Working from Home? Surround Yourself with the Best Colours for Positivity and Productivity

As the nature of the way we work develops, whether due to a global pandemic or personal choice, for many of us, home-working may now be now an established way of life.

For many, lines are becoming frequently blurred between the boundaries of home and work. The impact of which may become an additional source of stress as we struggle to interchange between two different mindsets; one of “going out to work”– going to and being at a place of work which denotes our time of activity and productivity, and then coming home or “being at home” which denotes our time of rest and relaxation.

Whilst colour can appear to change the perception of space as well as create an ambience, it can also influence your wellbeing by maximising productivity levels, stimulating thought, action, and creativity.

If you’re not able to use a separate room to function as your personal office or study, you can use colour to define the workspace area of your home by painting the wall on which your desk faces, perhaps even the furniture and shelving. Decide how it is you want to feel in it, or what you’d like to feel encouraged to do or achieve. This might sound a little odd, but very different colours can support needing to think, create or make a sales call!

So how can colour help and which are the best colours to use?

In general, strong, contrasting colours can be visually exciting and stimulating, whilst softer, muted tones can promote a calmer atmosphere. Certain shades of the right colours have the ability to increase productivity, communication and stimulate ideas. For example, red is a colour that physically stimulates, so it’s a useful colour to use if you need a boost of energy and motivation. Lighter blue tones can be soothing for the mind which may help with studying, whereas stronger blues are more vitalising, suitable for generating that next big idea!
Yellow hues boost self-confidence, optimism and friendliness and can be ideal for inspiring you to pick up that phone and make that call. Green is a colour whose effects can feel reassuring and restful, so great colours to use in lounge areas. Brighter green colours are more refreshing and uplifting, while turquoise-tinted colours are excellent for inspiring creativity.

If you’d like help creating a colour scheme for your home office, office or home then our colour consultants will be happy to work with you to select the best colours and finishes for your project.

Bernay Laity – Colour Consultant at Philip Martyn Design