Office Colors: Why They Matter

It’s common knowledge that color impacts how we work, and can impact how we experience and perceive spaces. By engaging in the effective use of color psychology in office design, you can create a workspace that promotes different work modes, helps reduce stress and boost morale, and make employees feel at home. 

For most offices, natural materials and tones dominate the space, as most office furniture is made out of wood or in neutral shades. Adding pops of intentional color can really liven up your work area, while impacting how you work in ways you may not realize.

How Color Makes an Impact

Many companies now strive to create workplaces that not only reflect their brand as a whole, but their values. Essentially, the office has become a strategic branding tool, and while this is much more in-depth than where to position your logo on the door and what color to paint the walls, color does have a major role to play. 

In a study by the University of Texas which found that gray, beige and/or white offices led to staff showing increased feelings of sadness and lack of productivity, especially in women, while men encountered similar emotions when placed in overly purple and orange work environments. 

However, it is important to point out that there are a large number of variables such as individuals reacting differently to different visual stimuli, the variance in tones of the same color and how different colors are used together in combination. Consequently, the simple, perceived rule of thumb that for example, yellow is an energizing color, orange can inspire creativity, and blue exudes calm cannot be entirely adhered to and requires far more thought. So, how do you use colors in a way that benefits people and adds to their workday? 

With our product Define, for example, there are ways to incorporate pops of color. Our progressive partition has the option for tackable PET acoustic material, available in a variety of colors. Not only do the acoustic panels reduce sound and cultivate a more intentional work space, they also help you actualize beneficial color integration into the office. 

Alongside products like Define, our cases and space division come with personalization options such as picking out frame colors and wood finish combinations. All of these choices provide you the ability to truly make a custom office furniture piece that can provide all the benefits of color strategy that we are talking about today!

Cultivating Intentional Color

Office design professionals are acutely aware that certain colors can positively contribute to happiness, productivity, and even physical health in a workplace. However, that doesn’t mean that they can simply apply a coat of paint and magically these objectives are reached. Office teams need to look at and understand the combination and relationship between other elements like lighting, textures, furniture and also the company culture. The key is finding the right balance and creating a space that is comfortable and where staff can work productively and also where they enjoy working.

With regard to specific colors and color combinations, what we have found is that:

• • Blue is a commonly used workplace color as it can have a positive impact on productivity, and is frequently used in open-plan workspaces
  
  
• • Yellow is viewed as an optimistic color and can inspire increased levels of creativity and can be found particularly in areas designed for collaboration
  
  
• • Red is an interesting choice and can foster increased efficiency but shouldn’t be used in vast spaces
  
  
• • Green can have a calming impact and as it is less harsh on the eyes, can reduce fatigue
  
  
• • White can make certain spaces look larger but is best when used tastefully, rather than making an entire space white
  
  

Every office is different, and has different objectives and goals. Defining what those are for you starts with collaborating with your team, to find out the mood and feel of your space and what would be best suited for your entire staff. Through specific pops of accent colors, the way your brand is reflected can shift and speak volumes.