The paint color of an office makes a personal statement of style. This means that you have to select it wisely. You should also determine the best time to paint the office for the best results. This is so especially if you have just build or rent an office for your organization. Here are a few ideas.
When Should You Paint Your Office?
· When all construction is done, if you have built a new office.
Painting should be the last thing to do if you have just built or rent a new office. This is because after the office is painted, it should be given enough time to dry. During this time, the paint dries meticulously, leaving no marks or spots. This adds to the aesthetic purpose of office paint. However, even as you wait for all the construction work to be complete for you to paint the office, you have to remember that timing is of great essence when it comes to businesses, and if you get it wrong your business may collapse into a heap before it actually begins. It is advisable to take advantage of the dry weather to accelerate drying of the paint and fortunately, Singapore does not have winter season so you can paint just about any time. Sometimes, it is advisable to use the fast-drying types of paint if you want to take advantage of a new business opportunity.
· At regular intervals if you have been having it for quite some time.
Establish a pattern of repainting the office if you expect to use it into the foreseeable future. The intervals will generally depend on the quality of paint or other factors as you will find appropriate. In some cases, you may find it necessary to repaint the office after just one year if the paint applied catches dirt fast. In other cases, you repainting can be done after two or more years, depending on its quality.
· During annual celebrations or other periodic activities.
If you have a culture of holding annual celebrations, symposiums or shows, you can paint your office a new whenever these events are to take place. If you don’t mind changing office paint colors regularly, you can paint the office in the color that matches the theme of the annual event in question. This will have the effect of establishing the overall mood during this period.
· After a tactical or strategic change in the business.
For instance, introduction of a new product, change in the lines of production or launch of a strategic plan. Colors can have a great impact on your productivity. Recent research has shown that beige, bland gray and white induces the feelings of depression in women. A decision to boost morale and performance of staff should thus consider a change of these colors if they exist. If you have introduced a new product of a certain color for instance, you can paint the office in this color to emphasize the presence of this new product in the list of your products. If you have changed the layout of the office, you may also need to repaint it in a way that goes well with the new layout. Remember the reception and the general office space may need different colors and shades of paint.
· After change of jobs.
You are always advised to paint your office in the color that matches your job for you to be productive. That means that if you switch jobs, you should also switch office paints. This applies even to those who work from home. Unfortunately, entrepreneurs who work from home tend to give little or no attention to their offices at home, concentrating on the living areas and the bedrooms. It is important to consider the home office color carefully, because it affects your performance just like the conventional office does. Our bodies react to colors, whether both in a formal setting and an informal setting. Our bodies respond physiologically to different colors, and this reaction has a direct bearing to the performance.
· During religious and community functions.
If your office is located in an environment with is made up of Christians, painting your office in Christmas colors is a big plus. On the other hand, an environment which is made up of environment conservation groups or activists will require you paint your office in the green color for instance, in order to show solidarity in the going green agenda. You can paint the office in dark colors when the society is mourning the death of an important person. Some communities may not like some paints or may require you to paint your office in a certain color to match their norms and beliefs. It is always advisable to stick to societal norms in your official undertakings as part of Social Responsibility.
· After hiring a specific group of people.
If your company has just hired fresh graduates, you may consider painting the office in a way that recognizes their presence in a special way. Some organizations run graduate recruitment programmes every year and painting the offices every time this recruitment is done is a step in the right direction, as this will underline the in the employment structure.
In summary, colors affect the productivity of human beings a great deal. Specifically, color psychology states that the blue color affects your mind, yellow color your emotions and red color your body. The green color affects your general state of mind in relation to Mother Nature, or simply your balance. This means that if you work in an office which has a part painted in blue, another in yellow, another in red and another in green, your mind, emotions, and balance will be affected. Particularly, the blue color will make you more productive, being the most productive color. Yellow will boost your creativity and ego, while red will enhance your physical ability, making it possible for you to accomplish a challenging physical activity with ease. With green color, you will be at ease with creation.