There are many theories about how colors influence people’s state of mind. Indeed, color acts on the subconscious and can provoke different emotional reactions, from aggression to appeasement, from ecstasy to depression. Considering the fact that people spend more than half the day in the office, it is obvious how important choosing the right color can be.
In the majority of cases, companies do not have to decide what color to paint the walls or to buy furniture in because management traditionally takes care of this issue opting in favor of white or beige tones. Management’s main objective is to make the office as simple and functional as possible so that employees can work effectively within it. However, few are aware that functionality and efficiency can also be enhanced with the use of color.
A colorful mood
It is hard to imagine the branch office of a bank or the headquarters of an oil company painted in raspberry-pink or salad-green colors. At the same time, it would be strange to see an advertising agency or designer firm’s office painted in restrained pastel tones. Why? When we visit a company we associate its profile and specific working conditions with how the office looks. Accordingly, so as not to confuse clients, or indeed even own employees, the color of interiors should correspond to the building’s concept and not create an imbalance between the business and the way it is perceived. “Color is incredibly important to create atmosphere in an office! Without being the most expensive factor, it can provide the necessary environment,” says Tom Lukich, a representative of the company Office Solutions.
The company FlyCards makes and distributes advertising postcards. Its office is located in the Marina Roshcha district and is painted salad green. “The color of our office corresponds to our company’s corporate spirit” explains Maria Kanunnikova, advertising department coordinator at FlyCards. “We are a young, aggressive company and our project is therefore a vivid one. On this principle, we chose the color of our office. It promotes a dynamic working rhythm and encourages creativity.”
Another example is the Millennium House business center, which offers premises for short-term rents. Companies who rent for short periods receive the offices ready-furnished. The profile of the companies in the business center is extremely varied and so the building has to satisfy the requirements of clients with diverse needs. According to Irina Semirova, the building’s manager, cream-colored walls and blue carpeting is a standard universal option that suits all companies with varying tastes. Her observation is that in a bright office it is difficult to work and intense bright colors are stressful for the eyes. Calmer tones are universally accepted by clients.
Bright tones… for shock value
Some companies go further and try to match the color range not only with the company’s corporate spirit but with the overall corporate style. With today’s range of finishing materials, there is no problem in choosing matching tones. But if there is a designed, recognized style, the task becomes harder.
“People are often afraid of bright tones. But I am certain that the work environment can use any paint – the important thing is to do so wisely. Obviously, if we paint a wall red and place a workstation next to it, the person working there will simply go crazy after a while. Another matter is to use bright colors and combine them cleverly in public areas – corridors, toilets, rest zones. A bright color can be used to provide certain emotional accents that contribute to the office’s overall interior,” explains Tom Lukich.
“Often companies strictly specify their color preferences when commissioning a designer. But in general, it all depends on how strongly developed the company’s corporate culture is,” notes Ilya Korchazhkin, director of the company Ahrend. “Although companies may have several corporate colors, they may not choose to use them in designing their office interiors. Frequently, the corporate color will simply be highlighted in office details.”
For taste and color…
In designing office interiors, specialists already use particular colors for their particular connotations. Another widespread approach is to give each different area of the office a different tone depending on its designation. For example, guest meeting rooms may be painted in calm, unobtrusive tones to encourage constructive dialogue whereas brain-storming zones on the other hand might feature garish colors that evoke a spirit of rivalry. Some companies go even further and adopt a different color for each department. In Moscow, there are examples of offices where sales managers have offices in stimulating almost aggressive colors whereas the accounting department works in a muted pastel range of tones. However, specialists suggest that it is unwise to indulge in similar experiments, because people’s perception of colors is highly subjective. “In choosing a color for the office, there must be some degree of consistency. Not everyone likes bright colors – some may find them stimulating and some may find them depressing,” believes Ilya Korchazhkin.
Experts agree that in the working area a calm color range is most appropriate, in either yellow, blue or green tones. In the reception, conference halls and rest zones brighter accents of color can be made or a brighter tone of the main color chosen for finishing touches. The CEO’s office can either maintain the overall office style or have its own individual interior.
As noted at Ahrend, with help of color it is possible not only to demonstrate the company’s principles and to inspire employees, but also to ensure order. This is particularly relevant for companies that occupy several stories in a building. In order to make the inventory simpler, and not allow furniture to “roam” around the building, each floor is designed in a particular color range. And not only the walls, but also the furniture. For example, on one floor armchairs may be in dark blue and in another in dark green. If a chair goes missing from one department, it is not difficult to find it.
Not only working areas can be divided by colors. For example, in the interior of public zones in the Krasnaya Roza business center, the natural red brick was maintained, while the cafeteria was painted in a warm orange color. “Some years ago, when office tones in beige and green tones were in demand, no one dared to introduce bright splashes of color. However, with the canteen we chose the warm orange color because it effectively combined with the building’s external and historical interior appearance,” comments Anna Arushanian, project manager of the Krasnaya Roza business center.
Many companies are still at ease with their unprepossessing office premises… Employees have already learned not to pay attention to the grey walls, boring furniture and inconvenient layout. But, perhaps, it’s worth adding a splash of bright color to a plain office? It is entirely possible that after renewing the interior, the company’s business may also take on a new color.