A pleasingly decorated office doesn’t have to involve extravagance after the style of one of one of the Internet giants of California. You don’t need a gym, free food or a go-kart track. What you do need is good, well-thought-out décor that enhances productivity and helps promote employee satisfaction.
There’s a lot that goes into productive business décor. You could rope in an interior designer for pretty carpeting, wood accents and impressive, ergonomic furniture; the main thrust of your decor, though, starts with the background — with the wall dressing that you choose.
Considerable research exists on building productivity into paint
Research done on at the University of California in Santa Cruz have successfully controlled animal activity through the choice of color in the environment. In particular, researchers have attempted to influence a part of the brain known that controls sleep-wake patterns.
The study was able to successfully influence the brains of rodent study subjects into a pattern of alert wakefulness through control of the color of the environment. The rodents, when placed in an environment colored to represent the deep blue of dusk, were found to become extremely active, as would be normal for nocturnal creatures.
The study has implications for the design of productivity-boosting environments for humans, as well. Choosing the colors of a bright, sunny day help the brain produce energetic activity. It starts with the color of the paint to use.
What color works?
The Colour Affects System is the world’s foremost color psychology system. Designed by color psychologist Angela Wright, the system works on the principle that while individual color preferences do exist, there are universal effects that certain colors produce. The color system recommends blue for stimulation, yellow for creativity, green, and red for appetite.
It takes experience of a trained commercial painting contractor trained in the color system to achieve the right effect. When he needs to take more into account than just the color. Color saturation matters, too. Saturated colors stimulate, and softer shades calm the mind down.
Finding the right color for the purpose on hand
Experts in the Color Affects system recommend red for an environment that would require a salesperson to negotiate effectively. Office spaces that require focus do well in yellow. It’s important to make sure that you don’t end up with an environment that isn’t a featureless sea of solid single colors, however. When accents are incorporated into environment, they help boost the right mix of feelings.
There’s more
Glossy paint finishes help boost energy, and flatter finishes are better for quieter work. For in-home office environments, experts recommend the use of colors that are very different from whatever is used in the living space. It helps the mind truly separate work from home.