Go Bold in Your Office Color Schemes

Quiet beige cubicles and carpeting with off-white walls have been normal color schemes in office spaces for many years, but now trends show that bold colors are in and they can set the tone for a positive office experience.

Read on and see what colors and office designs can do for your space and brand.

What is Color?

Light bounces off or reflects off an object and we see the colors. Color is “the aspect of things caused by differing qualities of light being reflected or emitted by them” as defined by Pantone.com.

We interpret the colors and they can influence our energy levels and emotions. And those personal traits influence how well we perform our jobs.

How Colors Impact Office Moods and Well-Being

Colors add depth, and warmth, and stir up creativity—or end up creating a dull environment, depending on your color scheme.

Imagine having an office decorated all in white: walls, chairs, and cubicles. You’re lost in a sea of white. It would seem stark, strange, and even disorienting. Browns and other monotone color schemes wouldn’t work, either.

Who wants to work surrounded by gray cinder-block walls?

Now, if those gray walls had hardwood décor or splashes of magenta they could be fun.


Photo: Source International Axis Chair

On the 2010 Office Furniture Office Inspirations web page, you can compare various office settings and see how colors and furnishings establish the setting and tone so work areas can feel spacious and inviting.

In a preview of the upcoming industry trade show NeoCon in Chicago, June 2023, interior designer Pallavi Dean of Roar, a Dubai-based interior design studio, told DeZeen magazine that, “The safe beige, grey, and white walls are on their way out.”

She says bold hues and darker tones add depth to space.


Photo: Source International Scape Seating

Click on The Modern Industrial Office which uses wood, metal, and red brick. Let in plenty of light and the space can convey strength and efficiency instead of being dark and overpowering.


Photo: Source International Lore Chair

Dean also believes, “We’re leaving the haven of neutrals and stepping into a rainbow!”

Look at the Abstract Modern Office and how a range of bold colors creates a playful and energetic atmosphere.

What color patterns are right for your office?

It will depend on the ambiance you want to create, so read the listing of colors and the moods they create.

Qualities of Colors and Their Impact

As you consider color schemes, remember that every color has variations. So there isn’t just one blue or red, but there are numerous shades of light blue leading to a color like teal and darker blues.

The advice of Dean is to, “Tread with caution when you choose your shade; it can impact your mood and change your perception of the size of your space.”

A comprehensive summary is found in a timeless article in Smashing Magazine which lists:

  • Warm colors: red, yellow, and orange—think autumn leaves.
  • Cool colors: green, blue, and purple—water and night. These colors are relaxing.
  • Neutral colors: black, white, gray, brown, beige, and tan. These colors serve as backgrounds and can convey elegance. Brown offers warmth and wholesomeness.

Shades of blue may help reduce tensions, foster relaxation, and lead to greater employee output while yellows can get creative juices flowing. A 2018 article in LinkedIn’s Pulse, “The Surprising Effect of Color in the Office” says that “white is the worst color to paint the office” since it’s sterile and can “hinder productivity.”

Match Furnishings with Your Environment

Creating the best office designs and color schemes for your office has never been easier. If you want to refresh your office to reflect your brand and make your space a destination, then choose from the types of furnishings in the color patterns that work best.

For example, the DARRAN Chameleon Workspace comes in a variety of veneer, laminate, and metal finishes.


Photo: DARRAN Chameleon Workspace

It might fit with the Green Office or the Abstract Modern Office, depending on the colors you choose.


Photo: Rouillard Lead X Chair

Choose the right office color schemes of your ergonomic chairs and lounge furniture to blend in.

Leverage Color for Maximum Office Productivity


Photo: Source International Repeat Benches

You’re in control of your office space—from workstations to the colors of your breakroom. The available color combinations for a range of modular furniture give you the opportunity to make an environment that reflects your brand and sets the tone for your team.

Benefit from Office Color Schemes Experts

Plan your space and choose office color schemes for furnishings with expert input from the team at 2010 Office Furniture. They have over a half-century of experience assisting clients who are among Southern California’s most distinguished corporations, nonprofits, and small businesses.

Contact them with your project needs and questions.

Read Also: Design Your Office Space for Residential Comfort and Professional Results
Main Photo: Stylex Dau Seating
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: DARRAN, Rouillard, Source International & Stylex

Your Guide to Office Feng Shui for the Best Office Environment

Your Guide to Office Feng Shui OFS Riff Table

Creating the best office environment isn’t only about arranging furniture and equipment, it’s also developing an ambiance that has a positive flow of energy. Consider laying out your workspace using office feng shui.

Imagine the benefits:

  • Having a workplace with reduced stress
  • Using appealing natural elements
  • Maximizing employee comfort
  • A cleaner and organized office

What is Office Feng Shui

The word feng shui means “wind” and “water,” and is based on the concept that we’re impacted by our surrounding environment. The most productive offices are planned and laid out with purpose and aren’t arranged in a haphazard manner.

