Office spaces come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing almost all of them have in common is a reception area. Whether guests need to check in for an appointment or attend a scheduled meeting with a professional, their first contact with the business will be inside the reception space. This room can say a lot about a company directly and subconsciously, so carefully choosing décor such as custom wall coverings and seating is paramount.
In order to make an informed decision about what types of visual cues to include in a reception area, it is important to understand the most common evaluations that guests make upon seeing a space. From there, your business can curate how visitors view the business based on simple factors such as color and visual displays on the walls.
Here is what every business needs to know about the impact of custom wall coverings in reception areas.
Customer Impression from Reception Spaces
When a customer walks into a business, they are typically greeted with some sort of front desk setup. They may need to wait in this area for a while, or they might simply inform the business that they have arrived and then be on their way further into the facility. In either case, their first steps are through reception.
Studies show that even minor elements can have major impacts on guests as soon as they enter the reception area. For instance, while the speed at which the front door opens has minimal effect on a person’s sense of being welcomed, transparent installations (e.g., frosted walls, clean glass enclosing the reception desk) increase feelings of comfort, care, and invitation.
Similarly, open-plan offices must consider how to make guests feel welcome and secure, which research indicates can be a challenge, especially for female visitors. In studies, women are more likely than men to feel uncomfortably watched in open-plan reception areas, so creating a secure nook can be invaluable.
Given the highly important role of even minor décor installations in a reception area, business owners should spend more time than they might think on determining the layout and aesthetic of this space. Leverage plants, appropriate furnishings, and decorations, but do not forget one of the room’s biggest assets: its walls.
How to Curate Guest Impressions
The walls of a reception area comprise a large portion of the square footage available for decoration. Custom wall coverings can adjust how clients view the office through even subtle changes. Consider:
Clarity: Wall coverings can direct visitors to where they need to go, making visits faster and less frustrating. There is no need to create a custom covering with a giant arrow pointing to reception. Consider something more subtle, like an abstract geometric pattern that gets bigger the closer it gets to the reception desk. This naturally draws attention to the right place. Use angular shapes for more modern businesses and older textures or natural designs for companies aiming for a sense of familiarity and home.- Emotion: Color psychology tracks how humans respond to certain colors, and leveraging the power of these colors in your office décor can moderate what visitors think. For instance, red is associated with both attraction and aggression, so depending on the type of business you operate, consider how much red to use. Yellow is inspirational and energizing but can also be overwhelming in large swaths. Green and blue are both relaxing colors, evoking nature and calmness; this also means they may make people feel sleepy. While black is a crisp, modern color for straight-edge professionals, too much of it can make a room seem oppressive and claustrophobic. Similarly, too much white opens up the size of a room but can contribute to feelings of being lost or exposed.
- Culture: Wall coverings need not be singular colors or abstract patterns! Custom wall coverings can include almost anything imaginable. What would happen if your business created a mural of its role in your community to proudly display in the reception area? What about a timeline of the company’s achievements and growth or perhaps a menu printed directly on the wall for food service enterprises? These installations can get visitors to engage coherently with the business.
Try Custom Wall Coverings in Your Reception Areas!
Whether you are a small business or a thriving enterprise, the wall space in your reception area is probably not being utilized to its full potential. This area can be doing a lot of heavy lifting for your business’ impressions as long as you take advantage of it.
The professionals at Tree Towns can help you realize your vision and transform how visitors view your company. Contact Tree Towns to get started on the perfect wall covering!