The impact of colour on an office

Colour psychology is the study of how colour can affect our behaviour, influencing everything from motivation and creativity to attitude and productivity.

This makes it really important to get a workplace colour scheme right, not just for staff but visitors too. The colours used in an office will affect what others think of your business, making it important to choose the right colour scheme to accurately present your company to staff, clients and customers.

It is worth finding out the best colours to use in your workplace before carrying out any re-decorating. You might even want to change the palette or introduce colour in other ways if the shades you currently use don’t work.

Here is our guide on the effects of colours and how they can impact a work space.

Green
Green represents balance and growth, while making us feel connected to nature. Painting the walls of an office green might be overpowering, however it can be introduced in the form of plants, which have numerous health and wellbeing benefits.

White
Representing purity and cleanliness, white might seem like an obvious choice for an office, particularly as it is non offensive and goes with everything. However, it’s a bit boring, and might not inspire staff to be creative. If using white for the walls then consider introducing colour elsewhere such as through artwork, sofas or other soft furnishings.

Black
This represents authority and control, making it a good colour to use in certain areas of an office. However, it also absorbs the natural light and can make a space feel much smaller. Whilst it’s fine to use black in an office as a complementary colour, the phrase a little goes a long way is probably best remembered. It could end up feeling dark and overpowering if used too much.

Red
This can increase mental energy flow. However, it can also spark passion and anger – two emotions you probably don’t want in an office environment. It doesn’t have to be avoided altogether, as some of the feelings associated with it might be beneficial in the workplace, such as enhancing the metabolism, increasing respiration rate and raising blood pressure. However, it might be best left for small splashes of colour rather than large chunks. Although it attracts attention more than any other colour, this isn’t necessarily a good thing, particularly as it can be associated with danger.

Yellow
Yellow is a bright, happy colour which reminds us of the summer. It can increase wellbeing and feelings of positivity, making it the ideal colour to support teamwork. It might seem like a great colour to use in the workplace for these reasons, but be mindful about using too much, as it could be quite overwhelming in large quantities. When overused, it is thought to have a disturbing effect.

Blue
This can aid relaxation, creating feelings of calm and stability. Its soothing nature will help staff think and remain focused, while communicating trust to external visitors. All these attributes make it the perfect colour for use in an office.

Purple
This screams luxury, which is why it’s a popular choice for many company’s logos. It combines the stability of blue and the energy of red, and is associated with power, ambition, wisdom and mystery. However, it isn’t often found in the natural world, making it feel artificial.

Orange
This colour is thought to stimulate the mind, representing success and determination. Combining the energy of red and the happiness of yellow, it’s associated with joy, enthusiasm, creativity, success and encouragement. It’s a bright colour, so you would be wise to be careful about using it too liberally, but in small amounts it could work well in an office environment.