Cozy Conference Room Design Ideas & Office Makeover

After a whirlwind week’s worth of work (wow, say that five times fast), the conference room makeover is finished!

If you missed where this project first started, our friend Amber, the Coordinator at The Cottage at Pathways Community Center in partnership with The Life House Women’s Shelter, asked us for help in making their office / meeting room feel like home.

conference room lighting with cozy lamps instead of fluorescent bulbs
conference room before

We feel honored to be a part of this room’s transformation that will serve the homeless women in our community with counseling, case management services, financial education, and employment assistance.

How to Design a Conference Room or Office to Feel Cozy

Whether you have an office, conference room, meeting room, or just any room at home that could use a little decorating love to help your space feel calming, I pulled together a few cozy conference room ideas and meeting room design tips to give some guidance.

But first… a moment for the before and after shots on the other side of this room.

Simply adding the moody teal paint color from our Bless’er House Color Collection Romabio New Hope made such a difference.

leather armchair and gray fringe footstool in a reading corner in an office
wooden secretary desk and green desk chair in an office
conference room before

Push Together Small Accent Cabinets to Make a Long Sideboard

We wanted to utilize as much storage space as possible along the back wall of the conference room without sacrificing too much of the furniture budget.

To save money and customize the length we needed, we found these 3 small reeded accent cabinets to place side-by-side and fake the look of a long sideboard cabinet.

You can do the same thing with small chests of drawers or dressers in bedrooms or living rooms to make one large console.

sideboard, gallery wall, and coffee station in a conference room

Set Up a Coffee Station

Is there really anything that says “cozy” more than coffee? Especially if you have clients or guests, a small coffee area helps them feel welcomed.

sideboard, gallery wall, and coffee station in a conference room

Coffee Station Supplies & Amenities

sideboard, gallery wall, and coffee station in a conference room
sideboard, gallery wall, and coffee station in a conference room

Use Soft Lighting

I don’t know about you, but fluorescent lights instantly stress me out. According to Psychology Today, compact fluorescent light bulbs (“CFLs”) trigger stress reactions, nervous system dysregulation, or physical sensitivity reactions like migraines, tics, and anxiety.

Counteracting fluorescent lighting with softer bulbs in lamps, pendant lights, and sconces aren’t just pretty in a room. They can improve your emotional regulation.

sideboard, gallery wall, and coffee station in a conference room

Best Light Bulbs to Use in an Office

Neutral white or daylight bulbs in the 4000K to 5000K range are best to use in an office if you want to be alert and productive.

But in some settings like when working in counseling services, if you want your office or conference room to feel soothing, soft white bulbs in the 2700K to 3000K range can help with stress reduction.

conference room lighting with cozy lamps instead of fluorescent bulbs with a conference table and chairs

Ceiling Lights in a Drop Ceiling

It’s challenging to make commercial grid ceilings with drop ceiling tiles look cute.

A quick, simple way to hang a pendant lamp from a drop ceiling without an electrician is to attach a plug-in pendant lamp cord to the grid with zip ties!

Run the cord across the ceiling and down a wall to plug into an outlet. Conceal the cord against the wall with a cord cover and paint the cover the same color as the wall to hide it.

conference room lighting with cozy lamps instead of fluorescent bulbs

Hardwiring a ceiling light would work the best, but if your budget is tight or you need a quick solution, a plug-in pendant lamp does the trick!

conference room lighting with cozy lamps instead of fluorescent bulbs

The pendant light above the table and chairs can be used in conjunction with the fluorescent lights in the room or on its own depending on the tasks that day.

I love how it softly illuminates everyone’s faces sitting at the conference table so that group counseling sessions can feel intimate and welcoming.

conference room lighting with cozy lamps instead of fluorescent bulbs

Wireless Lighting

Adding picture lights above art is an easy way to add some sophistication to a space. And you don’t necessarily need to get lighting hardwired on the walls to create the look.

We used these wireless picture lights that can be operated manually or with a remote. Use rechargeable batteries so that you never have to buy more.

Related: How to Install a Picture Light Without Hardwiring

framed art turned into a memo board

Office Art

Make a Memo Board to Look Like Art

I love this DIY Large Wall Art Magnetic Memo Board so much that I want it in my own house! It’s such a great way to blend style with function.

framed art turned into a memo board

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Hang a metal sheet on the wall covered with a mural or poster and use it to organize notes and important announcements with magnet clips. Frame it out with a few strips of molding to look finished.

