With the ever-increased stress placed upon today's workers, the need to provide them with relaxing and visually appealing spaces cannot be over emphasized. In making your design decisions, consider fabrics and finishes with soft muted colors and low reflective surfaces. If there are windows, try to have lower panels, or open spaces nearby. Don't use bright and contrasting colors. Stick with calming monochromatic color schemes.
Practicality is another aspect of aesthetic appeal.
Wood surfaces are certainly beautiful, however utilization in high traffic environments may well render them worn in no time. Manufacturers do formulate finishes made to stand up to abuse, but even those surfaces suffer from continuous usage. Even the most diligent facilities person can't prevent brand new furniture from looking less than brand new just a few months after delivery. Actually small nicks and scratches are bound to happen during installation. It might be worth it to call in for constant repairs, but why go through that hassle.