Colors for Productivity: Make Your Home Office a Great Place to Work

Encouraging Productivity - Identifying Your Color Scheme

For those of us who work at home, one ongoing problem is making sure that we are as productive as we possibly can be. Some days we may seem to be very productive while other days seem to drag on and some of us get very little done.

Instead of evaluating your action or inaction on these days, you may need to look at the colors that you are surrounded with. Choosing the right colors for productivity in your home office will increase your efficiency and workload. By selecting colors that make you more productive, you are creating the right atmosphere to help you work all day, with little stress, and the output you’re looking for.

Here are some easy to remember tips about colors:

Blue, Green, and Purple colors fall into the “cool” color zones. These colors can provide an atmosphere that provokes a feeling of calmness. They have a sedating effect on most of us. If you tend to be stressed a great deal, these colors can help you relax, which will help increase your productivity. Those who work under tight deadlines may find that they are calmer and able to meet deadlines with far less stress if they surround themselves with these soothing colors.

Reds, Yellows, and Oranges can help us feel far more invigorated. If you find that you have the “mid-morning blahs” it may not be that you are suffering from a coffee crash, instead your environment may be to blame. Surrounding yourself with accents in these bright colors will help you feel ready to take on the challenges of your day.

White can provide a good environment or it can create problems. This largely depends upon the shades of white that you use. Walls that are painted a muted white can help give a small work area a far more spacious feeling. Painting those same walls in a bright white can result in eye strain and is better used in small quantities.

Neutral colors for most people provide a very soothing environment. The more neutral the color, the easier it is for someone to feel comfortable in the room they are working in. It is not uncommon to use furnishings with neutral slipcover colors and top them with accents in brighter colors.

Use the Color Wheel to Your Advantage

Working at home requires careful planning, including choosing the right colors for productivity. You want to do your best to be as productive as you possibly can. This means effective and efficient use of home office space, but it also means that you want the colors of your home office to add to your productivity, not detract from it.

Painting walls (or wallpapering) in a neutral color and using accents in colors that will help you be productive may be your best option. Avoid painting walls in bright whites (or yellows) or you may find that you will be distracted and suffer undue eye strain. Complimenting your work space with color accents that help you feel comfortable and invigorated can help you be as productive as possible in your home office.

Resources

Sources:

Informed Design https://www.informedesign.org/Rs_detail.aspx?rsId=3185

Image Credits:

purchased from istockphoto.com/vision008