Get to work in a refreshed home office
The colour of the walls in your home office can affect your productivity, a paint company says.
“There are always distractions when working from home, yet studies show that while some colours divert from tasks at hand, others can significantly increase a person’s productivity, concentration and motivation,” Alison Goldman, a spokeswoman for Canadian paint brand CIL Paints, says in news release.
She offers these tips on choosing the best colours:
Get the colour facts: Blue can be calming and may lower the pulse rate while increasing productivity. Green creates a serene, soothing atmosphere, which can relieve stress. Red and orange promote excitement and enthusiasm, while purple is thought to promote artistic creativity and yellow is cheerful. Light browns and greys deliver a feeling of serenity, while darker browns provide a stoic, earthy atmosphere.
Colour match the job: Determine whether your work requires a relaxing or stimulating environment. Financial consultants or business executives, for example, may prefer colours that empower and energize, such as yellows, oranges and bold greens. Psychologists or massage therapists may opt for soothing pinks, purples and blues, whereas lawyers or professors may work best in an environment highlighted by deep brown or burgundy walls.
See the light: Keep the layout and lighting of your space in mind when selecting colours. Light shades like cream and tan tend to make smaller offices feel more spacious. Neutrals are also a good choice for offices that are open to the rest of the home to visually blend the spaces. If your room has large windows, you can use almost any colour, but if it receives little natural light, use shades of yellow, yellow-green or off-white to brighten it up.
When in doubt, think green: Green may be your safest choice, says Goldman, adding it is the most popular home office colour. Considered to be the most balancing hue on the colour spectrum and the easiest on the eye, green is restful yet rejuvenating.
CIL has an online mood test (at cil. ca) that guides users through colour selection.