The case for colour

While we still love minimalism and industrial styles, there’s nothing like colour to wake a workspace up! ????

Colour can be used to exude particular energy to inspire and motivate your team day-to-day.?

In this article, we dive beyond advocating bright colours and look at the different things you can achieve with a colourful workspace.?

A vibrant life

We’re especially inspired by Etsy 's dHQ, which combines artisan products, greenery and an abundance of colour to make a truly exceptional space. While their business model paves the way for creativity, there’s no reason why any office couldn’t follow suit, from any industry.??

Take it back to brand

Spreetail ’s Austin office is also masterful in its use of bold colourways. It’s also a great example of how using brand colours can be very powerful. We agree that colour-coordinating cushions or alternating carpet tiles may be a little cliché, but who could challenge the coolness of Spreetail’s colour use??

Colour psychology

Let’s take a quick detour to look at the meaning behind colour choices. Which are best suited to your working environment and where is best to use them?

Greens and blues

Both colours are well suited to the working environment, promoting a sense of calm and rest.? The greenery (planting as well as the colour!) is proven to rest the eyes from intense screen work and bring a sense of life and growth to a space.

Blue is seen to be one of the most corporate tones, and promotes productivity whilst enhancing wellbeing (did you know that the colour blue has been proven to lower heart rates and blood pressure?!)?

Don’t hold back on creativity with these corporate shades though – we love the artsy vibe given to this office space with a bold wall mural in blue ????

Red, Orange, Yellow

You walk into an office like the below and immediately feel you’ve entered a sunny climate. While in fact, this co-working space is in San Fran. Because of its design, it could just as easily be in the heart of a city like London and generate the same atmosphere.

Yellows and oranges generate a feeling of warmth and happiness amongst people, associated with the sun. We recommend keeping the tones mellow, or keeping bright shades as accent colours – these can be viewed negatively (yellow is the colour of caution, and can cause eye strain) if too bright and prominent. If you want to include brighter warm tones, maybe limit them to an area where people don’t typically linger; somewhere like a reception area, or canteen.

Red, likewise, is a powerful tone. It can be used to stimulate people and is often seen as a bold choice within interior design. Once again, we recommend restraining the red tones to smaller, accent areas due to its powerful impact on psychology, which can quickly overwhelm or distract.??

Pink and soft pastels

Pink first came on the radar when ‘millennial pink’ was highlighted as a key trending colour in interior design. Since then we’ve moved on from sugary sweet tones to ‘raw plaster’, and even earthy terracotta is back in. At first, seen as a complete stranger in the workplace, designs that take cues from residential and boutique looks have almost become commonplace.

Relaxing, casual and cosy – a popular choice for bringing a hint of luxury to a space. Pastel tones or pinks can often be used as neutralisers and work in many interior styles – such is their versatility.

Stick to muted monochrome

White comes under criticism as being unimaginative, clinical or too highly reflective in the workplace environment. It still remains, however, one of the most used colours in modern offices. A fail-safe colour choice that pairs well with industrial or minimalist style – and helps to promote a clean, uncluttered aesthetic.?

It’s a blank neutral that can be dressed with your brand. We especially like white interiors when softened with a unique floor, textured furnishing, or plants.

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Let us know, what are some of your favourite used colours in a workspace????

?At West+Vittori, our job is to understand what motivates productivity and promotes wellbeing in workplaces.

If you’re looking for a tailored workspace that delivers on all aspects, we’d love to help out.

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#westandvittori #yourspaceyourway #workplacecolour

Web link to the article: https://westandvittori.com/2019/08/13/the-case-for-colour/?