You could even cover the art with a piece of plexiglass to write on top with dry erase markers if the art underneath is simple enough to allow writing to be visible.

framed art turned into a memo board
framed art turned into a memo board

There are so many great vintage art downloads available on Etsy for just $2-3 each. Play around with combinations by mixing different art mediums: charcoal sketches, watercolor, oil painting, etc.

Stick to art prints within a 2-3 color family range to make it feel like one cohesive collection or mix up art from a wide array of colors if you prefer a modern, eclectic vibe.

Related: Follow these tips on How to Hang the Perfect Gallery Wall for extra help.

I used four 18″x24″ picture frames and one 16″x20″ picture frame in this gallery wall, and I chose these vintage art pieces I printed at MPix.com. Some of the art prints have scriptures written in the corners.

sideboard, gallery wall, and coffee station in a conference room

Use Mirrors in Windowless Areas

When a room has little to no windows, it helps to utilize a large mirror or two instead.

Mirrors help bounce light in dark corners and walls making small rooms seem bigger. This full length windowpane mirror was the perfect solution for this windowless side of the room.

Related: Small Room Ideas to Make a Space Look Bigger

leather armchair with fringe ottoman footstool as a reading corner in an office

Set Up a Seating Area

Sometimes it’s just nice to sit somewhere in an office that’s not at a table or desk to read, work on a laptop, or take a break.

I repurposed this bookshelf the shelter already had and added baskets and lidded boxes for concealed storage.

leather armchair with fringe ottoman footstool as a reading corner in an office

I couldn’t resist the adorable ottoman with tassel rope fringe detail so the ladies can kick their feet up and rest or read a book in the armchair.

leather armchair with fringe ottoman footstool as a reading corner in an office

Be Smart About Storage Space

Since this conference room will be used as Amber’s office part of the time, we set up this secretary desk that provided ample storage but can fold up during meetings to make more room for foot traffic.

We supplied a Bluetooth speaker and a diffuser too because I totally believe in engaging all of the senses to make a space feel comfortable – that includes sound and smell.

wooden secretary desk and green desk chair in an office
wooden secretary desk and green desk chair in an office

The one request Amber had was she wanted to keep her favorite green desk chair. It works so well in here! I hadn’t seen the chair before I designed this room, so it’s a good thing it all worked out.

wooden secretary desk and green desk chair in an office

Add Texture With Textiles

Look at the photo below and now imagine how it would look without the curtains or rug. Wouldn’t it feel cold and uninviting?

Fabrics in a room add so much. Textures in textiles create depth in a space.

This skinny, off-centered window was tricky to decorate, but by hanging the curtains “high and wide” and using the off-center curtain panel hanging trick, we made the room look bigger and and the window more proportional.

Related: The Best Luxury for Less Amazon Curtains, Rods, and Shades

moss green curtains and teal walls in a conference room

Related: Favorite Traditional Rugs from Loloi

Adding a rug under the conference table helped disguise the black painted concrete floors. I always start designing a room by choosing a rug, piece of art, wallpaper, or fabric first.

This rug with colors of terra cotta, moss green, and teal inspired all of the other selections for furnishings, fabrics, art, and paint colors in this room to establish cohesiveness.

Related: How to Decorate a Room from Start to Finish in 13 Steps

terracotta, teal, and moss green rug

Conference Room Decor Sources

It’s so hard to believe how far this room came in a week. Paint, lighting, art, and a lot of sweaty hard work can really work some miracles.

conference room before
dark and moody conference room with cozy lighting

More Office Decorating Ideas

We are so grateful to The Life House Women’s Shelter and The Cottage at Pathways Community Center for entrusting us with such a special project where those in need can preserve their dignity and feel loved.

You can visit them here if you’d like to volunteer, provide a meal, provide needs from their wish list, or donate to their cause.

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57 Comments

  1. Absolutely spectacular! What a transformation. I love everything you did and thank you for helping this wonderful organization!

      1. Wow! What an amazing transformation of the space! You created such a serene space. It looks so professional while at the same time warm & inviting. I love it!

        1. The use of this room needed to be functional yet overly inviting. I am so happy to have been able to gift this space to the community.

  2. Bravo, Lauren! You outdid yourself on this one. . . and for such a good cause! I salute you.

  3. There are no words to describe my face when I saw the after photos. I’m speechless and blown away! Wowza.

  4. Everything about this transformation is a WOW. What a great blessing it will be for the people that come through this space. Thank you for sharing!