It is amazing what a bold splash of colour can do to a company’s workspace. From Google’s quirky London headquarters and Innocent Drinks’ wacky Fruit Towers to innovative property company Bruntwood’s two new Manchester offices, all three brands have created a flexible, dynamic and vibrant workspace for their staff with the help of colour. They all understand that great spaces inspire great work.
Today, if you want to stand out from the crowd and attract and retain the best employees it is increasingly important to design to promote employee engagement. An engaged employee enjoys going to work each day, works well with their colleagues and is proud of their company.
Although there are lots of factors involved in bringing optimum employee happiness, the workplace environment is an important one. Colour is one of the simplest ways to give your office interiors the wow factor and to improve the productivity of your staff. Used cleverly, colours can also change moods – relaxing and rejuvenating staff in the process.
Forget the bland uninspiring office designs of old with their swathes of white walls, grey filing cabinets and corporate blue chairs. Today’s office can embrace a whole palette of colours and can also incorporate the new home trend of striking wallpapers, colourful furniture or accessories, textured fabrics and rugs.
We know that the four key colours of red, blue, yellow and green have different impacts on us. Red affects the body, blue the mind, yellow the emotions and green affects the balance between all three. Stronger colours tend to stimulate while a lower saturation colour is more soothing. So which are the best colours for your office interior? Consider which main colour or colours will suit your brand and what impact you want them to have. See our tips below for how to use colour if different areas of your office.
Colourful breakout spaces
Between busy meetings, people need spaces to relax and let ideas develop. Comfortable soft grey fabric lounge seating in a breakout space offers a relaxed personal space to refocus and rejuvenate. A peaceful corner or private nook can bring a sense of escape and balance to a hectic working day. Fill it with an orange fabric wing chair, soft green walls or walls lined with an interesting textured paper, add a lamp, rug and ambient adjustable lighting and you can create a softly coloured haven.
Rejuvenating colours for an office interior
Bright pops of red, bold yellow or lime green can help bring a feeling of rejuvenation to a space. These are powerful colours which encourage movement and boost energy and add bold splashes to the workplace.
Colours for relaxation zones
Does your work environment allow you to feel relaxed and calm? Only 53 per cent of workers think so, according to a recent Steelcase Global Report. Colours can change your mood. When designing an office space it is important to provide relaxation zones for both staff and visitors to pause. Soft blues and greens are associated with peace and calm and can also improve concentration because the eye has to do less to perceive them.
Collaboration colours
There’s a growing need for creative thinking and innovatively designed workplaces can help the brainstorming process. Being able to make collaboration work well is also increasingly vital. This is where colour comes in. Orange and yellow are energetic creative colours. Use them in seating fabric, buy brightly coloured chairs or tables or try adding splashes of these colours to a wall.
Colourful café areas
Is your canteen looking a bit tired? Sometimes, staff prefer to take a break off site if their café area doesn’t offer them what they are looking for. Use colour to give it a new look. Choose bright attractive seating and tables to encourage your staff to stay on site and connect with their colleagues. Try offering different seating options and tailor the space to allow mobile workers the opportunity to work from there instead of a desk.
