Neutral colors have always been a popular choice for offices. The colors in your office set the tone for the environment and have an effect on employees. Choosing colors might seem like an insignificant detail if you aren’t focused on the details of office design. However, studies show that employee productivity is significantly affected by the color of the decor in the office. This means it’s important to consider the colors involved in decor.
The color scheme of an office sets the ambiance for the environment. Like music, the office decor can have an influence on many aspects of employee behavior including energy level, productivity levels and people’s relaxation level. The right color choices can also reduce employee stress, which is an important goal for employers. Too much stress affects the quality of work.
In the past, many companies chose plain white walls for their offices, thinking this color would be bright and lively and inspire employees. This lack-of-color scheme is actually boring and doesn’t do much to inspire productivity. The color gives a clinical impression like a hospital or doctor’s office. Other employers tried a different approach. They used bright, aggressive colors to make the work environment seem as exciting as possible. They used colors like bright red, purple, yellow, lime green and bright blue to make the walls stand out so that the colors can inspire people to do create work. It turns out that this kind of decor doesn’t inspire employees. Instead, it has a distracting effect. Some bright colors, like red, have been found to increase stress and anxiety. It can make people feel distracted and it’s hard for them focus.
Colors that create a calming effect are the best choices for an office environment. Employees experience enough stress in their day-to-day lives. You don’t want your office decor to add to their stress. There are colors that have been demonstrated to reduce stress while helping people focus on their work. Gray has become a popular neutral color in offices because it has a calming effect on people. You’ve probably noticed for years that some offices have gray cubicles. There is a psychology behind this choice. Many office planners are choosing gray more and more often due to its psychological effects.
If you check in with interior designers and paint stores, you will find that different shades of gray are some of the best-selling paints in the modern market. If you check with home and office furniture stores, you’ll find that gray has become one of the most popular color choices for consumers. It’s the most neutral color choice you can pick because it combines both black and white. Therefore, gray can work with any other color scheme. Gray is a flexible color and allows for changes over time in the decor that surrounds.
Gray is a popular choice for cubicles, chairs, rugs and modular furniture. You’ve probably noticed this type of furniture in many offices. Office planners typically purchase matching furniture so that cubicles can be rearranged to accommodate new staff arrangements. Some chairs are gray and other times the chairs are black. Typically, they match so that when areas are rearranged, the setup is similar.
The color gray has other advantages. It is doesn’t easily show dirt and easy to clean. If employees decide to decorate their cubicles or offices, their additions will blend in easily with a neutral color like gray.
Paintings, sculptures, pictures, ornaments and other decorations won’t clash with gray. People with offices can add chairs with patterns, rugs, accent tables and other items to personalize their offices. Any items like this will blend in with gray without clashing or creating an unattractive space.
If you don’t want gray to be the only color in your office, you can always pick a few complementary accent colors for a few walls. Steer away from bright, aggressive colors. Instead, pick neutral colors that work well with the gray. There are soft, neutral colors like lavender, grayish blue, off-white, grayish green, khaki, light brown and pale gray that can work well with a gray color pattern. You can also choose gray furniture and paint your walls soft, neutral colors that complement the furniture.
