Elevate Your Entrance: 8+ Stunning Lobby Design Upgrades

The lobby is the first thing visitors see when they enter your building, and as they say, first impressions last. Whether you manage an office building, hotel, or apartment, the design of your lobby speaks volumes about your tenant's brand and sets the tone for the visitor’s experience. An outdated or poorly designed lobby could make your space feel uninviting, while a modern and thoughtfully designed one can enhance your brand image, improve visitor experience, and even boost property value.

Upgrading your lobby is a strategic move, especially in competitive rental markets. In this post, we’ll explore smart design strategies and ideas that can take your lobby from ordinary to extraordinary.

Before jumping into specific design elements, it’s important to start with a clear strategy. The design of your lobby should reflect the purpose of the building while creating an atmosphere that makes visitors feel welcomed and impressed. When planning a lobby upgrade, consider:

What kind of tenants do you want to attract? If you're targeting young startups or well-established businesses, each audience will be looking for something different. Even businesses across different industries will have different needs. Brainstorm what your ideal tenant looks like or better yet, talk to your existing tenants about their wants and needs. Use any ideas generated from this exercise to inform your design strategy.

Who will be using the space? For hotels and apartments, guests may require seating and concierge services, while offices might prioritise a clean, functional space where clients and staff feel at ease.

In office buildings, the lobby serves as the gateway for all types of businesses on the floors above. For tenants and their clients, it must be functional, welcoming, and reflective of a professional environment. In the hospitality industry, your lobby plays a central role in shaping guest expectations. It should be warm, inviting, and designed to offer comfort as soon as guests arrive. For apartments, secure access is a top priority for potential tenants.

The lobby is a powerhouse space that must balance form and function with user needs at heart. More than a check-in spot, it's now a multipurpose hub—hosting business meetings, offering remote work amenities, or providing a stylish disconnect away from the office, hotel room, or home. Having a clear strategy ensures that all design choices—from the reception desk to lighting—work in harmony to deliver the right experience for your visitors.

1. Reception Desk Considerations

The reception desk is often the focal point of the lobby, so it needs to stand out while being functional. Opt for sleek, modern designs that are in line with your brand identity. If your lobby space is on the ground floor of an office building, lean towards a more corporate style. A minimalist desk with clean lines is ideal. In contrast, hotels can embrace more decorative or luxurious materials like marble or wood to make a statement. In apartment buildings, this desk can also function as a security checkpoint or concierge.

The front desk is one of the most functional elements of your lobby. It’s also a space where you can experiment and be adventurous with aesthetic choices. Functionally, the desk size should emulate the size of the hotel and the amount of guests you expect to check-in daily. Outside of this, any other design choices should be informed by branded ideas and personality you’d like to imbue the space with. It’s more than a reception desk. It’s a statement.

2. Material Considerations

Starting from the entrance, tiles are the most ideal flooring option. Non-slip tiles or anti-slip treads are a must at all major accessways to prevent accidents from occurring during inclement weather. 

Moving further into the lobby, aesthetic tiles are a great design choice. Ideal for all seasons, tiles are easy to clean, moisture-resistant, and absorb heat.

For more flooring variety, carpet is a good alternative too. Keep in mind that carpeted floors will require more maintenance, and may stain over time. For these reasons, we recommended limiting carpet to certain sections of the lobby (e.g. lounge areas).

If you choose tiles as your primary flooring, look to balance out the acoustics of your lobby with wall panelling. Tiles bounce and reflect sound throughout your space, so materials that absorb sound (e.g. wood) can improve sound quality in particularly busy lobbies. Carpet can also help.

3. Mirrors and Lighting

Mirrors are a great way to make your lobby feel larger and brighter. When placed strategically, they can reflect natural light deeper into a space, brightening up a lobby without the use of artificial lighting. In smaller lobbies, mirrors can create the illusion of additional space, making these spaces feel larger and more grand.

If you don’t have much natural light to work with, consider upgrading your current light fixtures. The negative effects of poor lighting have been well documented and could negatively impact staff mood and the guest experience. 

Consider installing light fixtures with diffusers to evenly disperse light throughout the space. Lamps can also provide an additional source of softer illumination. Choose light bulbs with a neutral colour temperature, which will emit a gentler, calming light. 4000K (a.k.a. natural light) is popular in commercial settings.

