Office design: How to transform your coffee and water spaces into cultural hubs
Lily | April 2, 2026
Your office coffee station is a community hub for your workplace, and where your team goes to take a moment to breathe and reset.
In modern office design, these areas are being reimagined. If you’re looking to move away from the sterile breakroom and towards a space that genuinely magnetises your team, here are four design ideas to elevate your hydration stations.
1. The social anchor layout
To improve team morale, treat your coffee station as a focal point. Instead of a wall-facing counter that forces people to turn their backs on each other, consider a central kitchen island, or open gathering space. This allows employees to turn a two-minute wait for an espresso into an opportunity for social interaction.
You can also use flooring choices to signal a change in pace. Transitioning from standard office carpet to tiling, for example, signals to the brain this is a separate space where it’s okay to step away from the screen and get talking.
2. Sleek, integrated hydration
Staying hydrated is vital for sharp focus, but bulky plastic water jugs can ruin a sleek office aesthetic. High-end office design now integrates water directly into the flow of the workspace. We recommend swapping old-fashioned coolers for sleek, under-counter taps like our Billi or Borg & Overström ranges. These provide chilled, sparkling, and boiling water instantly.
To make the space feel cohesive, choose tap finishes like matte black or brushed gold that match your office hardware. When your water station looks like a deliberate design choice rather than an appliance, it elevates the feel of the room.
3. Create a third space aesthetic
To truly compete with the high street, your office coffee station should mimic the vibe of a café. This is what we call third space design: a bridge between home (first space) and the workstation (second space). Move away from harsh fluorescents and use warm LED pendants and natural materials.
Since coffee prep can be noisy, it is also worth considering acoustic comfort. High-performance bean-to-cup machines are efficient, but consider incorporating soft furnishings and hidden soundproofing panels to dampen sound. This ensures the buzz of the café hub doesn’t distract those at nearby desks.
4. Collaborative perch seating
If you want to encourage discussion and ideas, you need to design to make people linger. Consider placing bar stools near your machine. It gives people a place to set their mug or perch and chat for five minutes without needing a full breakroom setup.
Adding discrete charging ports in these areas also makes the space more functional. It allows a team member to quickly check an email or charge their phone while enjoying their barista-style flat white, making the space a hub for both socialising and quick tasks.
Better design, better business
Investing in better office design shows your team they are valued. It’s not just about the coffee, though we’re a bit biased about that! It’s about creating an environment where people feel energised and ready to collaborate.
If you’d like to dive deeper into the data, you can read more about how refreshment facilities impact workplace satisfaction or explore the latest research on hospitality-inspired office spaces.