Are you inspired to upgrade
your office? You’ve got walls, you’ve got floors,
and you’ve got to make the most of them - but where to start?
You might not know this but you can really work with colour to get the best from your employees. Creating a bright, vibrant office is certainly more
effective than a drab workspace which people dread as they approach it.
There’s no guarantee that a change in your
carpeting colour will increase staff retention rates, but you’ve got to cover
the floors with something, so it’s worth it to make considered choices.
White Carpets – Okay,
this is hardly realistic for the main office floor. Really, you have no idea what people went
through to get to work – and you don’t want to know either. But, if you’ve got a stellar cleaning team,
you may want to consider it in the conference room – especially if that’s the
room your sales people use for pitching to key clients. It implies simplicity, innocence and equality,
which are marvellous things to convey to most potential clients. And, as long as there are no marks on your
carpet, it does suggest a certain attention to detail. On top of all of that, it says that you unquestionably
do have one heck of a cleaning team.
Black Carpets – It might
seem a little daunting to have black carpets in the office. And there is a reason for that. Black gives off a sensation of strength and
authority. So, perhaps you want to
reserve this colour choice for managerial offices – or just the CEO. Black is believed to be a fashionable choice
and it lends itself to a sophisticated, formal environment. So, it’s beneficial for the power players to
have it around, and for the minions to strive to achieve it. Of course, it’s also got an air of secrecy to
it, which means that you can’t use it in areas where transparency is expected.
Grey Carpets – There’s
a reason grey carpets are so popular in offices across the world. And it’s not because they don’t require intense
cleaning (the dirt is still there; you just can’t see it as well). Grey is perceived as dignified. It also has a refined, conservative edge to
it. Grey is the classic compromise
between black and white, and it just seems to work with whatever you put on the
walls. Plus it never clashes with the shoes
and wardrobe of the people who enter the room. On the other hand, many people consider it to be a little boring and
lifeless. So, it’s best to consider some
other options first – after all, you don’t want to be a run-of-the-mill
company, do you? The search for grey carpet tiles will be an easy one, which removes the headache from the buying process.
Red Carpets – You know
what it means to roll out the red carpet, right? And that’s how you want everyone to feel,
whether they work for you – or you work for them. Believe it or not, there might be something
to that whole red carpet thing as red is the colour that gives off the best
first impression for people. Red is believed
to increase the energy level of any room, and it certainly is a conversation
starter. Those are all things you want from
everyone, unless, of course, you work in a library, and then you may want to stick
to a quieter colour.
Orange Carpets – This may
strike you as an odd choice, but this underestimated colour has a lot going for
it. It’s stimulating and social, just as
red is, but it suggests a slightly more informal environment. That’s a plus if you want your employees to
feel at home. It also evokes a feeling
of self confidence and creativity. So,
if you want out of the box solutions, perhaps it’s time for your company to
make the move to orange flooring. On the
other hand, it’s got the reputation for being an uninhibited colour – and
that’s why you’re unlikely to see it in the offices of investment brokers.
Yellow Carpets – Strangely
enough, yellow is the hardest colour for your eyes to take in (grey,
incidentally, is the easiest). But, it
is associated with sunshine and happiness.
It’s thought to increase logic and mental clarity as well as promote the
communication of new ideas. It’s a
creative colour and with any luck, your employees will benefit from it, but it
can be a bit distracting when you are faced with a strict deadline. So your best move is to keep this colour to
the break areas, or even in the reception area. After all, you’d love your people to face the day with extreme optimism,
rather than the gloom rain they just walked through to get to work.
Pink Carpets – Unless
your business is solidly women-focused, it’s unlikely that this colour will
ever make it to your shortlist. And
mostly it’s because it is associated with romance – and as television has shown
us for years, this certainly doesn’t fit into the work world. Now, it also evokes calm compassion, so maybe
there is a use for it in the HR side of life, but truthfully this probably
won’t work in too many places in your office – unless you run a dating site.
Purple Carpets – This colour
has long been associated with royalty, and, therefore, luxury. So it makes a lovely choice for high end
businesses. It is also known to spark
creativity and a certain selflessness in people. It’s also perfect for hiding
away any of the weather that employees have brought in from the outside. So, it’s certainly got its pluses, but you should
be careful of installing too much purple in an office as some people regard the
colour as corrupt and arrogant. You
know, everything history has taught us about monarchy.
Blue Carpets – This is
an excellent choice as blue lends itself to productivity, so if you’ve got a
floor of number crunchers, you may just want to look at this option. The paler the colour, the more likely your employees
are to stay on task. It also evokes peace
and loyalty, and these are all things that employers like to see in their people. It’s also associated with idealism and order,
which is great, but it’s not likely to stimulate creative ideas; so it’s not terribly
appropriate for the marketing department. Some people do find it a bit too conservative and predictable, so even
though you think it looks fabulous in reception, you should consider another colour
for this area of your office - unless that’s what your clients truly want.
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| Enigma Carpet Tiles in Celestial Blue |
Green Carpets – Green is
the colour of the leaves on the trees, and this is soothing for most
people. In fact, green is associated
with life and vitality. Many people enjoy
looking at green because it makes them feel renewed and compassionate. It’s also sympathetic and reliable. So, it’s a perfect choice for health care professionals
and people who are involved with growing people’s money and other personal professions. It’s a winner if you’re involved with these
things, or if you want to remind your employees that there is grass growing
underneath the inclement weather. On the
other hand, some people find that it’s a bit of a selfish and self-righteous colour,
so you’ll need to be careful where you use it.
Brown Carpets – This is
a fantastic colour for many offices. It
says warmth and comfort in a neutral sort of way. This and it does cover those splashes of tea your
employees have dribbled on the way back from the kitchen. It’s also known to be friendly, credible and
strong. So, from reception through to the
conference room and deep into the finances offices, this colour can do a lot
for your employees and your clients. Of
course, some people feel it is a bit dirty (or there to hide the dirt), and
potentially lacking a sense of humour.
So,
it truly depends on the tone you want to set in your office. Do you need your people to be creative or
diligent? Do your clients come through
to your offices? Can they cope with a
white board room, after they’ve been whisked through a red reception? But, if you’ve got a big office, you probably
don’t need to choose. You can simply install
different colours in different areas to get people working the way you
want.
Maybe
it’s not as inspiring as the Google campus, but if everyone gets down to
business, then maybe someday it will be.
