The colors of your office walls can have an impact on employee productivity … and general mood.

Have you ever walked into a room and just felt your mood shift from happy to blah … or from blah to inspired? The colors of your surroundings can play a role in your mood, productivity, and even sleep! As far as wall colors and productivity are concerned, which are best and which are worst?

Color psychology has long been studied and as with anything, there are differing theories – but in general, here are a few common traits of people as possibly influenced by the color of the room where they spend a great deal of time.

 

Gray, White and Beige

A University of Texas study found that in offices where the walls were painted a bland gray, beige or white – employees reported feelings of sadness. This was especially true of women.

Yellow

Good ole mellow yellow is known by psychologists to be energetic and fresh. Some even say it can inspire feelings of optimism and creativity. This color would be best for writers, artists, designers and other creative professionals.

Orange & Purple

The same study showed that men had similarly gloomy feelings when in work spaces painted orange or purple.

Red

Red is an intense color that can actually increase heart rate and blood flow upon seeing it. This isn’t an ideal setting to work in around the clock, but it is useful if you want to draw your employees’ attention to something in particular.

Green & Blue

Green and blue are the most common colors in nature. They are said to help with focus and efficiency. These color schemes are the ticket if you aim to provide a happy, positive environment for your team.

Conclusion

For the best of all worlds, consider some varying happy hues — blues, greens and yellows throughout your office if feasible. Also, remember that you can provide individual color surroundings with some of our products such as the privacy panel shown here. Of course it’s offered in your choice of colors.