Office feng shui design is meant to bring harmony between people and their surroundings. Nature plays an important role.

Finding Balance in Office Feng Shui

Feng shui incorporates five elements that create a balanced atmosphere when they’re used well together. This can be accomplished in an individual home office or in a corporate setting.

See how each element plays a role and blends with the others for a balanced and harmonious work setting.

Wood

Wood represents creativity and includes growth, birth, strength, and flexibility. Trees, plants, or green objects can represent wood. Feng shui practitioners don’t define wood as hard surfaces, but they look at what flows out of wood like greenery and flowers.


Photo: Nevins Leaf Living Wall

Now, let’s add boldness and energy into the mix.

Fire

As you might imagine, fire represents passion, energy, boldness and change or transformation. Natural light, candles, and the color red bring the fire element into a space.  Feng shui practitioners say this element promotes leadership.

Now think about combining this leadership with inspiration.

Your Guide to Office Feng Shui Stylex Metrum Lounge
Photo: Stylex Metrum Lounge Seating

Water

The element of water is linked to emotion and inspiration. Colors in shades of blue represent water. The incorporation of water in office feng shui balances personalities and temperaments, and encourages ideas and inspiration.


Photo: Stylex Free Address Table 2.0

Certainly so far, each element has a universal quality. Let’s look at strength as a foundation to build on.

Earth

Stability and strength are found in the earth element. Rocks, carpets, old books, decorative pottery or other items that are brown or tan in color capture the tones of the earth and provide stability and strength. Now, let’s focus and bring everything together with the next element.


Photo: Source International Lore Lounge

Metal

Metal is a unifying force with all the elements. It promotes focus and order. The colors of metal are white, silver, or grey.


Photo: Arcadia Worksmith Meeting Tables

Ideas for Using Feng Shui in Offices

Feng shui identifies and eliminates stress points and is compatible with biophilic design, or using natural elements at work. Basic initial steps are to get rid of unnecessary clutter and have good air circulation.

Browse ideas from 2010 Office Furniture’s Office Inspirations for ways to use colors and furnishings so you reach a result that promotes well-being among your team.

Discover how the elements blend together in green offices with an emphasis on nature. Or, combine the properties of residential and commercial spaces with a resimercial layout. The industrial space promotes strength while a minimal office lets you use the elements in subtle ways.

You can also decide how many of the feng shui elements already exist in your current layout and decide how many of each are needed.

If an office feels lifeless or drab, then use office feng shui elements to generate freshness and vitality. Is there an overabundance of one element, like wood and not enough of fire or water? Too many elements related to earth can create a sense of boredom or dullness.

Too many bold designs can be overwhelming.

The Use of Elements in Offices

If fire is related to leadership, then use red tones in specific workstations and executive offices. Blend with the needed strength and flexibility.

A graphics department, marketing, or other area needing a creative boost can decorate with blue and teal.


Photo: Source International Lore Lounge and Clever Plane Tables

If the office space has plenty of natural light but creates glare, don’t use heavy draperies or dark shades to block the light. An idea from Workplace Design.com is to use material that diffuses light so it shines in but reduces the stress of glare.

Feng shui will impact how furnishings are arranged. Desks have a power position when facing a door from the furthest spot in the room. Workers also need support. In feng shui, this can be conveyed behind a desk with  solid wall and plants.

The elements of feng shui can also be found in the furnishings and brought together in one space. A helpful summary from Work Design.com shows a conference room with a large communal table that represents Earth.

A variety of light fixtures and natural light from the windows can bring in fire. Wood can be represented by using the material in communal table and chairs. A glass top on the table will introduce water, along with any blue chair, bench or sofa seating. Also, wall coverings that depict the image of gentle rain evokes the water element.

In the conference room, metal may be represented in the furniture finishes of the table, chairs, light fixtures and other objects. Wall treatments and art or photographs can represent metal, as well as the other elements.

Bring in Plenty of Plants

Plants contribute greatly in office feng shui.  It’s said that bamboo conveys health, happiness and long life.  Peonies help soothe emotional problems.

Succulents are seen as power plants, as they collect water in their stems, leaves, and roots. Feng shui practitioners believe the best places to set them are on desks, sunny terraces, and near windows.

Get Expert Input on Office Feng Shui

For further advice and input, contact our team at 2010 Office Furniture about feng shui and its benefits for your office.

The team members are experienced in office designs and space planning for corporations, nonprofit organizations, and small businesses throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. 2010 Office Furniture also serves the Inland Empire.

Contact us with your questions and project needs.

Read Also: Checklist of Wellness Activities for 2019
Main Photo: OFS Riff Table
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Arcadia, Nevins, OFS, Source International & Stylex

Office Trends that Keep Employees Engaged and Productive

Office Trends that Keep Employees Engaged and Productive

When surveying current office trends, one must consider that life is now much more open in Southern California with fewer health concerns surrounding Covid-19. But the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health still has restrictions on office space capacity as of May 2021. Up to 75% occupancy was noted in the guidelines for re-opening.

