted plants around the office is a fantastic way to give your team a boost.

Wondering which plants to choose? Check out our article on “The Top Ten Best Plants To Invest In For Your Office Space”.

Feeling Motivated To Switch up Your Office Interior?

If you’re planning an office re-design and are feeling inspired by our article, why not let us help?

At Mcfeggan Brown, our expert interior designers are highly experienced in creating bespoke workspaces that increase motivation and enhance productivity. Whatever the size of your office space, we can create something that suitably represents your business and allows your staff to thrive.

 

Contact our design team today or call us on 01275 464 220.