Paperstone – Office life, work and fun

How your office environment can help meet your objectives

By Paperstone on February 19, 2018 in Uncategorized

Colourful office

The winter blues can strike hard at this time of the year – but a quick revamp of the office can work wonders for office morale. A splash of colour here and there might be the answer to seasonal doldrums.

Have a word with the office manager and see if there’s money in the budget for an interior design project – or failing that, an inexpensive lick of paint for a quick face-lift.

Employ a bit of psychology when choosing your palette, and instead of playing safe with ubiquitous white or cream walls, embark on a chromological adventure!

Think about what you need to achieve in your office environment – is it a highly-pressured atmosphere in need of some calming down, or just a routine office that needs cheering up? If the environment is often stressful, choose colours that will help calm people’s nerves during the daily cut-and-thrust of busy deadlines.

Certain colours have been proven to reduce stress. Cream is better than white, for example, but a restful shade of green is even more relaxing, probably because we associate it with the great outdoors. In one piece of research, 95 percent of university students associated the colour green with feeling positive.

Green is restful for the eyes, so it’s great for areas where people are working on screens a lot, and if your job involves a lot of studying, you can’t beat a good shade of olive.

But if green isn’t your first choice, blue has a lot to offer.

Pale blue is good for lowering blood pressure and heart rate, stimulating natural tranquilizers in the brain. Softer shades of blue are recommended for enhancing concentration and productivity, but darker shades should be avoided as they can be melancholy. Stronger blues may assist us in thinking clearly, while turquoise is inspiring, making it a top choice for art and design studios.

Exercise caution with brighter colours like red or yellow, as they don’t suit everyone. Both can be over-stimulating for certain individuals and create emotional responses. And remember, choosing the right shade is just as important as selecting the right colour. Brighter colours have a stimulating effect, while subdued tones are generally soothing.

It’s worth keeping your company branding in mind as you make your choice – you need something that blends harmoniously with your company image and impresses your customers, particularly in public areas. Avoid yellow in areas where babies may be present as it’s proven to make them cry for longer periods!

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