Using Color to Improve Your Office Space and Daily Routine

No, I’m not talking about the movie.

Now, I am not saying to work efficiently from home you have to do what I have done, but I wanted to share with you what works for me.

We didn’t want colors that were too dark or too light.  We wanted something that was motivating.   I think its called color psychology or something like that; anyway; we went with shades of orange and yellow (think earthy colors).  (I don’t think Pete thought anything about the meaning of the colors only that he liked them).

I was curious as to why these colors worked so well and put us both in better more productive moods.

According to “Color_Expert”  there is a good reason why these colors work.

The Meaning of Yellow is:

Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy, as well as spark creative thoughts

How the color yellow affects us mentally and physically

• Mentally stimulating
• Stimulates the nervous system
• Activates memory
• Encourages communication

The Meaning of Orange is:

Orange, a close relative of red, sparks more controversy than any other hue. There is usually strong positive or negative association to orange and true orange generally elicits a stronger “love it” or “hate it” response than other colors. Fun and flamboyant orange radiates warmth and energy. Interestingly, some of the tones of orange such as terra cotta, peach or rust have very broad appeal.

How the color orange affects us mentally and physically

• Stimulates activity
• Stimulates appetite
• Encourages socialization

I know just adding these colors to the walls improved my overall attitude a lot. You can find out more about your favorite colors and their meanings here.

I also added curtains, a bookshelf, a table, new lamp, a cork board, white board, a new printer, got rid of junk, put everything in it’s place and was even up early this morning excited to actually write this an other blog posts today along with other tasks I needed to accomplish. I also added some motivational art and picture frames to remind me to be positive.(See photos above) The only think I can think of adding is maybe some plants but that would mean I need to water them.

(Ok, so I may be slightly snarky about the whiteboard, but I really do find using one helpful)

If you are looking for other tips about setting up your office or working from home Mary Sherwood Sevinsky offers some good suggestions in her 14 Tips for Working From Home article.

So if you are new to working from home or looking for ways to incorporate color into your Office Space I hope you find some tips you can use here.  Happy Monday!