As many offices close, people have found themselves working from home. Whether it’s working from the kitchen table, or a home office, the environment plays an important role concerning mood and productivity. MyJobQuote surveyed over ~5,000 people to find out what colours are used most frequently to paint workspaces. Dr Lee Chambers MSc MBPsS, Psychologist and Well-being Consultant then assessed and concluded which colours walls should be painted and which to avoid to ensure optimal productivity whilst working.
Top 10 most common Colours in work spaces
- White (54%)
- Beige (37%)
- Grey (32%)
- Yellow (24%)
- Blue (22%)
- Orange (17%)
- Green (15%)
- Red (12%)
- Pink (6%)
- Purple (4%)
The survey revealed that more than half of people paint their workspaces White. In second place is Beige (37%), followed by shades of Grey (32%). Despite the popularity, these are not the most conducive to productivity. A University of Texas study found that offices painted White, Grey and Beige tend to induce sad and depressive feelings.
In fourth place is the colour Yellow; with 24% of respondents saying this is the shade of their work from home space. Dr Chambers commented that “Yellow is seen as the colour of creativity and is often used in innovation labs and creative spaces. An interesting feature of yellow backgrounds is that they increase information retention, which helps highlight key learnings and important information. If you have a creative job, Yellow is a solid choice, but be mindful of the overuse of Yellow as a background and as a space, as it does induce eye fatigue. We can become agitated and lose emotional balance if exposed to yellow for long periods.”
Blue was revealed as the fifth most popular paint colour, with 22% of people saying they work from rooms painted in blue tones. Blue is known as the official colour of productivity. It promotes calm concentration and emotional balance which can help maintain workflow. However, too much Blue can cause too much relaxation and hinder an innovative streak, which could be remedied by adding warm colour accents. The shade of Blue is very significant psychologically; for instance, Turquoise is a balance between Blue and Green, taking benefits from each and is known to improve decision making and creative communication in office environments.
In sixth place is Orange, making up 17% of rooms and in the same University of Texas survey the colour Orange is mentioned as being especially detrimental to men when it comes to boosting productivity, but making it a peachier shade can make a room happy and welcoming.
Green, the colour of nature, comes in seventh place, and the human eye can perceive more shades of green than any other colour. It is a serene colour which causes less eye fatigue and helps with longer-term focus and attention. It is calming in a similar way to Blue, but research shows that it produces less benefit for productivity. On the other hand, Green produces a higher increase in well-being.
In eighth place is Red the use of which Dr Chambers advises caution, “Red is a powerful, vibrant colour, and is very situational in its use for productivity gains. Studies have found the emotive and passionate fire of Red raises blood flow and heart rate. This is great for physical tasks, like a little natural energy bar. Red naturally draws the eye and is often the colour of emergency objects for a reason. For a home office, Red can very easily become overstimulating, causing us to lose focus and concentration, and gradually feel volatile, increasing the potential for mistakes or conflict. Use Red wisely to take advantage of its benefits.”Pink ranks as the penultimate colour of popularity and can be interpreted psychologically as indulgent and warming. Purple is least common, and its effect is that those who identify as male can struggle to be productive in purple spaces as they lower mood. Other than that, Purple is perceived as noble and luxurious.
Chambers provided his overall advice on workspace colour psychology, “Something to consider is that the colour of your desktop is continually in your eye line and is a perfect place to utilise productive colours. Get some plants in your eye line, and you get both a green vista and air-purifying benefits. Have a canvas that incorporates colours behind your workstation, and try and get as much natural light as possible, especially during winter.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
