If you work from home as an increasing number of people now do. Did you realize that just how you choose decorate the office can have more of an impact of productivity and work ethic than you might think? Color choices and styles of decor in our home office designs equate to contentment while working, or lack thereof.

Whilst white walls might maximise the feeling of space in your office, they might not be doing any good for the productivity, happiness or creativity of your staff!

We might not realise it, but colour can affect our behaviour in a number of different ways and office walls that are painted dull greys, cold whites and beige colours often induce feelings of sadness and depression.

Color Design

If you paint your office for success, you should be choosing the right combination of colours to incorporate with a office design that not only fits in with your brand and business but also really works for your employee’s behaviour at work too.

Making the right color design choices can really impact your business prospects and profits over the long term. While the impact of color choices in the office might be hard to quantify and measure in real terms, you can be sure that it is there.

It is essential that both you and any employees feel contented, relaxed and motivated to work at all times. Colour and design choices play a large part in this tricky equation.

How Does Colour Affect Your Behaviour?

A number of scientific studies have taken place over the years, each discovering that colours surrounding us affect our moods and productivity in different ways. As a generalisation, we have begun making associations with different colours.

For example, if you are continuously doing something surrounded by a certain colour, then chances are this can stick in your conscious, owing to certain behaviours coming out whilst surrounded by certain colours.

One of the most popular colours that is continuously subject to psychological research is red, due to the associations with danger, a feeling that many colour psychologists think could stem from an early age and teachers marking work in a red pen.

But when it comes to boosting creativity, productivity and happiness in the workplace, it’s important to create an environment that is not full of bright, garish colours which could potentially be distracting.

Instead, look at incorporating subtle touches of colour around the office that will stimulate the mind and give your staff the boost of creativity they need to be a productive workforce.

For example, although white, beige or grey walls are considered unwelcoming it is a good idea to start with this as a base and to then incorporate subtle touches of other colours into the design of your office. Take a look at some of these home office designs and styles.

Effective Home Office Designs

This design uses dark woods, it could be seen as a little stern, were it not for the lighter walls and furniture.

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The picture on the wall is a good match color wise and the light from the garden adds peaceful tranquility to the appearance of this office design.

Dark And Secretive Office Ideas

This office design uses a lot of dark woods. While it is very slick and polished. It gives the impression of someone who likes being locked away, rarely disturbed.

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You could work in peace for long hours in this wood designed office for sure.

The Airy Rooftop Office

In contrast this office design is much lighter. It is welcoming and you can envisage more than one person working here quite happily.home_office_designs2

The light colors and wide windows give the rooftop office a airy comfortable and accessible feel.

The Home Study Office

This home study office design is warm and welcoming. Perfect work working hard, holding meetings and then relaxing for lunch. The lighting and colors are inviting and stylish throughout.

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This is the sort of home office design that encourages productivity and contentment amongst workers who maybe using the office space.

The Family Office

This is the ultimate office design for the worker who combines office and family life with flair. Time is a premium for many and this design evokes the best use of time, work and family in harmony.home_office_designs5

The design of this office and choice of woods and colors ensures that work does not suffer and that time spent with the family is not compromised either.

Boost Creativity, Productivity and Happiness

It’s important to create a productive environment for your employees, the right combination of hues in your workspace can work wonders for the happiness and productivity of your employees. Home office designs are an art form in their own right that require mastery.

So what colours should you be looking to use in your office? Well, the most important thing you should always remember is that there is not a one rule fits all when it comes to which colour stimulates the most productivity and happiness.

You should be looking to feature a few colours throughout your home office designs. Combining colours is a great way to evoke different feelings out of your employees to ultimately give you a productive, and happy, office!

Whilst green and blue can provide an overall feeling of well-being in the office, they also stimulate the mind, and many studies have found that this, in turn, increases productivity amongst certain careers, such as those that require a lot of use of the mind.

Colour psychologists have discovered that yellow colours provide a feeling of optimism, and orange delves into people’s emotions.

This article was authored by Egan Reid in conjunction with DesignBump.

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