This makes the hybrid office a model that’s here to stay for months and possibly years to come.

How do you make it continue to work?

Plan your spaces, set expectations with employees, and stay true to your brand.

Office Trends to Accommodate Remote Workers

How many of you have used Zoom, or even knew about it, before March 2020?

“Let’s Zoom” became a verb phrase as widely used as “Google it” – making it one of the biggest office trends that blew up in 2020.

The need for online interaction with remote workers is a reality. If you need to video conference with staff or clients, then use the latest in architectural walls to have a pleasant atmosphere and reduce distractions for others working in the office.

Check office furnishing solutions like the OFS Obeya Architectural Structures for a nice business casual feel.


Photo: OFS Obeya Architectural Structures

Trendway makes an appealing line of modular walls to define your meeting spaces where you can place monitors and tables.


Photo: Trendway Clearwall Space Divider

If employees are working remotely, recommend the use of ergonomic chairs and height adjustable desks to reduce physical strains.

When your team knows that they’re supported then they’re going to be more engaged and invested in creating positive results.

Form Workstation Neighborhoods

One of the strongest office trends that still continues to evolve today is to make the office a destination where people want to be in. One of the benefits of working in the office and not just at home is that employees can socialize. After all, even though people need privacy and personal space, we don’t want to be alone.

Consider this analogy. Visualize the corporate office as a city and departments as neighborhoods.

What do most neighborhoods have in Southern California?

Their own parks, grocery stores and restaurants. They have a unique identity.

Depending on the company’s size and floor space that’s available, consider each area having:

  • Modular workstations or work pods with individual spaces
  • Digital or moveable whiteboards
  • A dedicated video conferencing room

Each space can even have its own small refrigerator, a little perk that can be used to keep drinks cool.

Creating identifiable workspaces can help your team have a feeling of ownership in their area.

De-Centralize Decision Making

During the months of Covid when office spaces were mostly closed, many executives took decision making into their own hands. After all, leaders need to lead. Key decisions were often made without feedback from stakeholders.

Plan your office space so decision-making can be delegated.

Use cubicle workstations designed for smaller meetings or define meeting areas with modular walls or accessories like whiteboards and a bit of nature.


Photo: Nevins Leaf Living Wall

Design to Boost Morale

Take to heart the lyrics from the former pop group the 5th Dimension: “Let the sun shine, let the sunshine in.”

They’re wise words for office managers and executives planning layouts. Natural light boosts moods and productivity, in light, airy spaces that people crave and love.


Photo: OFS Eleven Wood Table and Bistro Chair

Bring in as much natural light as possible to improve morale and create a pleasing workspace.

Other ways to bring in nature includes using a variety of office plants. This is especially useful in open office plans where cubicles divide individual workstations.

Use wall panels that hold succulents or other appropriate plants.

A study quoted on CNBC.com notes that, “People who kept a small plant on their desk had lower levels of anxiety and stress at the end of a four-week period. Researchers instructed 63 participants who worked a full-time desk job to take a three-minute break when they felt ‘fatigued’ to tend to, water and gaze at a desk plant.”

It was a Japanese study and the most popular plants chosen were Japanese Kokedamas and succulents.

Office trends in fostering little morale boosters can go a long way in easing stress, improving office relationships, and increasing productivity.

Office Trends with the Corporate Personality in Mind

Your company has a brand, or personality, just like the people who work there. Use a cohesive design for a unified appearance that’s fresh and sets a positive tone.

There are plenty of office trends options to make an office space have a look and feel that fits with your goals. Our moods are certainly influenced by our environment.

Look for a variety of shapes in available lounge furniture and use a family of colors on panel dividers.

Office designs have their own special histories.

Office Trends: The Abstract Modern Office
This interior design style became popular in the 20th century. It seems to break rules but provides plenty of comfort and functionality.

Office Trends: The Modern Industrial Office
This design approach is minimalist and is fairly neutral with subdued colors. It honors the transition from handcrafted goods to mass manufacturing.

Office Trends: The Open Plan Benching and Desking
The goal is promoting collaboration in an office without permanent walls while at the same time allowing private spaces.


Photo: OFS Eleven Workspace

Get Expert Input on Office Trends

See if your office is ready for office trends that accommodate remote employees for the long term while equipping in-house employees. Get input from the team at 2010 Office Furniture.

The company has more than 50 years of experience working with the most distinguished corporations, centers of higher education, and growing small businesses throughout Southern California.

Contact us with your questions and needs.

Read Also: 6 Reasons to Use a Resimercial Design for Your Office
Main Photo: National Alloy Workstation
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: National, Nevins, Trendway & OFS