Sarah is a staff writer at Apartment Therapy. She completed her MA in journalism at the University of Missouri and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Belmont University. Past writing and editing stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and several outlets local to her hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
Are you in charge of throwing the office Christmas party? What a great opportunity! After all, if it goes well, you can expect plenty of appreciation and accolades. Make sure you don’t skimp on the planning, though. If the event is boring and awkward, the party will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Looking for work Christmas party ideas? Read on for tips and ideas sure to make your office party fun, delicious, and full of holiday spirit.
The answer seems obvious: “To have a good time!” But there’s more to it than that. An office Christmas party is a great way to show appreciation. You and your co-workers have put in a lot of hard work over the year, and a thoughtful party acknowledges that work and all the professional development that went along with it. Another big reason to celebrate? Getting together builds personal ties. The constraints of deadlines and meetings don’t always encourage the kind of teamwork that is so important to the success of your company. Socializing as a group goes a long way!
The first step is identifying your budget and the guest list. These two factors will drive the rest of your decisions. Will only employees be coming or will they bring plus ones or even their entire family? Once you know who is going to attend, consider their idea of a good time. The engineers I used to work with would have hated a karaoke party but other departments would be thrilled with the idea. What spells “fun” for your office? The answer to this question will help you know how to allocate your budget and set you down the path toward a great company party. Clueless about what your co-workers enjoy after hours? Send out an email and ask them to pick from a few affordable work Christmas party ideas, and go with the most popular one.
A restaurant is a no-fail option, but also consider reserving space at an art gallery, botanical garden, museum, local historical site, or community center. If you live somewhere with temperate weather look to enjoy the outdoors and book a park pavilion. Establishments such as a bowling alley, paint-your-own pottery place, arcade, ice skating rink, the zoo, dance studio, or comedy show offer built-in entertainment.
The search for a party venue may be no farther than your desk. The office can be a great space for the company holiday event, especially if the party budget is tight. The success of this depends on your particular office, though. Some employees would appreciate having time off during the work day to celebrate while others would prefer a night out. A company holiday event held at the office is a great chance to play some Christmas party games or group ice breakers. Consider a photo booth, cookie decorating station, or meme contest for potential work Christmas party ideas. If the party is held at the office be sure to make the atmosphere different from the normal workday with music and decor.
Food and drink are key to a successful work Christmas party, but this doesn’t mean it has to be expensive or elaborate. There are many different ways to eat, drink, and be merry – just give some thought to your guests and what they would most enjoy. A catered meal, a rented food truck, a dessert bar, dinner cruise, and potluck are all great choices for different reasons. Fondue or shabu shabu are fun and social ways to enjoy a meal. Think outside of the dinner box and consider a brunch party or appetizers and happy hour party.
If you are holding your holiday gathering at the office, make sure you check with the Human Resources department or office manager on whether or not you can serve alcohol at your event.
The dress code will take its cue from the venue. Party outfits should be appropriate but festive. A cute dress or button up shirt will fit well in most places. Daytime events are more casual but can still incorporate holiday colors or jewelry. Comfort is always important. It is much easier to have a good time if you do not have to fuss with your clothes all night.
Decorating for the company party is more than scattering pretty objects around. The purpose is to build atmosphere and set the expectation of a festive time. Twinkle lights and candles make for great mood lighting. Good decor not only looks wonderful, it smells great, too! Include live greenery like evergreen boughs, eucalyptus branches, and poinsettia. Citrus fruits and live wreaths make for lovely tablescape decor. They can also be taken home afterwards as party favors.
Keep in mind the diversity of your co-workers’ beliefs. Christmas could feel universally accepted as it is embraced by many who are non-religious, but it is not celebrated by everyone. Do not decorate with religious symbols- especially those of which you are not familiar. What you may see as a decoration, someone else may regard as sacred. Stick to festive items like garland and snowflakes and leave kinara, menorahs, and manger scenes out.
Party invitations can run the gamut from a simple group e-mail to letterpress invites delivered by post. Online invitation services or social media event pages are simple and effective options. Also, there are many sites that offer downloadable invitation templates that you can use to print or e-mail. Whatever you choose, make sure that the holiday office party invitations communicate the dress code and clearly state whether employees are invited to bring a guest.
With a little effort and creativity, your office holiday party will be loads of fun! Your co-workers will leave smiling, feeling appreciated, and already looking forward to next year’s bash.
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An inspiring workplace can support well-being and productivity, so it’s always worth investing some time and energy into its function and look. That’s exactly why New Orleans-based interior designer Nomita Joshi-Gupta, who is also the owner of multi-line wallpaper and fabric showroom, Spruce, was tapped by a local financial company to breathe new life into a second-story space in a historic warehouse.
The office, originally part of a mercantile from the mid-1800s, centered on a main meeting area with smaller rooms radiating off it. That patchwork of spaces, combined with the low ceilings at different heights that created darkness in the space, made for an interesting challenge, as Joshi-Gupta was tasked not only with creating a welcoming area for clients but also designated spaces for meetings, storage, and desks that would all feel connected stylistically. “They wanted the office to have a residential and cozy feel,” says Joshi-Gupta of her client’s goals. “They wanted a space that was modern yet approachable.”
