Gone are the days of white-washed offices that make employees feel dull and imprisoned. Psychology has shown us that people need to be surrounded by color to keep their brains firing and creative without burning them out. Think about it, are you more productive in a dull office or on a cool, sunny day?
Starting off neutral, grey is a color that may seem boring but can be beneficial when used correctly. Subtle shades of grey creates neutral environments where employees do not feel over or under stimulated. Use this color sparingly as too much can make employees drag and lower productivity.
Universally known as a productive color, blue works well as an accent color or to paint the entire office. Blue is a calming color that helps workers focus on the tasks at hand. Despite the tranquil feels, slow breathing, and lower blood pressure that is associated with blue, it stimulates the mind. Blue is popular amongst all genders and the calm stimulating effects positively affect employees.
If you are looking for something a little more subtle, off-white may be what your office needs. Off-white is softer and more welcoming than the clinical and intimidating aura of pure white while still keeping the space looking open and pure.
To get employees energized and collaborating, incorporate some yellow. The bright color creates a more open and invigorating atmosphere. However, yellow should be used in small doses since it is the least favorite color for adults. An easy tip is to use a pastel yellow if you think your office needs a little extra energy. As the strongest color psychologically, yellow can help spark creativity and memories. An added bonus is the increased levels of self-esteem and optimism in offices where yellow is present.
Because of its frequency in nature, green calms people down. To have these effects, add plants around your office and especially in areas where relaxation is the goal. Because we are so used to seeing shades of green, it is a good background color that is not distracting and will not cause eye fatigue. For this reason, it is especially good for people who work long hours.
Purple is effective in many different shades. Darker shades have calming and soothing effects; whereas, lighter shades energize employees. Purple is great in atmospheres where employees may need the occasional boost of confidence or mental awareness.
Research suggests that the best color to boost productivity is orange. Although orange can positively influence activity, enthusiasm, and endurance, people tend to either love or hate the color. Similar to yellow, orange should be used as an accent color or in a pastel shade.
When designing the final touches of your office space, you can mix and match or combine colors to get your desired outcome (i.e. brown, blue-grey, blue-green, etc.). Each office space will need to utilize different colors as they will each have a different purpose. For a professional opinion on what your office needs, contact Magellan Construction.