The majority of the population is vaccinated, Covid restrictions are mostly lifted, and companies are having people come back to the office. Or they are trying to. Although many offices have reopened and are welcoming workers back, a large number of employees are pushing back strongly against the return-to-office. After so much time at home, a lot of workers just don’t want to go back. Remote workers have become accustomed to the comforts of home at work — and they don’t want to give ithem up. What are employers doing to lure them back, even if only part-time?

Companies that are asking people to come back are trying to make the transition as smooth as possible via employee perks and amenities, and beefing up their offices to make them more appealing. Even offices that offer remote work still need to consider how those employees will connect with others at the office, either through online meetings, phone conferences, or occasionally visiting the office in person.

Employee Perks

Some of the perks employers are offering to lure workers back are

• The ultimate corporate-America perk: wearing jeans to the office (yes, even at law offices!)
• Dog-friendly policies
• Personal assistants
• Free parking
• Flexible hours
• Happy hours monthly or biweekly
• The classic lure: free lunches and beverages
• “Elevated” office parties at fun venues with high-end food and drinks

Workplace Amenities

• Rooftop decks
• Outdoor spaces
• Fitness centers
• Yoga rooms
• Communal spaces with “hangout areas”
• Lounge spaces with games such as cards, board games, table tennis, video games, pool table
• Daycare for children and  pets
• Pods or booths for privacy

Office Designs With the Comforts of Home

The “Resimercial” design trend has been on the rise for the past few years now because it is believed that home-like environments in the office can lead to more comfortable, and, presumably, happier workers. And happy workers, according to current theories, work harder.

But since the pandemic, resimercial design has new significance and is more important than ever. Bosses are designing offices that look like your living room to get you back at your desk. These designs that look like home are often complete with sofas, fireplaces, and TVs. In addition to the perks and amenities, a home-like workplace environment could be appealing to remote workers reluctant to come back to the office.

Merging Residential and Workplace Elements

When merging residential and workplace elements, it’s important to understand that office still has to function primarily as a workplace. Residential aspects of design that are incorporated into the office must be flexible enough to be comfortable but should satisfy ergonomic needs as well as the integration of technology. And furnishings and surfaces that feel like home must be able to withstand the wear and tear of a demanding commercial environment.

Here’s a look at some of our tile collections that will lend a residential feel while offering low maintenance and durability for the long haul.

The Warmth of Wood

For injecting a homey feel into an office environment, wood surfacing is probably one of the top choices. But who wants or needs the upkeep to maintain them? We offer a range of wood-look porcelain tiles, from authentic wood looks to more artistic incarnations, all designed to deliver warmth and inject a home-like vibe into commercial spaces.

Umber

Umber porcelain tile offers wood’s classic look in four fresh tones interpreted in powerful porcelain planks and exterior paver–always on trend, inside or out. 

Barnwood

Barnwood porcelain floor and wall tile offers all of wood’s appeal and all of porcelain tile’s advantages in a trio of weathered timber with colors–rich details.

Modern

Minimalist style meets sleek wood grain our Modern porcelain floor and wall tile. This contemporary collection of porcelain tile planks is offered in four gorgeous, go-anywhere colors and designer herringbone accents.

Char

Our Char collection’s Porcelain planks & rectangles echo the look of singed timber awash in a subtle metallic sheen. The wall and floor tile line is offered in four authentic hues and three generous sizes.

See all of our wood-look porcelain lines here.

Bring Nature In

Residential designers are always bringing nature and the outdoors into interiors, and the commercial workplace should be no different. Biophilic design elements, which replicate the sensations of the natural world, also contribute significantly to productivity.

Slab_48

A hot design trend that started in the residential realm favors big, bold stones that act as statement pieces. These bold natural stones in exotic species, unique or bold colors, and often with dramatic veining take center stage. For commercial interiors, of course, it’s much more practical to turn to the fabulous porcelain bold stone lookalikes for durability, ease of maintenance, and cleanability. Our Slab_48 is an extraordinary natural stone look proceklain with vibrant visuals, ready to enrich any style of space.

Mural

Mural brings the bold art of nature to interior designs with this daring collection of polished, 24×48 tiles in two stunning groupings–sumptuous marbles and two animal-inspired styles.

Residential Hues

Remember when offices were mostly beige? Not anymore. Injecting color into an office design scheme is a great way to amp up the residential feel, and we have the tile collections to do just that.

Freestyle

Freestyle lets you freely stylize your walls with dimensional decoration in a rainbow of cosmopolitan colors. The wall tile line comes in ten fashion-forward hues and 22 decorative patterns in bright and matte finishes.

Colori

The rainbow reigns in this colorful collection of porcelain primary hues. Colori offers the ultimate palette with a spectrum of options for any fanatic of chromatic design.

Companies have stepped up their game when it comes to getting workers to return to the office. Making the workplace feel like home is a big step in the right direction for luring and transitioning employees back to the office while increasing retention, happiness, productivity, and creativity in the long term.

GIO is your gateway to beautifully designed, strategically selected collections of floor and wall tile sure to fit your demanding specification requirements and unique style. We look forward to working with you!