You might be reading that title and be thinking to yourself, “what the heck are productive colors?”
Well, you’ve come to the right place. As a color expert, I’ve been able to truly understand how color affects our everyday lives.
Think about it: some colors, like bright yellows and soft pinks, inherently make you feel happy. Others, like a dark grey or a deep maroon, exude feelings of mature luxury.
So it makes sense that certain colors can trigger feelings of calm, focus and productivity. As many of us are working from home, now’s the perfect time to implement some productive colors into your home office.
I would never tell you to avoid certain colors altogether. I believe that all colors have a purpose and use in certain situations, areas and in various amounts.
That said, there have been studies that show that office spaces composed of mostly gray, white and/or beige were linked to workers’ feelings of sadness and depression. The same study found that men in particular felt sad and down in workspaces containing a lot of purple and orange.
But! This obviously isn’t going to be true for everyone. Listen to your own likes and dislikes, what helps you and what doesn’t.
Another thing to note is that you don’t have to avoid these colors altogether. They can still be used around a home office, and often should be in order to balance brighter colors with those neutral ones.
See how I used color for the design of commercial interiors here.
To promote focus and productivity, I recommend using low-wavelength colors like green and blue. These colors have been shown to promote feelings of focus, motivation and calmness.
Green has also been linked to improved reading comprehension and ability. Green can also reduce eye strain you might get from staring at the computer or reading for long periods of time.
Not only that, but some evidence suggests that green can also stimulate feelings of tranquility and can potentially relieve stress.
With so many shades of these colors out there, it should be easy to find one that works for you! Try adding an accent wall if you only want a small pop of color. Or, you could go for it and paint the entire workspace in your favorite soft blue or leafy green.
Besides interior paint, there are other ways you can add these productive colors to your home office. One of the best ways is to add green plants to your workspace. This will bring in the added benefits of the color green while also adding natural biophilic interior design elements into the space.
Adding green plants to a workspace has been linked to reduced workplace stress & anxiety and increased productivity.
Art is another great option for adding color to your workspace. Choose artwork, sculptures, paintings or anything else that inspires you that also includes blues & greens to get the most out of your decor!
Not all of us work jobs that necessarily require intense focus, typing away at the computer, conducting thorough research, etc. For example, as a color expert, a lot of my workday consists of brainstorming ideas, getting creative with color palettes and collaborating with my clients to make a space beautiful and functional.
For those of you who have more creatively-inclined work to get done, I would recommend adding different colors to your workspace.
Yellows and greens are “creative” color options. Yellow in particular is thought to represent optimism and studies have shown that yellow can potentially boost one’s feelings of creativity. Other studies link yellow to improved memory recall and performance, which is always helpful when you’re working!
Looping back around to green, studies link this natural and fresh color to creativity as well as focus. One study from University of Munich found that even small flashes of seeing the color green can boost creative and innovative thinking.
That being said, if you’re not convinced enough to repaint your entire home office, then simply adding small touches of these colors could be enough to get the job done.
I hope some of these ideas and tips help you add productive colors to your home office space!
Have more ideas or questions? Leave me a comment down below with what you would do to boost productivity while working from home.
You can also contact me for more specific advice and consultations!
