Colour is a powerful tool for designing a productive work environment. Planned right, the correct choices can maximize productivity, enhance employee creativity and even reduce stress and fatigue. Certain physiological changes occur in humans, when exposed to certain colours.

Choosing the right colour was very important for this Concord Ontario client. By creating big samples in this office, the staff was able to pick the right colours.	When RSA Insurance was rebranding their image, they decided to create a brand room to incorporate some of their new colours.

- White can be used to give an open, spacious feeling to a smaller work area. Soft whites or “off whites” are the best choice for the main wall colours in offices. Pure, stark white, used as the main colour, can create fatigue for the eyes and should be avoided. Pure white can be used for ceilings for light reflectivity or for doors, woodwork and trim for a crisp clean look.

- Neutrals are soothing, safe and secure, and are a good choice for most office environments. Because they work well with other colours, they are a great choice for open space environment or offices spaces with glass partitions. In addition, neutrals are distant and will not interfere with the thought process. That makes them ideal for office areas used for clear thinking and concentration.

- Green is one of the best colours to use in areas where the main goals are thinking and creativity, like classrooms. There is an ambundance of green shades, many found in nature, that can be used to stimulate thinking and promote states of balance and harmony.

- Bright colours like reds or oranges should only be used (sparingly) in areas where energy and motivation are needed. Their use should be limited to a highlight wall or accessories, pictures etc. as they can be very distracting.

There are other reasons, not limited to perception, that colour choice in an office environment is important. For instance: the colour of a room affects our perception of the temperature. There are tests that claim that people estimate the temperature of a room with cool colors, such as blues and greens, to be 6-10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the actual temperature. Warm colors, such as reds and oranges, will result in a 6-10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer estimate.

Beyond the perception of the temperature, there are energy savings to be realized by using the right colours. Dark colours absorb more light and reflect less. Light colours absorb less and reflect more. As a result it is energy-wise to use light colours on the main walls with the ceilings to be white or “off white”.

In addition, branding, company culture and projecting a company image can have an effect on the colours used.

In any commercial situation, hiring a professional colour consultant can help with visual ergonomics and aesthetics and create a more positive and productive interior environment.

Ecopainting has been serving the needs of our Toronto commercial customers. Our experience makes us the GTA painters of choice for many businesses.

We also have access to professional colour consultants to help with assessing your work environment.

For colour help call 416 733-7767 or click here