Your cubicle at work can be dull and drab. In a sea of neutral tones in the office, how can you liven your area up a little bit? Adding some color is the best way to make a dull office bright and inviting instead of boring. However, you don't want to overwhelm a tiny office space with an influx of colors. Here's how to make that workspace pop the perfect amount!
Hang up Some Colorful Art
Blank cubicle walls are just begging for some decoration. Sites like Etsy and RedBubble specialize in awesome art that's made by people who love what they're doing. Local flea markets and thrift shops are good places to look as well. The pieces don't even have to be big, but a few brightly colored prints can do wonders at livening up your workspace.
At the very least, a fun calendar can be a great addition to your office. It can be useful and fun to look at. Instead of the free one your bank mails you, get one that really adheres to your style. Something floral, or one featuring your favorite TV show or the place you dream of visiting. You can never go wrong with puppy calendars, either.
Spice up Your Office Supplies
The same pens, folders, clips and other office supplies aren't going to stand out if everyone else in your company is using them. Splurge a bit on some unique supplies that everyone is going to know are yours.
Color coordinate your stapler, tape dispenser and pen/pencil cup to create a cool theme to your desk. Instead of the usual yellow sticky notes, get them in neon or in fun shapes. Use colored pens to take your notes instead of the standard blue and black. These are all little things, but they can make a big difference in the way your workspace looks.
Choose a Focal Color
Different colors have different psychological impacts on people. Choosing a specific color that you're going to accent your cubicle with can help you with whatever emotions you want to emphasize at work.
Brown and green are earth and nature colors that are good for feelings of warmth and calm. Purple spurs creativity and blue helps open rooms up while bringing feelings of tranquility. Orange and yellow are best for energy and being alert.
Pick what you want your office to represent and help you with. If you deal with difficult clients, calming shades might be best. If you find your day dragging, you could use a pick-me-up color. Or if you're in a creative field, purple is always a good option.
Cater to Your Lighting
Office lighting can often be harsh and unforgiving. Fluorescent bulbs can really impact the way colors look. What you think looks good in a warmly lit place like your home can look completely different under cooler, brighter lighting.
On the opposite hand, if you have an office that's filled with windows and natural light, that can change the way you decorate as well. It's a lot easier to find things that look good in natural lighting, but you want to make sure you don't overdo dark colors since you have all the windows.
A good way to test what looks good in your lighting is to bring in those sample cards from hardware stores that show paint colors. See what they really look like in your office. That way, you can have an idea for what colors and shades you should use.
Don't Overdo It
One of the biggest mistakes is getting a bit too color happy. First, you'll want to stick to a few colors that complement each other. You don't just want to throw a bunch of random colors in the mix, or it'll look mismatched and just give you a headache looking at them all day.
You also don't want to turn your office into a wall of one color, either. Have office supplies one color and art prints on the wall focused on another. Too much of one color can make you sick of it really fast.
You'll want to balance out all the color with neutral tones as well. Luckily, most offices already have those in abundance, so you won't have to work too hard for that.
Really Make It You
There's no point in decorating your office based on anyone else's opinions. They're not the ones that have to be in it all day. Make sure you're choosing colors you love and that make you feel your best while you're at work.
You may have a love for color combos that don't necessarily work, but if you love them, that's all that matters. Choose fun figurines or other decorations for your office that show off your personality as well as add color to the cubicle. This is a great way to show off some of your individuality in an office environment where you're all stuck in similar workspaces.
Color is a great way to make your office a place you want to spend time in. Start working up a color scheme and make your office a colorful reflection of you!
After graduating from Penn State with degrees in Marketing and PR, Sarah moved to Harrisburg to start her career as a Digital Media Specialist and a writer. She later founded Punched Clocks, a site dedicated to helping young professionals navigate the work world and find happiness and success in their careers.
