If you’re like the majority of the workforce these days, you likely spend an awful lot of time at the office. Sadly, you probably spend more time at your office than you do at home. Because you spend so much time there, wouldn’t it make sense that you’d have an environment that would allow you to be your most productive? Would you want a wall color that would detract from your work? Does the wall color in your office even have anything to do with how productive you actually are?
The answer is yes! Wall color definitely affects productivity and job performance. It’s a well known fact that color affects your mood. In fact, colors can not only alter your state of mind, they can even alter your physical health, by either raising or lowering blood pressure. When you’re working, your state of mind needs to be in the work environment, not elsewhere.There really is no hard and fast rule regarding color selection, as everyone’s eyes see color a little differently. Two people in the same office will never see the exact same shade of blue on the wall.
How exactly does wall color affect productivity? To learn more about this phenomenon, it’s important to understand the underlying emotions that each color tends to evoke.
Blue
If you have a job that requires a great deal of detail-oriented work, such as editing or working with numbers, a pale blue makes an ideal choice. The right shade of blue allows you to focus on your work and doesn’t prove to be a big distraction. Known to improve concentration levels, blue is a perfect option for positions that require repetitive actions. Avoid bright, bold blues or deep colors like navy, which won’t provide the concentration levels you need.
Green
Green is considered to be a relaxing and comforting color that makes people feel calm and serene. If you have a job where people need to feel comfortable and at ease, this might be the perfect choice for your office. Think of careers such as counselor, doctor, nurse or even principal. Not only do you want to be relaxed in your environment, you want those coming in to feel reassured, as well.
Red
Is red ever a good color for an office? Of course it is! It’s the perfect complement for workers who are involved in creative endeavors, such as graphic design or advertising. These professions require bold, vivid colors to help them achieve peak performance. Red is known to get those creative juices flowing. But, beware, red is also known to increase hostility and change temperament in the office. If you need that burst of creativity, but don’t want to sit in a red room all day long, consider painting just an accent wall for a similar effect.
Brown
Although brown is often considered to be a boring, lackluster color, it is known to bring forth feelings of safety and security. Various tones of brown are perfect for an office that needs to convey those feelings to visitors, such as a doctor’s office or police station. Because it’s a neutral, brown is also a perfect shade to combine with other colors in your office environment.
Orange
Like red, orange walls tend to get the occupants motivated and excited. This is a perfect color for those creative-minded positions, such as writers or designers. Because it conveys excitement, orange is also perfect for those office areas that require constant movement and energy, such as the office of a day care administrator or, believe it or not, even a production environment. If employees need to move quickly and rapidly, orange is an excellent color option.
Gray
The easiest color in the spectrum for all eyes to see, gray is a cool color that promotes a feeling of contentment and serenity. Because gray is such an easy color to view, and prevents a great deal of eye strain, it’s a perfect option for anyone working with numbers or viewing a computer screen all day long. It’s also a fantastic neutral that will pair with other colors beautifully.
Yellow
Nearly anyone in the workforce should avoid yellow. Though it might be a great color for your kitchen, it doesn’t work for the office. It is one of the hardest colors on the eyes and tends to over stimulate people, not allowing them to focus on their job.
White
Because of its reflectivity, white is definitely not a good color for your office walls! It’s sterile and boring and doesn’t really promote any feelings at all. The only positive that white really has going for it is the fact that it makes small spaces feel bigger. If you decide to use white, do so in small doses or to complement different colors in the office.
Final Thoughts
Depending on your job and the type of environment you need, be it calm and cool for someone in finance or bold and bright for someone who needs to be creative all day long, there are certain colors that you should gravitate towards and those you should definitely avoid.Just ask yourself what type of environment you need in your office to be your most productive and choose your color accordingly.
Guest post by
Lori Wallace-Roberts of Bedly, an online interior decorating service.
