One of the most exciting parts about setting up your own office is the decorating process. Matching your office environment with your companies’ concept will give walk-in clients an immediate sense of your business philosophy and this recognition can often be the deciding factor as to whether they will want to conduct business with you.

The important thing to remember is to distinguish your office style from your personal preference – unless, of course, your personal approach to decorating suits your business concept too. If you’re home is made up of bright, funky colours that’s great; but it’s not going to work for your office unless your brand is equally loud. However, it is always wise to tone down on the “funk” in order to be taken seriously as a company. If your staff is made up of young, dynamic individuals who thrive on strong colour codes and urban art, for example, chances are they will feel right at home – but will they be focused? And most importantly of all, will your clients feel at home here?

Neutral colours are usually the best option for your office environment as these will appeal to a wider audience of clients. A punky fashion-designer in her early twenties might appreciate a common area made up of a myriad of colours, but will the fifty-year-old CEO of a company looking to invest in yours? Perhaps not. Opting for a neutral colour scheme will give your staff the space to focus and will make clients – regardless of age or personal preference – feel at ease and confident in your professional abilities.

Besides the obvious white, there are two colours a lot of professionals rely on when designing their office space: green and blue. These might seem like very specific choices but upon familiarizing yourself with the psychology of colours, they start making perfect sense. Green exudes a sense of tranquillity as it evokes a natural feeling. Obviously, you’re not going to want to paint your entire office in different shades of green as this could soothe your staff into a lull, but it’s a great colour for common areas. If the actual work areas are made up of white walls, adding some plants for a nice contrast will work beautifully too.

Blue is said to increase productivity – and who wouldn’t want that extra perk in a professional environment?! Though it is calming and is known to release tension, blue is a colour that will help bring back the focus, so it is always a good option for working areas.

Some people have a hard time believing just how effective the right colour choice can be for your office environment, but once you start getting into the psychology behind it all, you will become a true believer in avoiding red in your professional environment – lest, of course, you want your clients to “see red” immediately upon entering your office!