Occasionally clients come to us with a problem that doesn’t have a straightforward solution: a room with no windows.  As humans we instinctively react poorly to windowless rooms just when we walk into them and in work environments we will sometimes treat it as some unwanted thing, using it for copiers or storage.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.

There are lots of ways to create a great space without windows. You just need to think creatively and sometimes use visual illusions.

Start with the Walls

First step is to make sure that the wall color is light.  It doesn’t necessarily need to be white.  We’re also fans of powdery blue, soft gray, and even blush pink.  Lighter colored walls give the eye more space and will avoid the feeling of being “closed in.”

This also means you’re going to want to choose lighter colored furniture, but that also means you’ve got opportunities to add pops of color where it makes sense.

Trick Your Eyes

Have you ever been in a small restaurant which used mirrors to create an illusion of space and size?  You didn’t feel tricked: you thought about what an awesome effect was created.  You can do the same thing in a small room.  Windows add depth and in a way simulate the effect of a window not just by breaking up a wall but by giving you something else to look at.

We’ve even seen clients use old window panes or empty picture frames to simulate “windows” in a fun way.

Wrap It!

Obviously one way to deal with a windowless room is to put a wrap in place so that you can be transported somewhere else.  One of our clients had a gloomy room in the middle of their building and when we put in a large outdoor image of aspens the entire space was transformed.  People said they were so much happier to come in to work in that space.

That’s a key part of this process.  It’s not just about making a room look better, but realizing that when we are happier as people we tend to perform better, and it’s a small investment in your team to take a space from something dull to something that feels like it’s looking at an amazing treeline.

Light

One more aspect to consider is what kind of light you want in the space.  Without windows you’re actually way more in control of the situation.  You can choose something more bluish, which mimics daylight, or something more yellower, which is going to be more cozy.  Talk with the people who will be in that room the most to get a sense of what color temperature they would like and then pick lighting sources to match.

When you’re thinking about where to place the light, think about light strips and/or hidden lighting, like behind furniture.  This adds to the sense of “natural” light in the room.  On the other side of things, don’t be afraid to go wild with lamps: they can still give you the light you want but in an entirely different way that might be more your style.  

Art & Plants

Just as with mirrors or a wrap, large pieces of art can break up a wall and simulate a “window.”  And it never hurts to add some of our green friends to any space.  Studies show team members are more productive in spaces with plants, and just as with wraps, plants are a small investment to make a space that’s not just tolerable, but a place where people really enjoy working.

We love transforming all workspaces, not just the windowless ones.  Let us know how we can help!