The staff room at a school is one of the most important rooms for an educator. This room is where staff relax before or after each class, eat their lunch, have a coffee, talk to colleagues, plan lessons, grade work, and much more. With this in mind, it is important the space is thoughtfully designed with relaxation and productivity in mind. If you are looking to design or redesign a space for the teachers at your school, we have some staff room ideas to get you started.
As the office fitout professionals, we excel in creating functional and stunning staff rooms for schools throughout Brisbane. If you are looking to update your school’s staff room, contact us on 1300 368 461 or via our online contact form.
The Basics of Staff Room Design
When considering your staff room ideas, it is important to get the basics out of the way first. The following are the non-negotiables that you will see in almost all staff rooms.
A Kitchen and Dining Area
Staff rooms are commonly used by teachers for their breaks and are a place for the staff to go and enjoy their lunch away from classes. Having modern kitchen amenities and a place to eat are essential for any great staff room design. Appliances like microwaves, ovens, and fridges will make the area a lot more functional and keep the staff happy.
Comfortable Lounge Areas
In between classes, the staff rooms will need to be a space where teachers can unwind and relax. Including lounges will provide the staff with a cosy and comfortable space that allows the staff for this. If the area features only desks and chairs, it may too closely resemble the classroom and not allow for the disconnect required to relax.
Collaborative Working Zones
The staff room isn’t just for eating and relaxing but also a place where the staff can work on their lesson plans, collaborate with other teachers, and share ideas. Creating a space that allows for this with meeting rooms, tables, and whiteboards is a must. If the space allows, having personal desks can help create strong routines.
Storage Areas
A good staff room will be neat and organised, which can only be achieved if you have proper storage solutions in place. By including cabinets, shelves, and lockers, you can create a space for the staff to keep their personal belongings and organise their teaching materials and office supplies. This will make the space a lot more functional and organised, allowing the staff to focus on teaching.
Staff Room Interior Design Tips
With the essentials covered it is now time to bring your staff room ideas to life. Through the use of colours, furniture, plants, and other features you can create a unique staff room interior design everyone will love.
Colour Schemes
Well thought out colours can elevate staff room interior design. With schools often having a strong identity linked to colours, this is an easy and effective way to go with your colour scheme to build a sense of community. Following colour theory, you could also include options that provide proven benefits to the space. Soft blues have been shown to lower people’s heart rates creating a relaxed environment. Greens can be used to help to encourage a calm and creative mindset among staff.
Furniture
Choosing the right furniture for your staff room design is crucial, with a trend towards modular seating becoming more prevalent. Many schools are leaning towards a variety of seating choices that create a less regimented area and allow for relaxation and creativity. Social tables, booth seating, and comfortable chairs with phone charging stations are all become the norm when it comes to staff room design. This again reinforces creating separation from the classroom.
Plants
An often-overlooked aspect of great interior design, especially in a place like a staff room, is plants. Research shows that plants have a positive impact on workplace stress and anxiety. Not only that, but they also help to keep the air clean and inspire creativity. Knowing this, you have to include plants in your staff room ideas.
Notice Boards
When you picture a school staff room, you will probably think of notice boards. A good notice board that has meaningful and fresh content posted on it will help to unite and inform the staff. Creating this connection can foster growth and conversation that benefits the workplace and teaching at the school.
Elevate Your Space Today
From office fitouts to private school fitouts, the team here at Future Fitouts is leading the way with thoughtfully designed and crafted staff rooms. We specialise in providing high quality fitouts across all industries. If you are looking to design or redesign the staff room at your school or have another fitout request, contact us on 1300 368 461 or via our online contact form.