Beyond Beige: For a New View Color Your home office

If you find yourself in a work-at-home rut — maybe your job is turning monotonous or your rejection e-mails are mounting — a change of scenery may be all that is needed.

Consider adding color to your home office walls. Depending on the shade you choose, the color can soothe the stress of a project deadline or stimulate the tedium of writer’s block.

According to Pantone, the think tank widely regarded as the foremost authority on color, different colors have varying effects on the body and mind.

Take red, for example. A warm color, red is said to act as a stimulant — which may explain why the walls of many restaurants are painted red (to stimulate hunger) and why the neon signs of Las Vegas are red (research has shown that people make riskier bets when seated under a red light as opposed to a blue light).

Colors can be cool (blue, green, violet) and have a calming effect associated with nature. They can be warm (red, orange, yellow) and have an attention-grabbing effect, exciting your emotions and motivating work.

Scientists have found some evidence that actual physiological changes take place in human beings when they are exposed to certain colors, though the mood-changing effects may be only temporary.

Therefore, whether you need a stimulant or stress-relief, a can of paint can precipitate a big change in your daily work. Consider these wall colors for the room in which work:

* Orange: Represents healing and positive energy.

* Blue: Soothes and calms.

* Yellow: Signals purity and can be stimulating, depending on its shade.

* Green: A symbol of nature and wealth.

* Red: The ultimate stimulant in color. Shown to increase blood circulation upon exposure.

* Purple: A color of purpose and good judgment, it is often used in meditation.

Incidentally, Pantone each year pronounces a “color of the year.” This year’s color is Mimosa, a warm yellow illustrative of the flowers of the Mimosa tree and the shade of the champagne-infused beverage.

Mimosa speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation, Pantone directors said.

Imagination? Innovation? Sounds like a prescription for re-energizing your work-at-home agenda.

Posted:Friday, March 06, 2009