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color my world

Welcome to All in the Detail... I am so glad you are here! 

Ever considered how the color of your home, office or meeting room walls can actually affect your productivity? Workplace designers now accept that the shades of your room have more than just an aesthetic effect.

Sunny shades make workers feel cheerful while dark colors can create a feeling of gloom. Offices decorated in one color using varying shades and tones, although aesthetically pleasing, can throw employees off balance if they spend many hours in the same environment.

Color choice makes a statement about organizational values and culture. From walls of fresh-new vanilla or broken-down brown? Workplace color schemes leave lasting impressions with employees, customers and office visitors.

Is your workspace color-coded for success? Although I am focusing on color in the workplace, this anaysis can be easy applied to the rooms of your home. Take a moment and look around your house... what colors do you see and how do you think they are affecting your life?

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Yellow – Areas of a building used for activities requiring concentration and calmness should incorporate some yellow. However, too much yellow in a confined space can create a "spaced-out" feeling. Use yellow for entrance halls because its resemblance to solar energy gives strength.

Blue – Experiments have shown that people are more agreeable, relaxed and quiet in areas painted in blue tones.

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Pink – Pink evokes a sense of tranquility. Psychologists have studied prisoners and have noted that when cells were painted pink, inmates felt calm. Caution! Going overboard on pink can give the impression of weakness.

Grey – Grey tends to emit negativity. The darker the tone, the stronger the negativity. Pitching a new concept to upper management? Best to stay away from this stormy shade.

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Red – Red can evoke aggression, untidiness and conflict. A study conducted by American physicians found that red tended to raise blood pressure in patients. To prevent hot-under-the-collar office flare-ups, avoid choosing red for your meeting space.

Black – Black generates a feeling of power. Contrast black with red and this combo gives physical power. Looking for a more intellectual effect? Match black with yellow to enhance cerebral sensations.

Not only does interior color choice influence moods, but it may actually impact your bottom line. According to psychologist Dr. David Lewis, who carried out a survey for Alliance & Leicester Building Society in England, properties with a blue door sold in one day – a green door sold in one week – a red door sold in one month. However, it took one year to sell a property with a brown door! The survey showed blue as the most popular choice – 38 percent of people considered blue to be cheerful and dignified. Green was seen as smart and traditional. Red was linked with outgoing, positive people. Brown was given the thumbs down by over two-thirds of the people interviewed.

P.S. I have always had a RED door on my house. I have been toying with the idea of painting it a high-gloss black (my shutters are black) – but, I may rethink the color choice now!