4. Modern Furniture Styling

Your furniture choices in the lobby set the tone for the rest of the space. Choose pieces that are comfortable but not too bulky, modern yet timeless. In larger buildings, modular seating arrangements can provide flexibility and allow you to accommodate different group sizes or waiting areas. Sofas, lounge chairs, and side tables in neutral tones with pops of colour can give a professional yet inviting feel.

While functionality is important, remember that lobbies are transient spaces. Users won’t camp out in these areas for long periods. Knowing this, opt for furniture that reflects the vibe you want to create, then add functional elements on top of that.

5. Artwork

Adding artwork is a simple yet effective way to give your lobby a personal touch. Whether it’s bold, large-scale art pieces, sculptural installations, or subtle prints, artwork adds character and can spark conversation. Opt for art that resonates with your brand or enhances the mood you want to create in the space.

6. Biophilic Elements & Sensory Experiences

The use of biophilic design (bringing elements of nature indoors) is becoming increasingly popular in lobby spaces. Plants, natural wood, stone, and water features can create a calming atmosphere that helps guests relax. These elements also improve indoor air quality and add a luxurious touch to the environment.

Along with biophilic design, consider creating a multi-sensory experience. For instance, soothing background music, gentle diffuser scents, or tactile design elements like textured fabrics can create a more immersive and welcoming environment.

Hotels in particular are spaces where people want to disconnect from the rest of the world. Tapping into the senses can create a clear separation between your hotel and life outside the hotel. Soft music, scent diffusers, food smells, artwork, and textured furniture stimulate the senses in a relaxing way. A switch gets flicked in the brain, encouraging guests to wind down and relax. Visitors attach positive emotions to these experiences. Future hotel stays will remind them of the fond memories they had previously. 

7. Wayfinding & Directional Signage

Clear, understandable signage helps visitors navigate a space without confusion. Consider using subtle, minimalist wayfinding elements that complement your lobby’s overall design. Whether it’s directing guests to lifts, conference rooms, or restrooms, clear signage both on walls and floors ensures foot traffic flows during busy times of the day.

8. Zoning

Lobbies are liminal spaces. They are a transition point between the outside world and the office (or hotel room). However recent trends show that the lobby can play a much larger role than this. 

In typical lobby design, the front desk commands attention. Now, some building designers are reducing the area a reception desk holds, further freeing up more space in the lobby. With this additional space, the modern lobby is now dynamic – blending social space, meeting areas and casual dining all in one area. 

To achieve this zones must blend seamlessly into each other while looking and feeling different. Soundproofing materials and partitions can help create the appearance of separate spaces. And using the same textures, colours and materials across each zone can make your lobby upgrade feel more cohesive.

From a commercial perspective, dialling back feature elements (e.g. front desk) to add more functionality to your lobby can encourage tenants on upper floors to spend more time within the building. Rather than going to a nearby cafe for a business meeting, they can have the meeting right in the lobby. And hungry, busy workers are more likely to take lunch at the closest cafe - especially if it’s on the ground floor of their building. For apartment buildings, a small lounge area might be all you need for residents to comfortably wait for taxis or food deliveries.

9. The Right Amount of Open Floor Space

The scale of your lobby matters. A spacious, open layout can evoke a feeling of luxury, while still maintaining zones for specific functions like check-in, lounging, or socialising. Avoid overcrowding the space with too much furniture or decor. Instead, strike a balance between open areas and functional spaces, ensuring the lobby doesn’t feel too cramped or too sparse.

At Canopy Fitouts, we understand the importance of first impressions. Whether you’re a landlord looking to attract high-quality tenants or a building owner aiming to enhance customer experiences, our team is here to help transform your lobby into a standout space.

We’ve worked on a wide range of building design projects, from sleek offices to apartment buildings and luxury hospitality experiences. Our experienced designers and builders collaborate closely with clients to deliver creative, functional, and stunning lobbies that reflect your unique vision.

Speak to our team today and we’d be more than happy to give you advice on cost, budgets, requirements, and timeframes for your lobby upgrade. Give us a call at 1800 434 868 or email info@canopyfitouts.com.au.