6 Work Spaces That Will Give You Office Envy

A well-designed work space holds many benefits for both the workers and the company. It can increase engagement and productivity while encouraging employees to do their best work. These office spaces are not your typical stodgy cube-farms. Here are five interesting and intriguing locations that have transformed what it means to spend the day in the office.

1. DXAgency

Location: Edgewater, New Jersey
The inspiration: A home

Credit: DXAgency

The DXAgency office was designed to invoke the feeling of a close-knitcommunity or a team, said SandyRubinstein, the CEO.

"There are a limited number of offices, and those offices rarely close the doors," Rubinstein said. "There are slippers given to each employee so they can kick their shoes off and [brainstorm]."

There are several kitchens stocked with snacks and sodas, "as you would see in a friend's house."

Credit: DXAgency

The employees love the company's game room located in the basement of the building surrounded by bluestone rock and lit by black iron chandeliers, Rubinstein said.

"There is also a kitchen and long wooden picnic table with long benches for seating. This is the room where people can let off steam and play pinball or video games, as well as the location for our potluck lunches and our Free Foodie Fridays catered by different local restaurants," she added.

2. Framebridge

Location: Washington, D.C.
The inspiration: Maintaining and honoring the space's historic charm (it's rumored to have been Francis Scott Key's former home).

Credit: Framebridge

Susan Tynan, the CEO and founder of custom framing company Framebridge, said the office has been modernized into a comfortable, functioning corporate office.

Framebridge's in-house creative team designed the office space, highlighting the team's custom frames and in-house photography along with their collective work, Tynan said.

Credit: Framebridge

"Employees love how warm, welcoming and Instagram-ready the office space is. From plush couches and office nooks to long wooden tables used for boardroom meetings, Framebridge embraces the office's former Georgetown home identity," Tynan said.

3. The Yard

Location: New York City (Herald Square location)
The inspiration: Drawing people to a location where they want to work and bring their clients and partners to.

Credit: The Yard

The floor-to-ceiling, 22-foot windows of The Yard's 34th Street location reveal the area's surroundings and are meant to convey the feeling of an oasis above the bustle of Herald Square.

"We loved the high ceilings and ample natural light throughout this location and wanted to make sure our members would be able to really take advantage of it," said Morris Levy, the co-founder and CEO of the company.

Credit: The Yard

The space also features bright, vibrant colors. There is a "living art gallery," a rotating wall of new, curated art from local artists.

Levy said the company will be expanding into Philadelphia later this year, making the Herald Square area ideal for those who do business in multiple cities and have to travel for work.

4. Bluecore

Location: New York City
The inspiration: The building's history and New York City.

Credit: Bluecore

Before it was occupied by Bluecore, the SaaS (software-as-a-service) startup's building was a prominent kosher wine shop for 40 years and, before that, a liquor storehouse during Prohibition. The space combines the elements of its "boozy" history and the city's urban edge.

The office features brown couches, wooden tables and framed antique pictures accented by contemporary light fixtures and steel bar stools. Accents of Bluecore's royal blue are found throughout the office, adding a modern feel and a sense of company pride.

Credit: Bluecore

"We sought to create an atmosphere that's comfortable, yet conducive to high-performance," Ryan Luckin, head of marketing and communications at Bluecore, said. "We theorized that if employees are going to spend most of their waking weekday hours in an office, it should be nicer than most of their apartments. This is NYC, after all."

5. Camp Bow Wow

Location: Broomfield, Colorado
The inspiration: A dog-and-people-friendly office space.

Credit: Camp Bow Wow

Running a doggie day care and boarding franchise means that each Camp Bow Wow office is canine-compatible.

"Having dogs in the office provides increased morale and productivity, happier employees, lower absenteeism rates and even improved relationships among co-workers," Christina Russell, president of Camp Bow Wow, said.

Russell notes Camp Bow Wow's employees are involved in the foster community and bring foster dogs to work.

"It's a great feeling when you see a foster dog who has been in the office for a couple of weeks go home to a forever family," Russell said. "Sometimes it has even been other team members or visiting franchise owners who have been the ones to adopt the fosters."

6. Blend

Location: San Francisco

The inspiration: The company's "innovative" culture

Credit: Blend

Blend, a messaging app, got off its feet in a 250-square-foot room connected to a mosque. Its newest space features inexpensive, consignment-store paraphernalia, such as bamboo sticks, dragon heads and owl paintings, which CEO and co-founder Akash Nigam purchased to lighten the mood in Blend’s old office.