15 Coworking Design Ideas to Inspire Your Space

Whenever we ask our clients what they are most proud of when it comes to their coworking space, we always hear the design. 

From bright colors to muted tones, from open air seating to private cubbies, there are so many ways to design your space. What approach you take will ultimately depend on what your members want and the community you’re looking to build.

If you’re creating a new coworking space (or looking to upgrade your current one), take some inspiration from these 15 beautifully designed coworking spaces from around the world. 

The best part? All of the spaces featured in this article are Optix clients. Learn more about Optix coworking software.

1. Include an open workspace with a range of seating options

The open workspace is a quintessential element of coworking design. These drop-in areas add a fun communal feel to the workspace, not to mention a bit of character too.

They are often necessary to support the coworking business model and leave room for hot desking and drop-in seating for casual passersby. 

The Cloud Room in Seattle, WA created a beautiful, communal area in their coworking space complete with modern furniture and bright colors to lighten up the room.

2. Create semi-private open areas within your space

Some people want more privacy than others. For that reason, it’s a good idea to create a few quieter spaces within your open space utilizing dividers, temporary walls, or some strategically placed furniture.

OneSpace in Vancouver has designed their coworking space with plant happy dividers that section off some areas from others. This creates a bit of much needed privacy, without sectioning people off completely or closing up the space. 

Learn how Elizabeth from OneSpace supports her community with Optix.

3. Open up your meeting rooms

Meeting rooms don’t need to be dark and closed-off (although some may prefer that). Consider creating some meeting or conference rooms with glass doors or floor to ceiling windows to allow plenty of natural light in and add some character to the space.

KoWorks designed their Gosford location’s meeting room to have transparent floor to ceiling doors to open up the area and bring more light into the office. This gives a dynamic and open feeling to the space. 

Adam, Founder at KoWorks, recently joined the Optix team to discuss how to grow your coworking space in a comprehensive webinar. Check out the webinar replay now.

4. Create unique spaces to gather

Your gathering areas are an opportunity to make a statement. Although their design should be cohesive with the rest of your coworking space, they can be created to encompass their own unique flair.

Elevate Coworking is a coworking space for women in North Carolina for creative freelancers, entrepreneurs, and creative agencies. The attention that Founder and CEO, Maggie, has put into each element of her coworking space makes it truly inspirational.

5. Brighten up your workspaces with a pop of color

Do you want to create a fun and friendly environment? A little bit of color can go a long way in creating a warm and welcoming space.

If you feel you need something to brighten up your coworking space, consider adding a pop of color in the form of furniture, artistic arrangements, a painted wall, or all of the above.

Impact Brixton is a community driven coworking space located in the UK. Their bright work areas are a reflection of the colorful people who inhabit them.

Learn more about Gerald from Impact Brixton and his journey with Optix.

6. Enrich your space with strategically placed plants

Plants serve many purposes in interior design. Not only do they make a room come to life, they also purify the air and are known to have a calming effect on the body. They can also help improve focus and increase workplace productivity.

You can go as maximalist or as minimalist as you want with your plants, such as creating a plant wall or scattering some hanging pothos throughout.

Index Space takes a minimalist approach with a few strategically placed plants throughout their workspace. They offer the perfect pop of green to the industrial inspired space.

7. Include phone booths or pods for quick privacy in an open space

With so many members on Zoom calls these days, quiet areas are a hot ticket item. If your coworking space isn’t designed with enough private spaces, you can always bring in some external coworking phone booths or pods.

They can be easily integrated into your design, even if they weren’t intended to go there. Flockd, a coworking space in Australia, found a way to make their phone booths fit the rest of their space perfectly.

Look for a design that is cohesive, or make them a standout element in your coworking space.

8. Don’t forget about the ceiling 

The top of your coworking space is an opportunity to add more fun and flair to your space. There is something about a coworking space with a beautiful ceiling that makes you fall in love with the space.

Suite Genius in Vancouver, Canada has created a beautiful wooden ceiling that adds some texture and dimension to the community space. It’s simple, but stunning and a great way of bringing the space together. 

9. Make your kitchen open and accessible

A kitchen is a wonderful place to bring people together. Take some inspiration from a restaurant or bar and design your kitchen to be a gathering place.

Barnfox has three locations in New York, all of them tastefully designed with their members in mind. This space in Hudson Valley includes a cozy kitchen nook, complete with barstools and an island-like set up for working or gathering.

It’s a fun, event-forward way of designing your space for more opportunities to gather in groups.

10. Take inspiration from the building you’re in

If you’re lucky enough to be in a uniquely designed building, you can use that to drive your coworking space design strategy.

Salon22 in New Orleans, Louisiana found their coworking space location in an old church. Their coworking space is complete with stained glass windows and bright open space, inspired by its previous life as a place of worship.

With such a stunning location, you have an incredible opportunity to let that drive the design direction rather than the other way around.

11. Include unconventional seating options

Different people want different things. Some will want an ergonomic chair. Others will want a standing desk. And others may want a nice swinging chair to relax in at the end of the day.

If you’re looking for an unconventional element to add to your coworking space, consider switching up your seating style. Couches have long been accepted at coworking spaces, maybe a swing would be that much better,

Surf & Work Collective in the UK is equipped with a swing, pillows, and plenty of natural light to create a zen space for members to relax in.

12. Utilize exposed brick to create a warm, industrial feel

Exposed brick can bring a lot of flair to an otherwise ordinary space. The style has long been used to give off a rustic and creative feel to a room.

Lifestyle Communities has a coworking space that includes deep leather chairs, geometric elements, and exposed brick. Together, they create a warm and welcoming industrial feel to the workspace.

13. Adopt a warm color palette

Colors like brown, red, and orange, can give a warm, luxurious feel to your coworking space. If you’re selling a social club with ample networking opportunities, this may be exactly the direction you want to go in.

1880 Bardo in Singapore takes a monochromatic, warm approach to their social club. The furniture is full of character and adds a high-end element to the coworking space.

Learn how the team at 1880 Bardo power their community with Optix.

14. Add some art to your walls

Art is a wonderful way to bring a coworking space to life. Add a piece of art or two to your coworking space to bring character to the room. You can even showcase local artists or members, creating a selling opportunity for you and the artist.

Bad Company Workspace in New Zealand has a beautiful space surrounded by nature. They bring their coworking rooms to life with the addition of a few key artistic pieces that reflect the world around them.

Learn how Tori from Bad Company built an engaged community across three locations with Optix.

15. Get inspired by the world around you

If you’re fortunate enough to be located in a beautiful part of the world, use it to your advantage.

Sometimes all you need are some bright windows to drive the entire design of your coworking space. That’s just what Mountain Club coworking did in Queenstown, New Zealand. The scenery is so beautiful, they let it drive the entirety of the space.

Get started with your coworking space design

There’s a lot to consider when considering how to design your coworking space. From the furniture to the lights to the color schemes, there’s so much opportunity to bring some character to your space.

The best place to start is by taking inspiration from those who have done it before.

New to coworking? Check out our ultimate guide to starting a coworking space.

Interested in automating your coworking space? Book a free demo now!