Many Americans work in an office environment. “Cube life” is often lampooned in movies, with endless rows of bored and stressed out workers staring at beige walls for forty-plus hours a week. And for many office workers, these bland colors can quite literally lead to depression or hopelessness, especially when faced with staring at those walls for most of their waking life.
But work-life doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, using paint color strategically in your corporate office can promote productivity, lift spirits or even stimulate creativity. There is even scientific research to back this claim, and many offices have benefited from switching out their builder-grade wall color for something new and fresh.
4 Colors to Boost Office Productivity
So what is the best color to paint an office? What color promotes productivity or boosts creativity? And how do you know which is right for your business? Here are four productivity-boosting colors for corporate offices.
Blue
Before you hire a professional painter and ask them to slap the brightest blue paint they can find on the walls, you will want to take a more nuanced approach to this productivity-enhancing color.
Blue paint can come in tones or vibrancies that can deliver an intense hue or a soothing shade. Experts say that balance is key when choosing your shade of blue paint. We recommend picking a blue paint that has a bit of “dustiness” to it so your serious consulting business doesn’t turn into something more appropriate for a pre-school.
Blue in your corporate office is also best mixed with another color, so even if you do choose a more intense shade of blue, a complementary color can help balance the room. Pops of orange can help your space look vibrant yet sophisticated. Or if you choose a deep blue, you can cut some of its intensity with a lighter shade of the same color or muted grey trim.
Blue Paint Colors For Office Productivity
Superstition–a grey aqua with a turquoise undertone
Blue Beads–a saturated yet shaded orchid blue
Blue Fjord–a shaded twilight blue with a lavender undertone
Yellow
Yellow paint is a great stimulant for creativity, though again, the level of intensity is important here. Highly creative marketing agencies or consulting businesses could strategically use pops of bright yellow to keep workers focused and generating ideas all day long.
With intense colors like yellow (or red, which we will discuss below), it’s best to use the paint in concentrated bursts throughout your space, rather than coating every wall in gold. Perhaps you use yellow paint to create a focal point in a conference room, or you paint it in stripes throughout your office. The key is to not overwhelm the senses with the color, but instead spark curiosity and creativity with savvy placement.
Yellow Paint Colors for Office Creativity
Yellow Coneflower–a sunny yellow with mustard undertones
Festival Yellow–a pure yellow with sunflower undertones
May Tulip Yellow–a citrus yellow with dijon undertones
Red
Studies have shown that red paint can literally have an effect on us physically and spark energy for movement. This fact is likely why you’ll see a lot of gyms painted in shades of red. Red paint can be a great color for productivity in your office if you’re in a physically demanding business. Try adding a rich barn red to your landscaping company’s main vestibule, or to your construction headquarters.
Like blue and yellow paint, hue and intensity matter when choosing a red paint for your office. Since red is such a powerful color, it’s best to choose one that is balanced with grey or brown undertones. A primary red can have the opposite effect by tiring out workers, so choose one that can inspire movement without overloading the eye.
Best Red Paint Colors for Business
Fire Weed–a subdued red with oaky undertones
Brick Dust–a deep merlot red with dusty undertones
Burled Redwood–a subdued red with brown and orange undertones
Green
Green is one of the few colors that doesn’t cause eye fatigue. As such, it can be a great color in offices where long hours are occasionally required. For example, a tax accounting office could benefit from a tranquil green paint during tax season. Or, if your office has lots of seasonally based big projects, green paint could help your staff with those after-hours pushes. After all, green is the color of money and that is the main goal of any business, right? Put green on the walls and your employees will be thinking about bringing in profits!
Again, hue and saturation matter with green paint, though slightly less so than the other colors. As long as you don’t go full on fluorescent, just about any green paint can work when painting your office space. Of course, you’ll want to balance green with complementary or accent colors. For a relaxing and tranquil space with a spa-like, balance green with soft white accents. For a space with a little more energy, use pops of yellow to brighten your surroundings.
Energizing Green Paint Colors For the Office
Green Pear--an apple green with grassy undertones
Machine Green–bright honeydew green with lime undertones
Whimsical Green–emerald green with jungle undertones
When in doubt, use your corporate colors – the colors that are on your logo, company vehicles and employee uniforms. Your colors are part of your brand, so why not put those colors on your walls to inspire your workers and bring camaraderie and team spirit to your office walls. When prospective new clients visit, they will see your dedication to your brand with the colors on the walls and remember your office space as a professional environment.
No matter what color you choose to paint your office, hire a reputable commercial painting company to get the job done. They’ll not only help you discover which paint color is right for your office space, they’ll make sure the job is done on time and will last for years to come.
Professional Painters for Corporate Office Painting Projects
Our professional paint experts are ready to help you make your office more productive. We offer free consultations and will help you pick the right color to inspire and motivate your employees. Contact us today for a free corporate office painting quote.