If you are among the millions of Americans choosing to work from home or telecommuting, creating a home office in which you can be creative and productive is key to ensuring your success. A great deal of work has gone into color research and understanding the psychology of color, and it all indicates that choosing the right interior paint colors can go a long way in affecting our emotions and behavior.
Ways To Add Color
There are endless ways to add color to your Fairfax, Virginia home office, in large doses, or in small hits, through finishes and furnishings:
- Painting or wallpapering
- Window coverings
- Flooring
- Upholstered office chair and other furniture
- Wood finishes
- Office accessories and art
How to Choose The Right Color For You
- The type of work that you do will determine whether you need colors that stimulate your creativity, elevate your energy, or keep you calm and grounded.
- If clients and associates will be visiting your workspace, you will want to choose a color that is inviting and gives a professional feeling. Bubble gum pink may invigorate you, but may not leave your clients with the feeling of credibility for which you strive.
- No matter what the color researchers say, this is your office and you are the one spending long hours in the space, so be sure that the colors you select are pleasing to you and feel right instictively.
What Are The Top Colors To Use In A Home Office?
Yellow – pale yellow stimulates creativity and clarity of thought. Steer clear of bright yellow though, as it can be overstimulating and leaves many people feeling frustrated when there is too much of it.
Orange – pale orange or terracotta can be energizing and create a sense of excitement or enthusiasm. This is a good color if you work collaboratively as it fuels cooperation and communication. Once again, a very bright orange can be overstimulating in the workplace, so use it sparingly.
Brown – shades of brown offer a sense of comfort, stability, and longevity. If clients will be coming to your office, keep in mind that brown evokes feelings of integrity and reliability. Don’t feel you have to paint yourself into a dark brown cave though, browns can subtly appear in flooring or wood finishes.
Red – red is another excellent accent color to energize and excite a workplace and it gives feelings of confidence. If you need a little help getting motivated, this should be your color of choice. Don’t go overboard: too much red can leave you feeling aggressive.
Blue – shades of blue-green can stimulate creativity while evoking a sense of calm, while light blue increases focus and productivity along with serenity and professionalism. It can be difficult to stay industrious and focused when surrounded by bright turquoise so you may want to keep it for your kids’ play room down the hall.
At MasterWorks Painters, we have extensive commercial painting and residential painting experience and are happy to help you choose the right paint color to create the best home work environment possible. Contact us today at (703) 263-3302 to get started.