One Simple Design Choice That Can Transform a Workspace in 2025

 

Samantha-Jane Agbontaen is an interior designer with over 15 years’ experience and the founder of Office Designer®, an online interior design studio making stylish, functional workspaces accessible to small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs across the UK. After the success of House Designer, Samantha launched Office Designer in 2022 to fill a gap in the market - creating affordable, professional office design solutions for those often overlooked by traditional firms. From home offices to co-working hubs and growing HQs, her team helps clients optimise layouts, plan furniture, and create beautiful, sustainable spaces that reflect their brand, culture and ambitions.

Lighting That Lifts the Space and the People

Georgia Salter-Randall, Mid-Weight Designer at Interaction UK

Georgia Salter-Randall is a designer at Interaction, a leading workplace design and build company. Having joined through a highly competitive placement programme, Georgia’s passion for design has been clear from a young age, and she’s become known for transforming complex briefs into spaces that are both creative and thoughtfully considered.

"Good lighting design strikes a balance between different light levels throughout the space – something sustainability and wellbeing guidelines strongly encourage. A mix of natural light, focused task lighting and warm, low-level ambient light can completely change how a workspace looks and feels.

Ultimately, by being really intentional with different lighting types, you can turn a workspace into a place that’s practical, beautiful and supports wellbeing. It's a small detail that makes a big difference."

Smarter Furniture for Sustainable Futures

"This not only extends the lifespan of the furniture but also supports a more circular approach – covers can be cleaned more easily, and if a client fancies a new colour or fabric, it’s a simple update instead of buying new pieces.

Manufacturers that prioritise sustainability are great at this, designing their furniture so materials can be separated easily at the end of life – no glue, staples or annoying fixings. It’s a clever design tweak that means reclaiming and reusing materials is much simpler. It’s all about making sustainable design the default, even if it costs a bit more initially."

Whether it’s the texture of a moss wall, the warmth of ambient lighting, the practicality of a zip-off fabric cover, these design choices speak to a wider movement: one that values flexibility, sustainability, and emotional connection. As the line between personal and professional spaces continues to blur, small decisions like these help create work environments that are not only functional but truly enriching to spend time in.