So she started where any designer would — with a point of reference and inspiration. For this office, two things came to mind. “I was immediately inspired by the historic character of the building and the daylight from the skylights that reminded me of ‘60s modernist architecture with enclosed light wells and gardens,” says Joshi-Gupta. The second was a little more unexpected. “I was thinking of lushness but how was I going to create lushness in a dark space?” says Joshi-Gupta. “For years, I had been obsessing over Lenny Kravitz’s home in Brazil and how he has created an organic modern space connecting indoors and outdoors with materials and large-scale murals. I used this as my guiding inspiration.”
The final plan? Bring in muralist (and Small/Cool alumna!) Liz Kamarul to design a similar black banana leaf mural to expand the main space visually, with palms creeping onto each of the walls leading to the distinct zones throughout the office. The choppy layout would get divided a bit further — but this time those demarcations would be purposeful and visually-cohesive, united by the recurring use of certain materials and bold color. “An entry was created by building a L-shaped screen wall,” says Joshi-Gupta. “It immediately helped divide the public areas from the private executive offices.” Another of the awkward rooms got divided to create an office room and storage. “I designed sliding doors based on Japanese Shoji doors to allow light into the space and echoed the same design on the storage wall side,” says Joshi-Gupta.
Working with local millworkers and upholsterers, Joshi-Gupta honed in on modern, handmade, and textured furniture. “We re-upholstered a sofa in a vibrant velvet and created seating pods,” she says. “We imported authentic reproductions of Jeanneret chairs from India (Phantom Hands) for the dining area.” She and her team also shopped for vintage modern accessories from a local consigner to furnish the spaces.
Six months later, the company now has a clean-lined — but still warm and welcoming — feel with residential touches that’s inspiring to all that walk through the door, employee or client. “I love how the office looks modern and inviting and offers many places for clients to visit, and staff to work and eat,” says Joshi-Gupta of the project. For her and her client, this project was truly set off by Kamarul’s palm mural, but she offers this advice if a mural’s not in the cards for your own office project: “If you are not up to or do not have the budget for commissioning a mural, try a dramatic wallpaper on a wall.”
This piece is part of Transformation Month, where we’re showing off amazing home makeovers, brilliant tiny tweaks, inspiring before & afters, and so much more. Head on over here to see it all!
Are you looking to improve your work-from-home setup by upgrading to a spacious L-shaped desk? This compilation has you covered! We’ve collected our favorite L-shaped desks from across the web, in styles to suit every interior decor theme. Maximalists will love the storage-heavy desks we’ve selected and modernists will love the smart minimalist selections. There are even beautiful solid wood desks for the serious investors, and budget-friendly selections for young students. Make your workspace look and function just the way you want it with these fantastic L-shaped desk options.
The pandemic has pushed many employers to allow employees to work from home. But after two-plus years, many companies are asking their employees to come back — whether that means commuting into the office full-time or adopting a hybrid schedule. Some people may welcome the in-person arrangement since it means the return of water cooler chat, lunches with colleagues, and face-to-face time with peers and bosses. However, many have embraced the at-home working lifestyle and are hesitant to give up their remote roles.
I asked a few therapists about how people can adjust to working in the office again after being remote. Here’s what they had to say.
Spending seven to eight hours a day in a cubicle or office space may feel daunting when after having had the freedom at home to walk around and grab a breath of fresh air whenever you want. You may feel some anxiety being cooped up in an office setting, which is completely normal.
“To try and deal with these fears, it can help to go outside as much as you can when you take your breaks. Fresh air is helpful in feeling less stressed and closed in, and it can help you to collect yourself before going back to work,” says neuropsychologist Alexander Burgemeester. “It can also help to invite coworkers on your break to ease the social anxieties you might have. Chatting outside feels less forced and you can feel more relaxed by being in a larger environment.”
Sometimes the familiar helps to ease uncomfortable feelings and it may be a good idea to have reminders of your remote life at the office.
“Bringing comforts from home for your desk or office space might also help with this transition. A small plant, picture, or piece of decor can really help to ease some of the stresses you might be feeling. It can also help to brighten up the space and make it feel more like you are working from home,” says Burgemeester.
Work from home attire may have included a nice blouse or shirt on top and pajama pants or shorts below. Of course, no one may have realized this over Zoom or Skype, but with meetings at the office, your wardrobe may have to move from comfortable to slightly more professional.
Counselor Amanda Levison says planning your wardrobe in advance may ease some of the in-person anxiety of going into the office. “Make sure that you have work-appropriate clothing you feel comfortable in, as taking pride in your appearance helps to boost your mental health,” she says.
Working from home means fewer awkward silences with coworkers or having forced conversations with your boss. It can definitely be a transition remembering how to activate those skills, especially if small talk isn’t your thing.
Levison says, for some, “Conversation with coworkers in person again may cause anxiety, especially for introverts. Taking some time to brainstorm conversation topics in advance can help if small talk does not come naturally to you.”
The pandemic proved difficult for many people, and professional and personal relationships may have changed. It’s a crucial time to be mindful of how others may be feeling.
Dr. Angela Swain, business psychologist, emphasizes, “The pandemic was tough on all of us, so give yourself and your coworkers grace.” Many people lost a family member during the pandemic, and “others lost people from unrelated causes and did not have the space to process their grief,” she says.
“Assume everyone you meet is going through something,” Swain advises. “By giving people the benefit of the doubt and showing compassion to your team members, you’ll find that going back to work doesn’t feel so bad after all.”