Famous Floorplans with Floor Heating: The Office at Dunder Mifflin

The Office TV show is remembered as one of the best comedy series of all time, primarily due to its main character for the first seven seasons: Michael Scott. His antics were frustrating at times but often came from a place of good intentions for his employees, whom he saw as family.

While Michael was known for living outside his means, floor heating was surely a luxury he and Jan would have been able to afford when they remodeled his condo in season four. This would have been especially helpful during the “Dinner Party” episode when it was freezing inside the condo. In Michael’s excitement to grab the ice cream truck a few days prior, he had shattered their sliding glass door, and a plastic tarp was now all that kept the chilly night air from getting inside.

But like many of the upgrades to their home, if it was Michael’s idea, Jan was usually quick to shoot it down, even if it was something she would have wanted too. So, with nowhere to utilize such a great system, Michael would have turned to the only other place he considered home: the Office.

Floor Heating

Floor heating can be paired with various flooring materials such as tile, carpet, and wood, the key difference being simply how the system is installed beneath each type. In-floor heating systems have a slim design profile for minimal added floor height when remodeling. Electric floor heating systems, in particular, are known for their responsive design, making them more energy efficient, unlike hydronic systems, which can waste a lot of energy warming up water that will cool off before reaching the desired spot. With all of these features, these systems have minimal monthly electrical costs, making for a budget-friendly upgrade to any home.

In this blog, we imagine how different areas of Dunder Mifflin could incorporate electric floor heating. Our SmartPlans help illustrate the layout and product used for each scenario.

Adding Warmth to Dunder Mifflin

Not only would radiant heating be safer than the multiple space heaters Michael kept under his desk, but it could encourage employees to stick around at the end of the work day during those cold Scranton winters. One of the ways Michael may have pulled this off was with the budget surplus that came up during Season 5, Episode 10 - if the money was not spent during the fiscal year, the funds would be removed from the budget for the following year. So, instead of a new copier, new chairs (or a new fur coat), Michael could have opted for under-floor heating for the entire office.

One of the most memorable scenes that may have played out differently was the iconic cold open, where Kevin brings in a pot of his famous chili. Struggling with his oversized pot, Kevin and the chili tumbled to the floor, spilling it all over the carpet. Kevin desperately tries to save the chili by scooping it back into the pot. But let’s hope he wouldn’t actually serve floor chili to his co-workers, even if it were kept warm with the underfloor heating. 

Here, you can see what this part of the floor would look like with our TempZone Floor Heating Cable. Our cable system makes it easy to accommodate uniquely shaped areas like this circle when paired with fixing strips.

Another episode focused on the floor was Season 5, Episode 17, where Dwight and Jim forget Kelly’s birthday. In the end, they offer her a choice to enjoy an hour of her day at the office: one hour of TV or one hour of napping. Kelly opts to nap underneath the conference room table. While she only had a thin blanket and pillow for comfort, floor heating underneath the carpet would have made it the best nap imaginable at work until Dwight came in to wake her by banging trash can lids together. 

In this floorplan, you can see how our Environ Flex Rolls fit just underneath the carpet of the conference table area. As a floating floor heating system, the warmth would be just beneath the surface of the carpet for optimal warmth.

Electric floor heating could have possibly helped Stanley during Season 5, Episode 14, when he fainted during the fire drill in the office. Dwight stages a "fake" fire drill for Dunder Mifflin to test whether his fellow co-workers were paying attention to his safety presentation the previous week. During the chaos and stress of everyone trying to make it out of the building, Stanley has a heart attack and falls to the floor by his desk. 

The warmth of floor heating might have helped Stanley stay a little calmer and relaxed despite Michael trying to give him mouth-to-mouth to resuscitate him. For such a large carpeted area as the bullpen, our Environ Flex Rolls could provide full heating coverage with as little as five mats.

While the people of the office would have gotten plenty of enjoyment out of the heated floors, there’s a four-legged friend who would have enjoyed them even more: Angela’s cat, Bandit. Instead of hiding in the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet, Bandit could have slept on the floor underneath her desk with electric floor heating. While these systems are known for their full coverage, there are targeted spot heating options for high-traffic areas such as in front of sinks, next to the shower, or underneath a desk. With radiant heating all day long, Bandit would have kept quiet and comfy next to Angela’s feet.

These systems are designed to last for many years, even in an office that has high foot traffic and lots of wear and tear. But nothing compares to Season 7, Episode 24, where Dwight accidentally shoots the floor with his antique pistol. The floor heating cable that would be underneath, could be damaged from this, but that doesn’t mean the whole system, or floor, has to be replaced. With the help of our tech support team, the damaged cable could be spliced and repaired without removing more than a square foot of carpet. Making it easy for the team to get back to work and enjoy the warm floors.

You can imagine your own radiant floor heating system by using our online quote builder, whether it’s a bathroom, kitchen or office you want to add warmth to.