The History of the Office

At Mirror Image, we don’t just design and build bespoke fitted wardrobes – we also create home offices. As more people take advantage of flexible working patterns enabled by modern technology, we get more enquiries into this side of our business. Today, over 4 million Brits work from home at least some of the time – a record high. But how did this come about? We take a look at the evolution of the modern office.

Roman Origins

A Roman officium was a staff of people charged with running an event or organisation. The gladiatorial games would have had an officium of bureaucrats working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that everything ran to schedule on the big day. Whether they had a building or rooms dedicated to the purpose is unknown, but some historians have suggested the Pantheon in Rome may have been a forerunner of what we think of as an office.

The British Empire

The expansion of the British Empire in the 18th and 19th Centuries coincided with the growth of companies such as the East India Company and Lloyd's of London. These early multinationals built themselves headquarters in London – which was then the financial capital of the world – and employed thousands of clerks to manage the extensive paperwork generated by overseas operations.

Technological Change

The Twentieth Century saw the spread of calculating machines and typewriters that reduced the number of clerks required to run a successful business. Offices became smaller and more open plan. A manager in a medium size business might have a corner office room, but his subordinates would work in a larger shared space with a more collegiate atmosphere.  

Cubicle Farms

The desire for private concentration was addressed in the 1980s by the division of these larger working spaces into cubicles. This much-ridiculed office design is finally starting to disappear. Firms like Google advocate a return to the open office and have relaxed rules about working hours and formal wear. This transition has been partly enabled by technology. Modern communication and encryption enable people to work from home and use office space as a place to share ideas.

Working from Home

As the workspace becomes more relaxed, working from home has become increasingly common. The most important factor when working from home is keeping up your productivity. It’s easier to do that if you have a dedicated working space in your home. That’s where Mirror Image comes in. Our practical and sophisticated office furniture is available in a range of styles and colours and will be designed to fit your room exactly how you want it.

For more information on how we can help you create the perfect home office, visit our Norwich or Cambridge showrooms or give us a ring on 01603 417577 to arrange a free design appointment.

Follow us on Facebook to see more fascinating blog posts and to get regular interior design inspiration.