Choosing interior paint colors for your office building can be intimidating. After all, you are making a decision that will impact others as far as what they’ll see and how they’ll feel during the workday. They’ll be surrounded by and looking at the walls whose colors you’ve chosen. Though inhabitants of your building may not consciously notice, the colors on the wall can and do make people react, think, and feel one way or another.
Do you choose something new with loud and bold colors? Or do you select colors that will greet your employees with subtlety? Take the opportunity now while many buildings are empty during the shutdown to define what you want your office to convey to those working in and visiting your office. If you’re hesitant about selecting the best colors for your office building, here are some color recommendations that we’ve looked at through a different lens, by industry type. The colors and various hues discussed below work well within each specific Houston industry.
Healthcare or Biotech Industries
For office spaces focused on productivity, neutral colors, and themes that provide less distraction may be the best option for your paint palette. Off-white or eggshell colors are soft and subtle so they balance comfort and productivity. These colors bring minimal disturbance to a room and, at the same time, act as a good backdrop for colorful decor pieces like furniture, accessories, or decorative plants.
The healthcare and the biotech industries rely on staff and researchers working with a high level of focus and precision on the work that they are doing. If you are in these fields, you may want to opt for the neutral paint color option to fulfill your need for getting work done in a comfortable workspace that has fewer distractions.
One of our favorite go-to neutral interior wall paints is Steamed Milk (SW 7554). If you’d like a deeper neutral interior paint color in your medical or lab setting, Likeable Sand (SW 6058) is a good choice from the Sherwin-Williams Healthcare Calm Comfort collection of colors. Canvas Tan (SW 7531) is a third option from their Cool Foundations collection. “Refined and elegant, cool neutrals are foundational in holistic hospital and clinic interiors.”
(Photos below from Sherwin-Williams.com)
Manufacturing Companies
For building owners or property managers in the manufacturing industry, gray is a great neutral choice. This color gives your employees and visitors a feeling of protection and strength and can be used in spaces to give them a sense of control. In industries where employees are controlling equipment or are focused on tasks, this is a great way to boost personal responsibility. We recommend a lighter gray shade, such as Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt (SW 6204) to inspire employees to improve productivity and positivity.
(Photo below from Sherwin-Williams.com)
Tech or Creative Companies
If you are interested in adding color to your office space, greens can turn any workspace into a calm, tranquil area. “Since green is the color of growth, life, and renewal, an office clad in this hue will promote calmness, harmony, a strong sense of balance, reassurance, safety, and productivity,” notes Keita Turner of Keita Turner Design.
Green and its many shades may be the choice for companies that want to bring balance to a high-stress work environment, while also providing a space that encourages creativity. Additionally, green is thought to minimize eye fatigue, so it’s great for offices where employees tend to work long hours.
Take a look at Benjamin Moore’s Sherwood Green (HC-118) or Light Pistachio (2034-60) if green is one of the options for your building’s upcoming interior painting project.
(Photos below from BenjaminMoore.com)
Oil, Transportation, or Logistical Companies
Blue is a classic and sophisticated option for any office. Using darker, warmer blues can create an inviting space that is welcoming and comforting. Specifically, those in the gas & oil or transportation & logistics industries may feel the stress from production deadlines and a fast-paced work environment. Incorporating blues into these spaces for added elements of serenity could be exactly what your building needs.
Blues are diverse, with so many different shades and hues, they can be incorporated in many industries outside of the ones mentioned above. If you want a non-neutral color option, but want to play it on the safer side, blue is a great first step toward using more color.
Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy (HC-154) is a great choice if you’re selecting a deeper shade. Try Grand Rapids (835) if you’re looking for a lighter shade of blue.
(Photos below from BenjaminMoore.com)
Doctor’s Offices and Conference Rooms
If you are looking for an option that makes employees feel optimistic, consider using yellow for your paint color. Yellow can be incorporated anywhere from doctor’s offices to conference rooms, as it inspires hope, happiness, and creativity in people. Like blue, there are many shades and hues of yellow, from pale yellow to bright yellow.
Daffodil (SW-6901) is a rich yellow that gives a feeling of warmth and hopefulness and may be an excellent choice for your conference room, doctor’s patient meeting space or waiting room.
(Photo below from Sherwin-Williams.com)
Paint Color Selections for your Houston Building
The paint color you choose for the walls of your commercial office building can be guided, not only by the specific impacts of each color, but also by the type of business that is getting painted. Whether your business is a millennial-based tech group or a long-established corporate law office, the colors you choose can provide feelings of stability, strength, and hopefulness.
No matter what industry your office serves, you can help your team focus better, be more productive, and be more creative at work with a fresh coat of paint. Take advantage of this downtime to update your workspace and have it ready for your employees when they come back to work. Contact one of our team members at Streamline Painting & More for a free estimate.
