LIFE

Have you tried adding flair to your office space?

Paige Wilson
For Florida Today
Able to survive without much attention, cacti are a good greenery choice for an office.

Passersby might mistake the sun-kissed yellow façade complete with wrap-around porches and a white picket fence at 668 Law St. for a classic, old Florida-style home. But this 20th century structure is actually the office space for McBride Marketing Group on Florida’s Space Coast.

The full-service marketing agency, headquartered in the Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne, has strayed from working in a room of never-ending cubicles oh-so-typical of the corporate world. Instead, Mahogany floors, beach-themed desk décor and walls of colorful local artwork – not to mention a backyard swimming pool – give this business a comfortable, creative environment for its employees.

“[Employees] actually enjoy working here because there’s just something about the atmosphere that’s cozy,” said principal owner Mike McBride, of the 106-year-old house. “It’s not that whole cubicle maze and beige walls that people are used to working in.”

Artist brings pop of ‘Local Color’ to Melbourne gallery

Smoking and high heels aren’t allowed inside, due to the wooden floors, but décor wise, anything goes. But where to start?

Jennifer Wiseman, a design consultant at Ethan Allen at The Avenue Viera in Melbourne, emphasizes the importance of comfort in any office space.

“The most important part for a workstation is to have a visual trigger that can provide stress relief,” said Wiseman, 34 of Melbourne. “For me, it’s a picture of my daughter. For someone else, it may be a postcard from their favorite vacation.”

Michelle Bujold, a 26-year-old digital marketing account manager with the McBride group, proudly displays pictures of her family and her two furry friends — a Pitbull mix named Ronin and a Dijon Poodle named Marilyn — on her Tommy Bahama-style desk.

Story continues below

Mike McBride’s office at McBride Marketing Group, headquartered in the Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne. Clients will find a Broadsword, Saturn rocket ship model and Vikings helmet tucked away in his “museum of memorabilia.” LEFT: Located at 668 Law St., McBride Marketing Groups works out of this 106-year-old Florida-style house. Wrap-around porches and a backyard swimming pool really make the employees feel at home.

Bujold, who has been with the marketing group since December 2015, said she feels inspired by the office’s eclectic mix of old and modern design.

“My creativity at work and my excitement and my passion has changed,” the Melbourne resident said.

Her old office banned any kind of personal items, which made it a bland, stark environment. During her job hunt, Bujold sought a position that would offer a more creative edge, and she found that with the McBride group.

“When you get to surround yourself with a lot of excitement, passion and color, it’s mirrored in your work,” said Bujold, whose desk décor also includes a mint green, beach-wood sign that reads “Island Girl” in yellow letters, colorful design books and a bowl with poodles on it. “It’s hard to feel a lack of vision or creativity when you’re surrounded by so many interesting things to look at.”

McBride’s own office is “practically a museum of memorabilia” from his more than 30-year career in advertising.

His décor ranges from a Broadsword to a Saturn rocket ship model to a Vikings helmet.

Photos: Derby Subdivision house tour sneak peek

“My question is why doesn’t everybody have those things?” said McBride, 54, of Satellite Beach. “They’re fun. It’s a reflection of personality.”

Inside Vice President of Business Development and Account Manager Chip Eickmann’s office, are mementos from 20 years working at Disney parks, including an award honoring his service that displays Mickey in his Sorcerer’s Apprentice costume.

While personal touches in the workplace benefit the mood of the environment, Wiseman said it’s important to have a clutter-free workspace.

“You want to remain productive to the things that are on your desk that pertain to your work,” said Wiseman.

Having worked in interior design for five years, she also recommends going green by adding a plant or natural accent to a desk.

“They bring something clean and life-like to what’s otherwise a cold and unnatural space,” said Wiseman.

Channeling her own love of green, Carly Brower, an account manager at a digital advertising firm in Winter Park, designed her desk around green succulents and wooden supply holders.

Story continues below

Located at 668 Law St., McBride Marketing Groups works out of this 106-year-old Florida-style house. Wrap-around porches and a backyard swimming pool really make the employees feel at home.

The 23-year-old Winter Park resident added two cacti to her desk that rest in tea cups to complement her two monitors that boast digital wallpapers of plants. An antique-looking desk monitor and practical gold pieces, such as scissors, tea cups and a spiral binder, complete her workspace.

Cacti, she said, are great for offices because they can survive without a lot of light and are easy to take care of.

Plants won’t just add a decorative touch to your office space, though. Including plants in the workplace have health benefits, too, according to a 2014 study by the Journal of Experimental Psychology and Cardiff University's School of Psychology in Wales.

“Indoor potted plants have been shown to remove most types of air-borne pollutants arising from either outdoor or indoor sources,” according to the UK study.

Brower bought her two succulents during a trip to Sedona, Arizona, but stores like Wal-Mart and Lowes also carry the potted plants.

Is a desk really complete without coffee, though? Many in this caffeine-fueled world, including Brower, would argue no. A green and white Anthropology mug marked with a “C” sits on her desk monitor, which adds to the earth-toned theme.

Brevard has a club for just about everyone

“You’re spending an awful lot of time at work, so you want to design with natural colors, then add accent colors,” said Wiseman.

More studies have also found the benefits of a well-decorated office.

In 2009, the Journal of Public Affairs, Administration and Management found that a better physical environment of an office will boost the employees and ultimately improve their productivity.

The study examined 31 bank branches of 13 banks in Abbottabad, Pakistan, to determine the relationship between office design and productivity. The findings showed that office design, including furniture, noise, lighting, temperature and special arrangements affected employees’ productivity, and identified lighting as the most influential factor.

At McBride Marketing, every desk is flooded with natural light from the many windows in the house, which forgoes the need for unhealthy fluorescents.

However you choose to decorate your workspace, Brower advises employees to take their time.

“Make it your own,” she said. “But it doesn’t have to be done the first day.”