
But which colours should you use and how should you apply them?
Separate research studies conducted by academics at the University of British Columbia and professional workplace psychologists at Human Spaces, both found that the following colours have a significant impact on creativity, inspiration and enthusiasm: (1) Blue Associated with “openness, peace and tranquility,” it helps individuals subconsciously take a creative and open-minded approach to their work. (2) Red Commonly associated with danger and mistakes, red can make employees more hesitant and risk-averse, making it better suited to detail-oriented tasks. (3) Green Refreshing, revitalising and calming, it’s great for keeping a cool and creative head in the face of demanding deadlines. (4) OrangeRead more on the office environment:
- Moving your growing business from bedroom to boardroom
- From Don Draper to David Brent: The 6 most famous on-screen offices
- Creating the perfect working environment discussed by British tech startups
As an example of how this works in practice, we applied feature and accent colours to a grey canvas in the offices of MoneySupermarket.com.
A reception area was brightened with chairs and office partitions that work to complement the company’s branding and spark creativity, while the mix of exposed brick and frosted glass add interest. A colourful, private workspace was made available for employees to escape the general office floor and focus on creative tasks. A grey meeting room, which could be drab and uninspiring when filled with standard office furniture, was brought to life with colourful seating designed to help stimulate imaginative discussion. By using colour to define and differentiate productive, break-out and rest areas, it’s possible to tailor the environment to the task in hand and sustain creativity throughout the day. In the offices of creative marketing agency, Racepoint Global, blues and yellows of various intensity were applied to help personnel take fresh, original approaches to the creative yet detail-oriented tasks their organisation specialise in. On a spacious white and light grey canvas, gentle blue tones were used to promote calm, open-minded thinking in meeting rooms while pops of bright yellow were used to create a feature wall and as an accent in light fittings to trigger creativity in rest and break-out areas. Ultimately, the secret to constructing a workplace interior that boosts creativity lies in the careful selection and application of colours that combine to make the environment stimulating yet harmonious and inspiring yet functional.Jitesh Patel is the CEO at interior design specialist Peldon Rose
Be warned, if your staff members aren’t satisfied, these are the ten things they do to waste 12.5 working hours each week.
Share this story