How to colour hack your home office?

How can different colours affect our work performance and how do we benefit from it now that the home environment acts as an office? We had a chat with the colour psychologist, colour consultant and interior designer Sara Garanty. We talked about how we can boost our focus and creativity by using colours in our surroundings.

How do colours affect us?

For a long time, research has shown that colours have a profound impact on our lives, that all colours affect us whether we like it or not. Colours are the first thing we see when we walk into a room and therefore it is the most useful tool we have to create the emotional states we want ourselves or others to experience. Colours can put us in different emotions or moods. They can help us find calm, creativity, concentration, energy or relaxation.

Just like we affect our mood through what we eat, how we sleep and exercise, we can also affect our mood by choosing the right colours to surround ourselves with. A simple life hack to make life a little bit easier!

What colours give us better focus and concentration?

Blue! The positive attributes of the colour are logical, gives the idea clarity, and open the mind for discussion and exchange of ideas. Especially, lighter blue tones are especially associated with mental sharpness, calmness and reflection. Studies show that we make 20 % fewer mistakes in light blue environments - therefore it is the ultimate colour for the home office. However deep blue tones make us tired and contribute to a dormant effect and should therefore rather be used in bedrooms or relax rooms.

Green colours also work well for peace and quiet. Green shades are in the middle of the colour spectrum, and the eye needs very little or no adjustment to be able to see and discover shades of green. Therefore, it is a very restful colour for us and gives us balance and harmony. Use green to create calm and peaceful places and light blue for calm and concentration.

What colours make us creative and social?

Orange is a given colour for creative encounters, brainstorms and social interactions. This colour gives room for creative joy and can be used to dare to express our personality and our opinions. Something that applies to all red tones is that they give us positive attributes like heat, energy and tension. They give us physical strength, endurance, desire and power to complete a task.

On the other hand, red shades can take over and contribute negatively when we surround ourselves with too much red for a long time. If so, the energy can be aggressive, confrontational or overwhelming. Use red tones to boost your energy level when you are a little extra tired on a Monday. Red is intense and gives us lots of energy, which is best suited for environments where we are going to stay for a short period. Quick and intensive meetings are best conducted in red rooms.

What colours help us learn new things?

Yellow! Many people are afraid of yellow shades, they think it is a garish colour that they avoid having at home. But yellow is unbeatable when it comes to taking in new information, reading a text or learning something new. The yellow colour is linked to our emotions and our nervous system. It has a relatively long wavelength and is emotionally stimulating, which makes us feel more confident and optimistic in yellow environments. Choose yellow when you want to increase your self-esteem and when you are going to study something. By the way, did you know that you read up to three times faster when reading on yellow paper?

How do you create an office environment in a small home using colour?

If possible, try moving the workplace away from the bed as much as possible. It is important to separate the different energies and emotional states that you want to feel in different contexts. Divide the room with different colours, in addition to the colour you have on the walls. Invest in a yellow notepad, a red vase or place a green plant on your desk. In this way, you can adapt your office environment to the energy you need for different tasks.

Good luck!