Encouraging interaction in the office kitchen at work

As well as being a place for preparing and consuming food, the office kitchen is an important social area, providing a space for impromptu meetings and helping build staff relationships.

But if your workplace kitchen isn't inviting, comfortable and also functional, how can you improve it?

The importance of design

"In all facets of building, design is the key," says certified kitchen designer Phil O'Brien, owner of Designer Kitchens. "If you don't get the design right, the space will not work properly."

It sounds basic, but Phil says the best way to discourage staff from using a kitchen at work is providing nowhere for them to sit or prepare food. 

"The size of the appliances and the workspace need to accommodate the number of people who could use it, keeping in mind that they won't all be using it at once," he says.

Social space

Happy people are more productive, creative and work better in teams. Indeed, your workplace kitchen plays a key role in building and maintaining staff relationships. This benefits your business by:

• fostering frequent communication between staff
• encouraging connections between staff who don't work together
• providing a 'pressure-release valve', a place beyond the workstation
• allowing staff the space to troubleshoot issues in an informal setting
• giving staff a broader sense of the company and their colleagues
• showing the company is interested in employee wellbeing
• keeping staff on site, which saves time and promotes adherence to schedules.

The 'lounge' aspect 

Adding a 'lounge' aspect to a kitchen at work provides a place for reading the newspaper or a company report. It can also be used for informal staff meetings. And compared to a shared dining table, it offers a more private space for staff to get a few moments of peace on a hectic day.

Corporate colour schemes

"With splashbacks, for instance, you can do tiles or glass printed with digital graphics," Phil says. "That can be a photograph, your logo or anything that complements your branding."

Wallpaper printed with your corporate logo or colours is another cost-effective means of decorating a kitchen at work. 

Other design ideas

• Warm colours and soft furnishings rather than harsh fluoro lighting
• Rugs and carpets to lower noise and differentiate 'relaxed' space from 'work' space
• Staff noticeboard, artwork, prints and photographs
• Indoor plants, access to garden areas and outdoor seating
• Get daily newspapers - cost effective for you and saves your staff money
• Incorporate recycling strategies for paper and plastics

A working kitchen 

A modern office kitchen is about much more than food. Ask a designer today how you can better use your kitchen at work to increase employee satisfaction and boost productivity.