What does your office look like? Is it lacking in natural light? Are the walls some shade of white or grey? Is the only pop of color in the room from a motivational poster?

Your office can benefit from some color, and so will your employees. The color choices you make can have an effect on the psychological well-being of your employees.

So, cover up those white walls and add some bright accents. Do you really want your workers subjected to the depressing pit of a colorless office?

And don’t do it yourself. Make sure you hire a professional who will do it right. Paint won’t just improve your workers’ moods.

According to Pizzazz! Painting, NJ professional painters, “Paint offers more than just aesthetic qualities or just a colorfully-pleasant background. When done right, it has the quality of also protecting your building’s walls.” It’s an investment in your workers and your building.

Move Away From What’s Easy or Standard
We have a tendency to choose white paint for walls because it’s simple and opens up space. It’s also known to promote creativity. However, there are better options.

The other standard that businesses choose is branded colors. While branded colors are great for relationships with clients and customers, they don’t have as much of an effect on workers.

In fact, bombarding workers with the brand can actually push them away. It’s important for employees to be invested in the brand, but beating them over the head with it isn’t going to make them like it.

Definitely choose branded colors for any area that hosts clients and customers. They must come first. However, giving workers space away from all the branding can actually boost their productivity.

The reality is that many workers need a place to escape in order to get work done. That’s why we’re seeing increased productivity from remote workers. They’re completely removed from all the branding and distractions of the office.

If your workers need to be at the office, at least give them spaces to escape branding, meetings, chatty coworkers, and loud phone calls. They need to have a space that is their own.

With that in mind, here are the main colors that affect productivity. Consider tailoring your spaces to the needs of your workers with these colors.

Four Colors That Affect Productivity
Red: Labor
Red will get your blood pumping. If your business involves a lot of running around, lifting, and getting your hands dirty, this is your color.

The brighter the shade, the more it will affect workers. Pair it with yellow to boost their confidence as well.
Yellow: Positivity
Yellow is a great accent color to help raise spirits. It can be paired with any of the other three colors as an additional effect.

Add some red to it to make it orange, and you’ll get the effects of both red and yellow. However, people can negatively react to orange. It’s usually better to pair red with a yellow accent.

Blue: Focus
Most people believe that blue is the most productive color, but it depends on the work that you’re doing. If your job requires a sharp mind, then it’s perfect for you.

It both calms and stimulates the mind while also building trust. Someone who spends a lot of time at a desk and needs to concentrate should choose blue.

Green: Peace
Green is another great accent color. When paired with blue or yellow, it can add a sense of calm and balance to the room. It’s also known to boost creativity.

This doesn’t just apply to paint either. Having plants in your office is a great green highlight that will also increase oxygen levels in the room.

Which Color Should You Choose?
This depends entirely on the type of work that is being done. Are you crunching numbers, writing proposals, shipping or manufacturing products, serving food to customers, or providing entertainment?

Additionally, every worker works in a different way. It’s good to encourage personalization of workspaces based on the job. They don’t need to paint their cubicle, but hanging up motivational posters that use the appropriate color for their position can be beneficial.

You can also have rooms designated to certain tasks that are painted certain colors. A break room can be painted green and yellow to add relaxation and positivity to the room. A warehouse can be painted red to get people moving. And the finance department can be painted blue to promote focus and calm.

As a business owner, you need to worry about what is best for your clients, customers, and workers. Feel free to design your office however you like, but the rest of the office isn’t really yours. It belongs to them.



Jennifer Bell is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey