Bringing the Outdoors In

Spring has finally sprung! If you’re like many employees, you‘re probably spending a fair amount of time gazing through the window, wishing you were outside. Instead of wasting all that time staring out doors, you can make yourself, your boss, or even your co-workers a lot happier if you can find ways to bring the outdoors in.

This blog is about designing an outdoor-friendly office space.

Why Nature Matters

First of all, it’s important to know a bit about the benefits of the great outdoors, in case you have any “obstacles” in your way. Plants are the foundation of most of the food webs on Earth. This means that you can start with essentially any animal and work through a food chain, all the way down to plants. For example, a lion eats a zebra which eats grass. In short, without plants, none of us would be here!

For the office, a simple argument boils down to the quality of the indoor air. Houseplants are pretty to look at, but they have also been shown to actually help purify the air we breathe! Considering that indoor air can be up to five times worse than the air outdoors, this makes indoor plants a necessity at the workplace. These top 10 plants are effective at removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide.

whatabloom

How to Bring the Outdoors In

Once you have a good argument about why plants are needed at work, you can decide how to incorporate nature into the work setting. Some plants are low maintenance and add aesthetic appeal. Cacti and succulents are easy to take care of and don’t take up a lot of space.  

Olive and Cocoa

Other plants can be used to make a statement within the work place. For example, larger plants displayed in pots can add a splash of color in a break room or lobby.

Interior Office Plants

Whichever types of indoor plants you choose, and however you choose to display them, make sure you elect someone to care for them so they can live a long and healthy life in your office.