Do you know the story behind McD’s classic red and yellow avatar? The brand definitely played smart in choosing the two as the psychology of colors suggests that while red stimulates hunger, yellow encourages happiness. Studies have shown that different colors can dominate the mood and productivity of people in different ways. Similarly, when it comes to choosing modern office colors, you need to analyze how they will impact the mood and productivity of your employees and/or customers. Also, you wouldn’t want it to be too dark to make your space look small or too light.
We know that deciding on a paint color for your office is not as simple as it appears. Are you struggling with the questions—What color should I paint my office? What are some modern office colors? What is the best color for fluorescent lighting in an office space? How to choose the right colors for your workspace? We go you covered as in this blog post, and we are going to talk about the significant factors that can impact your color choice and explore the psychology of colors to choose the right one for you.
Factors To Consider For Modern Office Colors
Different Colors for Different Spaces
There’s no one color for all fits. Different industries, offices, and spaces call for different colors. For instance, shades of grey and white often understated work great for professional office and bank environments. However, retail stores are looking for more bold and tantalizing colors to attract shoppers. Also, different spaces like the reception area, meeting rooms, open floors, corridors, cafeteria, and more can use different colors to instigate different energies within an office. Here’s how:
Reception, the first contact point for employees or clients, needs to be welcoming and calming, especially if it contains a waiting room. You can go with soft shades of yellow or peach here.
Training or Meeting Rooms are places where people communicate, collaborate, and create. Shades of turquoise or teal are the best for these areas as these are calming and inspire communication & creativity.
General Areas like open spaces are where the work happens. You want these spaces to facilitate productivity and calm. Thus, soft yellow would be a smart choice to achieve the goals while keeping a bright and cheery mood. Shades of white, blue, or green, considered cool colors, can also be a good option. However, intense colors like red are not good for these spaces, making employees feel angry and stressed.
How lit is your Office? The Natural Lighting
Natural light is one of the most important factors in choosing office colors. While more corporate towers now construct offices that are well lit with natural lighting, if your office does not receive enough natural light, then you must reconsider the dark paint you’re planning to with. No natural light spaces must use lighter colors and vice versa. Also, it would help if you considered how natural light changes the color’s appearance.
The Size of Your Space
Is your office space confined and small? Dark colors have the potential to make a room look smaller, and light colors, on the contrary, can make the same room look bigger. Thus, light colors are the best option for small offices to go with. However, if you have a huge space, light colors can make it feel disconnected and distant. Using dark shades here can make the employees feel intimate. You can cozy up to some corners further by using darker tones.
The Color Temperature of Office Spaces
What is the desired temperature for your office space? Whatever it is, besides turning the temperature controllers up & down, you can manage the temperature of your office spaces by smart play of colors as well. Every color stimulates different sensations, ranging from warm to cold, breezy, and much more. For instance, yellow, orange, and red can make the space feel warm, and blue & green colors help maintain a cool temperature.
Decoding the Play of Colors and Productivity
Color is much more than a style preference and can have a real impact on the productivity of your employees. Making the right decisions here can improve productivity, innovation, and creativity at the workplace by many folds. Here are some colors and their impact on the minds of people.
Blue is a cool color that is universally accepted to induce productivity. It keeps the mind calm and helps people stay focused.
Yellow is the color of creativity and energy. Thus, if you want to inspire your people to be more creative and add uplifting qualities to the workplace, then go with this color.
Green is the color that helps counter fatigue. If your people require to work for long hours in the office, it will be good to paint your walls green as it is a color that causes least eye fatigue.
Red is an intense color, not usually recommended for offices. However, if used in balance at the workplace, it can make your employees feel physically active. The color naturally tends to people’s heart rate and blood flow, invoking passion and emotions.
Purple signifies luxury and quality. Made using multiple primary colors, including blue and red (which are two opposites), purple evokes mixed feelings associated with both colors. It is a good option if productivity and energy are important to you.
Brown is the color of reliability. The earthy tone of brown makes people feel warm and serious. At times, it can work wrong as well in a room by making it gloomy. However, it can give a very powerful message when coupled with real wooden textures. Many law firms use this color to convey stakeholders’ safety, security, and warmth.
Black is the color of efficiency and sophistication. It brings out deep emotions. Thus, it is important that you know how and where to use it wisely. One thing that stands out in black is that it goes well with every color you can imagine. When using office spaces, it is important to offset the prominence of black with maybe white furniture or other elements.
White signifies cleanliness and efficiency. It can give the room a chic, modern, clean, sophisticated, and efficient vibe. This is why most offices are often painted white without giving any thought. It makes the room look bigger and perfect for enclosed spaces with no natural light. It’s a safe choice if you want to go with something neutral and evergreen.
The Color Intensity
Once you know which color is the right for you, the next step is how intense you want it to be. While bright colors are seen as more stimulating, their softer versions are soothing. For offices, the right choice would be to pick the softer versions of blue and green to facilitate a soothing environment and yet make the space bright and inviting. On the other hand, dark shades of the same colors could be too intense for employees and are more useful in making a statement.
Fluorescent Lighting In an Office Space
Does your office have fluorescent lights in certain areas? You must have witnessed how wall paint color changes under normal and fluorescent lights. They help in creating a bright, cool, and blue-tinged environment. Going by their nature, fluorescent lights in an office space work well with cool colors like green and blue, making the room brighter. Warm colors, on the contrary, work against the fluorescent lights, resulting in a dull environment.
Employees and Customers: Who Gets To Choose The Colors For Your Office Space?
Have you thought about how your employees and/or customers want to see the office? After all, they work in it and must have a say. Conducting a survey and asking them about the office space color could be a great idea. It will help you in two ways—firstly, they will feel valued, and secondly, it will help you gather the opinion of all and make the right decision.
Know Where to Stop!
There is a thin line between being creative and going overboard. Make sure you don’t cross that. While it is a great idea to part ways from the traditional all-white offices and induce creativity in modern office colors to enhance productivity, make sure you’re not going overboard. For instance, if you choose the color yellow for your paint, while it may look good on some walls, making the entire office yellow, including furniture, flooring, walls, and desk, might make the place unbearable to work in for your employees.
The color of your workspace can have a big impact on productivity, mood, and energy levels. Choosing an appropriate shade or hue may help you feel calmer, relaxed, energized, or alert, depending on what type of work or industry you are into. We hope this blog was helpful for you in finding the right color for your office.
If you’re still not sure about it, then connect with us.
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