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That’s a wrap on 2025: The year workplace design became a core part of business strategy.

2025: The year that Workplace design shifted to a more deliberate business strategy, productivity and employee retention tool.

From strategic greenery to complete workplace transformations, we’ve seen a shift in businesses wanting to make their office interior work harder without breaking down walls or the bank.

As the New Zealand summer approaches and we all start thinking about days at the beach, we wanted to pause and reflect on an encouraging shift we’ve seen this year: businesses rediscovering that their workplace isn’t just overhead, it’s a strategic asset that directly impacts culture, retention, and productivity.

Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, the companies thriving in 2025 are those that invested smartly in their people and spaces. Here’s what we learned from working alongside them.

The top 4 workplace shifts we saw in 2025

1. The workplace as a competitive advantage

The businesses outperforming their competitors aren’t just focused on revenue targets, they’re intentionally designing spaces where people actually want to spend their day and do their best work. This isn’t soft or culture only thinking; it’s strategic, when your office becomes a magnet, productivity, creativity, and retention naturally follow.

2. Design as a talent retention tool

Forward thinking companies are moving foward on what research has been telling us for years: workplace design directly impacts whether your best people stay or leave. The right environment doesn’t just support work; it makes recruiting and retaining your talent easier.

3. Beyond greenery: full interior design transformations

While plants and creative greenery are at the core of our offer, our clients in 2025 wanted more. Many needed full workplace solutions, things like modular furniture, textures, art, and strategic layouts, to transform their spaces without the disruption and expense of traditional fitouts. This is where our “refresh without refit” design approach really proved its worth: real, impactful change that preserves cashflow for what matters most in business – prioritising cash for growth and innovation.

4. Flexibility as a business imperative

In the current business environment and what we think is likely the ‘new normal’, uncertainty demands flexibility. Our subscription model works well regardless of business size because it gives the ability to scale workplace investment up or down as needed, to make changes without long term commitments or capital outlays. For New Zealand’s predominantly SME landscape, this approach made professional workplace design expertise accessible to many for the first time.

Celebrating our clients' many successes

We’re incredibly proud to work with businesses who get it, who understand that investing in their workplace is investing in their people, and investing in their people drives business results. This year, many of our clients received awards and recognition for their business successes, and we’d like to acknowledge their incredible efforts in 2025.

Deloitte Fast 50 recognition

Huge congratulations to Tracksuit, Auror, Phoenix Recycling and Nectar Money for their recognition in the 2025 Deloitte Fast 50 Awards. What unites these high growth companies isn’t just brilliant business models and disruption in their markets, it’s their deliberate focus on creating workplace cultures and environments where people do their best work.

Innovation in action

A special shoutout to Zenno Astronautics for their recent innovation partnership with a US space company called Portal Space Systems, which will use Zenno’s technology to launch their spacecraft into orbit next year – how amazing! Zenno is likely the only office in New Zealand with real meteorites throughout its office space. Their space features strategic greenery, space-themed textures and components, and real meteorites throughout. It’s a perfect example of how workplace design can reinforce your brand story, innovation success and company culture.

To find out more about Zenno’s innovation journey, go to https://www.zenno.space/company

Our own innovations

We didn’t just transform client spaces this year—we pushed ourselves to innovate too. We’re excited to share two new solutions: the Greenery Seatery (part planting, part seating, always functional) and our flexible modular garden system that grows and adapts as your business does. We also refreshed our website, check it out here.

The power of adaptability

Consult Recruitment is a great example of workplace design flexibility done right. They’ve refreshed and repositioned their space with us more than once this year, and here’s why that’s brilliant: their office can transform into an event space within half a day thanks to flexible furniture, moveable greenery, and dedicated feature walls. This is workplace design that works as hard as they do.

Looking ahead to 2026

2026 is predicted to be the year with more “green shoots”, and naturally, we like the reference to green! Business confidence is slowly returning. Companies are looking forward and planning for growth in an improving business environment. If you’re planning an expansion, wondering whether you can fit more people into your existing space, or simply want to create an environment where your team does their best work, we’d love to help.

When you get the workplace right, everything else gets easier – recruitment, retention, productivity, culture and innovation. Ready to refresh your space or wondering if your space could work better?

Get in touch – we’d love to show you what’s possible. Contact: hello@nomoreboring.co.nz or get a copy of our packages and pricing guide here.

Ready to refresh your space or wondering if your space could work better? 
Get in touch - we'd love to show you what's possible.

Contact: hello@nomoreboring.co.nz or get a copy of our packages and pricing guide here.

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