Why You Should Never Paint Your Office Walls White (And What Colors to Choose Instead)

Are your office walls white? It’s time to repaint them. While white walls are clean, there are better office wall color options. Here’s a guide.

You’ve put your first payment down on your office building. Now it’s time to spruce it up with paint and decorations. You’re thinking of going with a classic white look for the office walls because It’s crisp, clean, and white paint tends to be a bit cheaper to get.

You may want to reconsider. White is the color that most business owners go with for their paint job but it doesn’t inspire productivity the way that they think it does. It’s more likely to slow down your team than anything else.

So, what color should you paint your walls? Keep reading this guide to see a list of better options.

1. Why White is a Bad Idea

Many business owners paint their office walls white but what they are forgetting about when they make this decision is color psychology. Colors instill different emotions in people.

White seems crisp and clean but when paired with fluorescent lights it comes across as more sterile than inspiring. It’s for this reason that your employees will become bored and lazy when they’re surrounded by it. This doesn’t make for a very productive workday, to say the least.

2. Is Off-White Okay?

Off-white is still not a good option but it’s not as bad as painting your office pure white. It will soften the brightness of the pure white a little so it won’t be too hard on the eyes.

It’s still not too inspiring to look at but if you like the classic white look this is a way to get it without creating too sterile of an environment.

3. Are All Neutral Tones Bad?

The answer here is yes. Most of them are better choices than pure white but they still put a huge damper on creativity. Grey is an example of one neutral that you never want to use.

Grey walls lack so much energy that it will actually make your employees feel depressed.

4. Colors that Are Better Choices

So, now that you know some of the worst colors to paint your office lets flip the switch. Here are some of the most inspiring colors to paint your walls.

Red

Red is a color of passion. Using it will get your employee’s blood pumping and inspire them to get tons of work done. It can also make them more detailed-oriented so projects will get done fast and correctly.

It’s a good color for jobs where a lot of physical labor is done because it inspires strength. The only issue with choosing red is that it may be a bit too stimulating.

See, red evokes passion and hunger. Your workers may get into a heated argument over projects due to being a little bit hangry. It may be best for you to use red as an accent color rather than dousing your office in it.

Blue

Blue is a pretty common color used in offices because it’s calming to look at. It also prompts communication and inspires creativity. This makes it the perfect color for conference rooms because it will get everyone brainstorming ideas as a team.

There is no wrong shade of blue to paint your office. Light blue creates a warm and open environment while dark blue adds a tinge of professionalism. The fact that it’s so versatile makes it the ultimate color for productivity.

Some people will throw in a second accent color such as orange to add a little dash of fun to the blue calm. Other than that, feel free to paint everything in blue. You won’t run into any problems with it.

Yellow to a Point

Yellow is a good color to a point. It will give your employees a huge energy boost and inspire creativity. You’ll want to stick to using it in larger office rooms, however.

Using it in tiny cramped rooms will envoke stress and anxiety which puts a stopper in productivity. This being said, avoid using it in a small conference room if you want to avoid stress fueled arguing from breaking out. It may work as a nice accent color and again, you can go wild with it in your big open areas.

Green

Green is another color that has no negatives. It’s calming like blue, inspires innovation, and it’s a nice earth tone. It’s also a color for balance which means it will make your workers productive.

A lot of people think of wealth when they look at green so it could be a good color if you’re running some sort of financial or accounting office.

Brown

Brown will give your office a professional business feel. It’s an earth tone so it’s calming to look at. It’s a color that fills one with a sense of warmth and it will boost your productivity levels.

You’ll need to watch your use of brown if you have wooden floors. Having both may be a bit much. You can use it as an accent color or paint it a lighter brown than the floors.

Purple

If you’re running a salon type business then purple is a good feminine color to use. It will also provide your workers with a  boost in creativity.

Purple is associated with royalty so it will give your business that sort of luxurious feel too.

There Are Better Colors to Paint Your Office Walls then White

When it comes time to choose the paint color for your office walls, go with about any other color than white. While white seems like a clean and classic color, it’s too sterile.

Consider one of these other paint colors to boost your worker’s productivity and increase morale in your office.

Are you ready to get started on your painting project? Contact us to schedule your free consultation.